《The Evanescence (Fallen Souls #2)》 Page 1 Prologue Gemma ¡°You really think it¡¯s that easy?¡± I ask with my head tipped back and the sunlight shimmering across my skin. I¡¯m standing in a field filled with blooming, violet flowers. The air is stifling, but in a beautiful way because it¡¯s real, which makes it perfect. Alex struts up to the side of me with his arms crossed over his chest and an amused smirk playing at his lips. His muscles are flexed beneath his black t-shirt, his brown hair is tousled, and his green eyes glint with mischievousness. ¡°Of course. Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± I start to spin in a circle, keeping my arms to my sides. My long, flowing, brown hair blows in the gentle breeze and the back of my purple tank top sticks to my damp skin. ¡°Because¡­¡± I spin and spin and spin, so free and everything is so wonderful. Alex chuckles under his breath, watching me with fascination. ¡°Because why?¡± I stop spinning, facing him, and blink through the dizziness. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever get the feeling that things are supposed to be harder than they are¡ªthat life is supposed to be harder?¡± He cocks his head to the side with an amused expression. ¡°You don¡¯t think life¡¯s hard?¡± He stretches his long legs, walking through the grass towards me, reducing the distance between us. ¡°Because the other day you seemed pretty determined that everything was difficult.¡± I put my hands on my hips and narrow my eyes at him, causing him to laugh. ¡°I was having a bad day, okay? I totally failed my math test and then some weird Faerie dude said I had funny looking eyes but a nice butt. Plus my mom said that she doesn¡¯t want me hanging out with you anymore¡­ that you¡¯re a bad influence on me.¡± He stops in front of me, grinning from ear-to-ear as he eyes me over, reaching for my hips. ¡°She was just upset because she caught us making out on the bed.¡± I scrunch my nose and swat the side of his arm. ¡°It¡¯s not funny. Do you know how embarrassing it is to have ¡®the talk,¡¯¡± I make air quotes as he spreads his fingers around my waist, ¡°when you¡¯re eighteen-years-old. Like I really didn¡¯t know how everything works.¡± ¡°Probably pretty embarrassing.¡± His grin broadens. ¡°Glad it was you and not me.¡± I pinch his chest and he winces, laughing. ¡°Stop smiling. It¡¯s not funny.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s completely funny,¡± he says, his hands traveling to my back. ¡°Besides, I think you should put into good use what your mother taught you.¡± I try to stay angry, but it¡¯s tough. ¡°No way, if I have to suffer, than you do, too. No more for you. Ever.¡± His palms slide up my back, searing hot through the thin fabric of my shirt. He pauses when he reaches my neck and begins combing his fingers through my hair. ¡°That¡¯s not what you said last night. In fact, you were very generous to me.¡± Biting my lip, I look out into the sunlight, trying to hide my blush. Alex says I¡¯m the most emotional person he¡¯s ever known, that he can tell what I¡¯m thinking simply by my expression, and nine times out of ten, he¡¯s right. He places his hand on my cheek and turns my head back to him. ¡°Hey, no hiding from me. I like looking at you when you¡¯re embarrassed, especially when you bite your lip like that.¡± I bite my lip harder, just to tease him, and then raise my eyebrows. He smiles and then leans forward, placing a kiss on the corner of my mouth. My eyes shut of their own accord and I let out a soft sigh, unable to hide what I¡¯m feeling, which has pretty much how I¡¯ve been since the day I was born. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± he whispers with his lips hovering over mine as a light fog begins to surface out of nowhere. ¡°And last night was amazing.¡± It really was amazing. And perfect. And everything I¡¯ve ever wanted. However, deep down, it all feels too easy. It feels like my life should have been harder. I¡¯m sinking deep into my thoughts, but then he kisses me, sliding my lips open with his tongue, and I willingly open my mouth, because it¡¯s easy. It always is with him. Chapter 1 Alex My mother used to call it the evanescence of the morning mist, the point where the vapor and haze begin to fade and the land clears. It¡¯s the earliest memory I have of her. We were sitting out by the lake, watching the fog lift from the water, and just like that the land was clear and the world looked so much happier. I wished there was an evanescence of Sprites clearing the land. Unfortunately, there¡¯s not, so I¡¯m stuck listening to them bang their heads against the window over and over again. It¡¯d