Tainted Happiness {Formerly Returned} (Book 4) (Completed)

Chapter 9

Laura POV

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Seeing Melanie completely break down when she saw Kait in that hospital bed was pure torture for me. I hated seeing her like that. She was the one that I went to for emotional support and seeing her now in the same state that I often turned to her in was unlike any other sight. She collapsed onto the cold, white tile floor holding Kait's hand and burst into tears. She'd been having a very hard time with all this. First Vince was killed, now the chances that any of us would get Kait back looked to be slim to none. Needless to say, she was the person most affected, but she certainly wasn't the only one affected.

Everyone was worried about the current situation with Kait. She was the one that brought us all together in the first place. She was almost like our ringleader, our peacekeeper. She held everything together, made it all work like it should. Without her, our whole "family" was ripping apart at the seams. It became obvious that she held us all together when everyone began arguing as to what to do when this whole thing began.

My best friend was most likely going to die. That fact hit me harder than anything had before. I got up from the chair where I sat in Kait's hospital room and managed to make it to the nearest restroom before I started bawling.

Dave POV

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I hadn't meant to hurt her. I hadn't meant to kill Cory. I was beginning to hate myself even more than I already had. I had no one and nothing. I had it all, a loving wife, four beautiful kids, a nice house, nice cars, a lot of money, everything anyone could want. Yet I went and blew it all. I was beginning to think that I deserved everything that happened to me for what I'd done. I didn't realize what I had and karma had taken over. If I had a do-over, I would have gladly taken it. I used to be a man of God, studying to be a minister. Now I'd be surprised if even The Lord himself would forgive me. I'd gone against almost all of the Ten Commandments. If only there was even a small way for me to get back the man I once was.

I wanted to be Human again. At this point, I wasn't even sure of what I even was. I wasn't human, I wasn't Viu, and I wasn't Strigoi. I had no idea what to call myself. I seemed like a mixture of Human, Vampire, and Demon. Yeah, there was no way I could ever be the same.

Cory POV

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My soul hurt for her. I hated to see Kait in so much pain. I wanted, no, I needed to help her despite my not knowing how. Somehow I knew that there had to be some sort of answer in this place that she used to love. Maybe the answer wasn't in the place, but her own memories that were attached to it, the memories that she couldn't remember without the pieces of her spirit. Then it hit me. The answer wasn't in her memories themselves, but the people in her memories. Someone that she once always associated this place with could be the answer to helping her. I just had no idea who and no idea how to get them there.

At this point I wished I could communicate with Melanie about all this. She was just like Kait in the sense that she had strange ability to take even the slightest hint and figure out everything that needed to be done and just how to do it. If only she could see that I needed her to open up her access to the Otherworld through the Bond that she and Kait shared.

Melanie POV

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Once I pulled myself together, I made my soul focus figuring out how to help Rosa. My first thought was to call my husband, but then I was quickly reminded of the sad truth of his death. Instead, I called Dimitri and Jacob to see what they'd found out from Sydney.

"Hey mom. We just got out of the meeting with Sydney." Jacob said after he answered on the third ring.

"What did you find out?" I asked.

"Dimitri can explain it better. I'll put it on speaker so he can fill you in."

"Hello, Melanie. As Jacob said, we just got done speaking with Sydney. She gave us some good information on the situation and what needs to happen, but nothing on how to make it happen." Dimitri stated, obviously nervous about how I'd react.

"Well, what did she say?" I demanded, finding myself growing impatient.

"Well, she called what Kait is an anḗsycho pneúma --"

"A what?!" I said, cutting him off.

"An anḗsycho pneúma. A being neither alive nor dead. The body is physically alive, but the soul has been ripped away from it. Kait is trapped in the Spirit World without the comfort of her own spirit. She's a lost, restless, wandering soul. Her spirit is Torn, with the pieces scattered throughout the Otherworld." Dimitri explained.

"So how do we fix it?" I asked impatiently.

"She needs a Spirit Guide, which is essentially someone who enters the Spirit World and helps her gather up the pieces of her soul." He said.

"Well, how do we know who that is?" I demanded.

"Brace yourself for this, mom. The Spirit Guide is someone that she once loved unconditionally who eventually went on to break her heart." Jacob hesitantly explained.

"Dave. It's him, as much as I don't want it to be, it has to be. There's never been anyone else that fits the criteria." I panicked.

"That's what we thought, too." Dimitri stated calmly.

"How do we get ahold of him?" I asked nervously.

"That's just it. We don't know. No one knows where he is. He just comes, attacks or kills someone, then leaves." Dimitri replied.

"I thin I remember Rose talking about how the Spirit World helped her to figure out you were Strigoi after the attack on St. Vladimir's. Maybe it could help us now! And Rosa's there! Maybe I can talk to her!" I said way too excitedly.

"You're the only one with access to the Spirit World." Jacob said.

"Yeah, I guess I am. How about I see what I can do with that then I call you two back?" I suggested.

"Alright. Good luck!" They both called before hanging up the phone.

"Any news?" Laura asked, walking into Rosa's hospital room.

"Some. Let me try something, then I'll explain." I answered.

I concentrated on the blank wall near the door of the room and let down the mental block I kept on my ability to see spirits. There was three people I wanted to see. I called for Vince, Cory, and Rosa. Cory and Vince appeared at close to the same time. Not only was Rosa last, but she didn't look at all like she used to. Rather than being a whole figure, the pieces of her soul appeared instead.