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“That’s my sister,” Brenna whispers in awe.

“Damn right it is, babe.”

Percy lifts his head, eyes wide with fear and I see a crack in his facade. His face changes once more and this time my heart stops. She looks exactly the same as I remember her. Warm brown eyes, soft, slightly crooked smile.

“Baby boy.”

My vision blurs and I reach for her. “Miss Fanny.”

She shakes her head before I can touch her, feel her, hug her. “You already did your job, baby.” She looks toward Brenna, “Look after him.”

“I promise I will,” Brenna whispers.

Miss Fanny’s soul fragment pulls free and I let her go, Percy’s wails in the background covering the sound of my sob as it breaks free. Arms wrap around me and I jolt when I catch a glimpse of pink velour in my periphery.

“Grammy?” I choke out as Brenna buries her face in her grandmother’s chest.

“That douche canoe weakened just enough for me to break free of his hold.” She cups my face, smiling softly. “I saw it all. You did good, Gabe. Now let Frank finish it.”

Almost as if Grammy’s words were a command Percy arches his back as light splits him open wide, his cries and pleas falling on deaf ears as he’s destroyed from the inside out.

“You picked the wrong fucking sister.” Frank grits out over Percy’s screams and in a flash the bright light is gone.

Silence settles over the coffee shop, the half burnt remains of a man split in half lie on the floor as we all stare at each other.

“It’s done?” Kristie whispers. The first time she’s ever done so.

“It’s done,” Dima says, his voice soft in the aftermath.

Brenna scrambles up from where she’s been on the floor with me, dusting off her cute jumpsuit and looking around wildly.

“Frank?” She shuffles closer to the body. “Frank? Frank!” Her voice grows higher with each call of Frank’s name, as panic starts to seize her body I wrap my arms around her, holding her, trying to give her all my strength.

She’s lost enough.

Chapter 18

Brenna

Gabe’s arms wrap around me, trying to hold me together, but it’s not working.

“Frank?” I call out, trying to find her, trying to see her with this new gift I have. What use is it if I can’t see Frank? “Frank!” I sob, unable to hold it together.

“Bren-”

“You said you’d take care of it! That you always looked after me! You didn’t say you were leaving!” I angrily scream sob.

I probably look like I’m crazy and I don’t care. I’m losing it and I think that’s very understandable considering the circumstances.

“You lied! You said you would always be there!” I scream into the empty coffee shop.

A faint cough. Then another. Spinning, I look back toward Percy’s crusty remains and there’s a flicker in the air. A haze I swear wasn’t there before. It grows lighter, flickering and my breath freezes in my lungs. Please. Please whoever is listening. Please.

“Damn, Bren. Give me a moment,” Frank coughs, this time her light shining just a little brighter until she’s whole. Standing in front of me. “I mean, I just exploded a guy. Let a girl get her breath back, damn.”

Kristie snorts. “I like her.”

“Me too,” I whisper, running as fast as my wobbly legs can take me until I slam into my sister, wrapping my arms tightly around her.