be the most annoying thing, except for the fact that I have thousands of other problems. Like my sister, Aislin, who¡¯s trapped in the Faerie Realm, trying to save our half-sister Aleesa, who¡¯s being held a prisoner by the Fey. Then, there¡¯s my biggest problem of all; Laylen and Gemma, and the fact that they¡¯re both tied up upstairs because they¡¯re possessed by a couple of lunatics; Queen Helena¡ªruler of the Lost Souls and the Afterlife¡ªand Alexander¡ªone of my dead relatives. It¡¯s one of the strangest things I¡¯ve ever come across, which is saying a lot because I¡¯ve come across a lot of damn strange things. The castle has been lonely and filled with hollowness over the last few days. I¡¯ve been trying to keep my cool and my emotions under control, but it¡¯s becoming more of a battle each day. The anger I¡¯ve continually felt for most of my life is starting to creep in again and it¡¯s making me worried. What if I turn into my father? He was always so angry all the time and so was I at one point. In fact, I was pretty much a clone of him. I kick my feet up onto a small table in front of the red chair I¡¯ve been sitting in for way too many flippin¡¯ hours. Evan, an old childhood friend of mine, who happens to be an Omnia, is in the chair across from me, fiddling with a gold chain he always has on his jeans. A fire crackles from the stone fireplace and the sun shines through the window, along with the lull of the lake¡¯s waves. I pretend that everything is natural, even though the damn Sprites outside keep singing and whistling, waiting for someone to open the door so they can come in. ¡°They aren¡¯t the brightest creatures, are they?¡± Evan glances up at the skylight where a Sprite is ramming his head against the glass. They are beady, little creatures with nubby legs, colorful skin, and brittle wings. I shrug and drag the blade of my sword down the sharpener. ¡°Not really. We¡¯re actually lucky that none of the Fey wanted to hang around.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re lucky,¡± he says, tracing one of the marks on his forearm with his fingertip as he turns the page of the book opened up on his lap. ¡°But the rest of the world really isn¡¯t, considering all the Fey and Luna have pretty much taken over every street in the world.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I sigh and drop the sword and sharpener onto the table next to my feet. It grows silent. Evan moves his finger to his other arm and begins outlining a jagged, golden leaf mark on his skin. Omnias have many marks due to their many powers; telekinesis, telepathy, pyrokinesis, the list is endless. It¡¯s part of the reason why I brought him here. I figured with his variety of powers, he could help me get Helena out of Gemma, but so far, we haven¡¯t had much luck. We haven¡¯t had much luck with anything lately. A slow breath eases from my lips as I recollect my last visit with Gemma. I can still hear the evil laughter inside my head as Helena told us that if we tried to remove her from Gemma¡¯s body that Gemma would die. That she was part of her now, and that technically, Gemma no longer exists and we should give up our rescue mission. But I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll never stop trying. I¡¯ll never give up. Gemma is my soul mate, my other half, the only girl I¡¯ve ever loved. We¡¯ve been through hell together. Hell, we¡¯ve died and then came back to life because of our love. I stand up and start pacing the length of the floor, unable to sit still. ¡°There¡¯s got to be something we¡¯re not thinking of.¡± Evan watches me walk back and forth between the sofa and the bookshelf, his eyes shaded by his black hair hanging over his forehead. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot of things we¡¯re not thinking of and probably never will. The mind is a vast place, my friend, and we never do get a full insight to every single speck of knowledge we have.¡± ¡°You sometimes speak in riddles,¡± I say, shooting him an annoyed look. ¡°You know that?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, that¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve been told that,¡± he jokes, feigning a light tone as he shuts the book. He¡¯s been reading a lot of books lately, hoping there¡¯s an answer hidden in one of them on how to get Helena out of Gemma. Maybe there is, but there¡¯s also a whole damn library of books and we don¡¯t have time to go through them all. I stop in front of the table. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I believe her.¡± Evan¡¯s brows dip as he leans forward, resting his arms on his knees. ¡°Who? Helena?