Reap & Reveal (The Reaper Series Book 3) by Lisa Medley

wanting to live this way. In a vegetative state? You’re the medical guy. You know what that means. The lights are on, but no one is home.”
    “Her condition could change.”
    “Yeah, it could get worse. Much worse. And so will yours.”
    Nate shook his head. Medically, he understood the words, emotionally they didn’t compute. He had Maeve’s essence inside of him and as long as that was the case, there was hope. She was not lost like the others.
    “I won’t let her go. Not yet.”
    “Then at least come to see Rashnu with me.”
    “I’m not leaving her. Not like this. And I’m not going to risk the possibility that Rashnu will take her from me.”
    Deacon blew out a sigh and hung his head. “That’s what I figured you’d say.”
    “Can you heal her body? Give her energy at least?”
    “Not directly. She wasn’t kidding about her light being poison. How you managed to survive it, I have no idea, but her brother died as a direct result of her attempts to heal him. I contacted her family, what’s left of it anyway—a cousin—after your incident with her. We were very lucky.”
    Nate’s heart stuttered in his chest. “You know where her family is?”
    “He was the only member left in the States. I guess after what happened with her brother, she fell off the planet for a while, then reappeared to finish her training. She hadn’t been in contact with any of them in a long time.”
    Take me home.
    “So if she wanted to go home , where would she want to go if not there?”
    “Has she spoken to you?”
    “Not exactly.”
    Deacon gave him a stern look, obviously interested in hearing more, but Nate refused to fill him in on the details.
    “It would seem to me if a reaper wanted to go home , he or she most likely wanted to pass over.”
    “You mean die?” Nate tried to keep the horrified look off his face, but felt he was failing as blood rushed to fill his ears with a sound like the pulsing ocean.
    “Yes, Nate.”
    Refusing to consider that as an option, he reached up to adjust the IV setting.
    “The IV solution won’t be enough to sustain her, and if she doesn’t awaken coherent enough to eat actual food, she’ll continue to fail.
    “You’re the only one who can share Reiki with her, Nate. We can take turns recharging you and you can relay the energy, but…”
    “What?”
    “You’re going to discharge like a leaky battery. We can fill you up, but you’ll drain back down almost immediately with her soul inside you. And if you get physically injured or sick? Well…”
    “You might not be able to heal me at all.”
    “Yes.”
    Nate crossed to the bed and stared down at Maeve. She looked so peaceful, her face relaxed and calm. Nothing like her trademark fierce expression. “It’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
    “Okay, then. We’ll take turns with you. Whoever pulls meal duty also pulls Nate recharging duty. Guess I might as well get you started.”
    Deacon walked over and faced Nate, placing his open palm against his chest. “At least we don’t have to worry about frying your circuits now.”
    “How’s that?”
    “You reaped your first soul, my friend. I guess you’re a reaper after all. Welcome to the club.”
    A sad smile crossed Deacon’s face and his hand began to glow a healing shade of green. He pushed the energy directly into Nate’s heart chakra and the warmth filled his body, radiating through him with a slow burn. Maeve’s soul agitated inside him, awakened from its repose. For a brief second, Nate feared that Deacon might have double crossed him and was trying to draw Maeve from him against his will.
    When he tensed with apprehension, Deacon withdrew his hand.
    “You good?” Deacon asked, backing away from him. “Did I hurt you?”
    Nate relaxed, Maeve’s soul stilling against the intrusion. “I’m fine. Thank you. For everything.” He followed him to the door.
    “Nothing has been settled here, Nate. We’re only delaying the inevitable.”
    “Thank you