¡± I nod, scooping up the sword from the table. ¡°Gemma¡¯s too strong to give up without a fight. I know she¡¯s still fighting. She has to be¡­ I know it¡­¡± It sounds like I¡¯m pathetically trying to convince myself. Evan stares at me for an eternity and pity surfaces in his eyes as he presses his lips together. He probably has something to say and I probably won¡¯t like it. It¡¯s one of the things I like about him; his straightforwardness. There are no pretenses with him and he doesn¡¯t sugarcoat things. He¡¯s not uncaring; he just learned to deal with things in a direct manner to lighten up the complications that come from being an Omnia. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re going to say, just say it.¡± I walk over to the china cabinet in the corner of the room and open the cupboard door. There¡¯s an array of swords inside, all sharpened due to my nervous energy. I add the one I¡¯m holding to the collection, balancing it in the stand. ¡°Are you sure you want to hear it?¡± he asks as I shut the cupboard. ¡°Because you¡¯ve been really touchy lately.¡± I latch the cupboard and sit back down in the red chair. ¡°You know I never want things sugarcoated.¡± ¡°Even when it comes to her?¡± he asks, his eyes wandering to the hallway that leads to the stairway. My heart knots inside my chest and I swallow the lump in my throat. ¡°Even about her.¡± He returns his attention to me and sighs as he slumps back in the chair, coiling the gold chain on his jeans around his finger. ¡°I can try to get inside of Helena¡¯s mind and bend her thoughts¡­ I can see if I can manipulate her to cooperate.¡± He pushes up from the couch and walks to the window, drawing back the velvet curtain. He stares outside at the lake, shimmering in the sunlight, and the Sprites pirouetting in the grassy knoll. ¡°But because she¡¯s in Gemma¡¯s body, Gemma¡¯s mind can also react to my power, and probably not in a good way.¡± The knot in my chest winds tighter as I walk over to the window. ¡°Are you saying that Gemma could end up getting hurt if you do it?¡± Evan glances over his shoulder at me and his eyes convey a silent warning. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie and try to make you feel better. I know how much you care for Gemma, but I can¡¯t guarantee she won¡¯t get hurt. I¡¯ve never come across this kind of possession before¡­ and I have no idea how it¡¯s going to go.¡± He releases the curtain and it blocks out the sunlight, the room dimming to a grey. ¡°There are always risks when I try to manipulate anyone¡¯s mind. You know that. There¡¯s a chance of causing permanent damage if there¡¯s too much resistance from either of them. This is the Queen of the Afterlife we¡¯re dealing with and even though we hate her, we both know she¡¯s powerful and she¡¯s going to put up a fight.¡± He pauses, his expression reflecting worry and doubt. ¡°And if Gemma really is part of Helena now¡ª¡± Page 2 ¡°Then Helena¡¯s resistance could damage Gemma¡¯s mind,¡± I mumble, trying to grasp onto my belief that Gemma¡¯s still herself, and that I can bring her back. Free her from being trapped. Free her from evil. That I can save her just like I promised her I always would. However, deep down, in the darkest of my thoughts, I have to wonder if maybe this time I might end up breaking my promise. We decide to start with Laylen, since he¡¯s possessed by my distantly dead grandfather, Alexander, and not a queen. When he was alive, he made the mistake of messing around with the love of three women; or more importantly, three women that came from Fey Royalty bloodlines and who happen to be sisters; Lucinda, Queen of the Underworld; Annabella, Queen of the Essences; and of course, Helena. Apparently, my grandfather was quite the ladies¡¯ man¡ªor whatever the hell players were called back then¡ªand Lucinda, Annabella, and Helena all fell in love with him. Despite his player ability, he was unfortunately not very bright, considering he was messing around with three very powerful women. He ended up getting killed; or at least, that¡¯s the theory people came up with about why he disappeared. I lead Evan to the back corner room in the left tower of the Keepers¡¯ castle and, once we¡¯re inside, I close and lock the door behind us. The curtains are drawn and dust covers the stone floor and walls, along with the table and chairs in the center. In the corner, there are a set of chains fastened to the wall by thick metal clasps. I can remember from when I was younger that my father would bring many people up into this room and it was always followed by a lot of screaming. I remember one specific time where the screaming went on for days and I kept wishing for it to be over because it was terrifying; although, I¡¯d never admit it. I¡¯d never admit much about my feelings back then. ¡°He looks dead,¡± Evan remarks as we walk across the room towards the chains. ¡°Maybe the possession is finally getting to him.¡± ¡°Dead or sleeping.¡± I take in the sight of Laylen and the metal cuffs around his wrists. As much as I hate to admit it, I don¡¯t really like the sight of it and how weak he looks; his head hangs low, his skin pale, even for a Vampire, and there are holes in the knees of his black jeans and blood leaking from his scraped knee. ¡°Laylen, we need to talk.¡± I halt just outside of the perimeter of the chains. Evan stops to the side of me and slightly shakes his head at me. ¡°Be careful,¡± he warns. Scooting my foot across the stone floor, I inch closer to Laylen. ¡°Laylen, can you hear me?¡± Evan balls his hands into fists, his arms flexing, and a handful of his marks ignite in various colors as he begins to channel one of his powers. ¡°Be careful, Vampire. Like I¡¯ve shown you a thousand times, I have a lot of power and I¡¯m not afraid to use it.¡± Stretching my leg forward, I nudge Laylen¡¯s foot with the tip of my boot, growing impatient. ¡°Wake up, man. Come on.¡± Like the flash of a lightning bolt, Laylen¡¯s head whips up and he leaps to his feet. Leaving me zero time to react, he lunges at me with his fangs protruding out from his lips and his eyes are as black as ash. I step back as he raises his hands for my neck and the chains stretch. He snarls as the chains reach their maximum length and jerk him backward. Snapping his fangs, he falls down to the floor and the rough edge of the cuffs dig into his skin, cutting his wrist open and blood drips out. He quickly regains his balance, getting to his feet and baring his fangs. ¡°Come closer and I¡¯ll rip out your throat,¡± he snarls and saunters towards me, leaving a blood trail on the floor. Most people would be scared to death. He looks like a rabid dog; fangs piercing, drool dripping from his lips and there¡¯s even a little blood coming from his bottom lip where he¡¯s managed to bite himself. However, I¡¯m not a normal person. Fear is something I only experience when the one person I love is being harmed. I¡¯m more pissed off than anything. Pissed that he tried to bite me. Rolling up my sleeves, I march forward. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try.¡± He retaliates with a violent nip of his fangs and a threatening step toward me. ¡°Come closer and I will.¡± Evan snags my elbow and yanks me back. ¡°I know you¡¯re angry, but don¡¯t be stupid. He¡¯ll kill you and you know it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Keeper, Evan, not some weak, vulnerable human.¡± Wrenching my arm from his grip, I shrug him off, but then pause, thinking of Gemma. Fighting Laylen is going to get me nowhere and will probably only end up doing more harm. I take a deep breath, trying to compose myself and silence my rage. ¡°You better listen to your friend.¡± Laylen¡¯s fangs retreat into his mouth and vanish into his gum line, and then his lips curl into a smirk. ¡°Although, I wouldn¡¯t mind if you didn¡¯t. In fact, I¡¯ve often wondered what would happen if you actually tried to fight me and I let my Vampire instincts take over.¡± He shuffles forward, elevating his arms to the side of him until the chains are tight and the edge of the cuffs stab into his skin. ¡°Usually, I hold back, but not anymore. Now cross that line and let¡¯s see what happens.¡± Anger simmers inside of me, raw and blazing like fire. I glance at Evan, knowing it¡¯s time to get this over with before I lose my cool and rationality. ¡°Do you remember what we were talking about downstairs? And how we said we were going to assess the situation first before we decided on anything?¡± Laylen paces back and forth, dragging the chains along the floor with him as he watches me like I¡¯m his prey. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait to see what you two have planned next. More exorcisms? Magic? Or my favorite endeavor?¡± His lips curve to a taunting grin as he stops pacing and leans toward me. ¡°Begging.¡± ¡°I was tired,¡± I lie through a clenched jaw, cringing at the memory of the meltdown I had. I¡¯d come up here and begged Alexander to release his control over Laylen. He was my relative after all so I should have been able to reason with him. Turns out that not only is Alexander a player and dimwitted, but he¡¯s kind of a douche. ¡°Sure you were,¡± Laylen says with a chortle. ¡°And that¡¯s probably why you cried, too.¡± ¡°It was the dust in the air,¡± I say, clenching my fist, the veins beneath my skin bulging with adrenaline. ¡°So shut the hell up or I¡¯m going to make you.¡± He raises his hands to the side of him, palms aimed toward me, and he gives me a mocking expression. ¡°Oh, the dust. How convenient.¡± ¡°Evan, just do it,¡± I say through gritted teeth. I¡¯ve become even more aggravated and am brimming on my limit of control. ¡°Before I lose my cool.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Evan checks, crooking his eyebrow. ¡°Because you know how things could turn out; what could end up happening to him.¡± He looks at Laylen who rolls his eyes. I assess Laylen; his cocky demeanor, the arrogant smirk on his face, and the overconfident way that he stands. He¡¯s not the Laylen I know, but if he were here, he¡¯d tell me to do anything it took to save Gemma. That much I know. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get it over with.¡± Evan nods his head once and then cracks his knuckles. Twisting his neck to the side with his hand, he pops his neck. ¡°You might want to step back,¡± he suggests as he moves around me and motions with his hand for me to step back. ¡°Things might get a little heated.¡± I edge backward until I reach the oval table in the center of the room. As much as I hate backing down from a fight, when Evan tells me things are going to heat up, I know it can mean things may literally heat up. He¡¯s actually lost control of his pyrokinesis power quite a few times and he even accidentally started a house fire once. Evan¡¯s hands are glowing like hot coals embedded into his skin. A mark in the shape of a flame begins swaying on his skin, back and forth, making a roaring path up his arm. Without warning, he jumps for Laylen, sticking his hands out in front of him. Laylen anticipates Evan¡¯s move and uses his long legs to step swiftly towards him, his fangs slipping out of his lips as they get in each other¡¯s faces. ¡°You think you scare me.¡± Laylen extends his fingers towards Evan¡¯s throat. Before Laylen can reach him, Evan¡¯s back bows inward, like a stretching rubber band. His lips part and his eyes shift to a deep black. There¡¯s a loud snap and then Evan¡¯s thrown back into the wall. The impact is so hard some of the stones spilt open and then as quickly as it happens, he¡¯s suddenly shooting forward again, straight in the direction of Laylen. When their bodies collide it¡¯s as loud as a train wreck; metal hitting metal, rocks smacking together. I start to step forward, the need to be in the action consuming me, but then I pull back, even though it kills me, because fighting and kicking¡ªwhich I¡¯m the best at¡ªis useless for what we¡¯re trying to do. Laylen is slightly dazed and his legs buckle when Evan¡¯s head rams into his stomach. Losing his balance, they both crumble to the floor in a pile. They move at the same time to get up, wrestling each other, hitting and kicking; I can barely tell who is who. Laylen¡¯s head smacks against the floor as Evan slams his boot into his cheekbone. ¡°Dammit!¡± Laylen screams, bending his knees as he tries to shove up to his feet. Evan¡¯s fingers wrap around his throat and he forces his back to the ground; his hands blazing fiercely with violent orange and red flames. Smoke hisses from Evan¡¯s arms as he presses his fingers into Laylen¡¯s skin, strangling him as he hovers over him. ¡°Is that all you got, boy?¡± Laylen coughs as he kicks his foot upward, aiming for Evan¡¯s stomach. He twines his arms around Evan¡¯s, wrapping his hands around them and then grabs onto Evan¡¯s arms. ¡°You think a little manhandling is going to break me?¡± Evan shifts his weight to the side and Laylen¡¯s foot grazes his rib. ¡°No, this is all just for a little fun.¡± Evan lets out a soft laugh as he constrains Laylen¡¯s head to the floor. ¡°Mere entertainment for myself¡­ What happens next is going to break you.¡± A chilling smile spreads across his face. ¡°It might even kill you.¡± ¡°Kill me?¡± Laylen laughs and then hacks for oxygen. ¡°I¡¯m a Vampire, boy, which means I¡¯m Immortal.¡± I decide to intervene and step up next to them, enjoying that I get to break Laylen¡ªor Alexander¡¯s¡ªpower trip. ¡°Actually, you¡¯re not,¡± I say, looking down at Laylen. His eyeballs are red, his skin white as snow, and his lips are turning blue. ¡°My sister¡ªyour great-great-granddaughter or whatever¡ªremoved Laylen¡¯s Mark of Immortality so you can die and pretty easily.¡± The little color in his face drains. ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± I grin and his eyes widen. ¡°It is for a very powerful Witch.¡± Laylen panics and his movements become sharper and more fueled by fear. He starts kicking his legs and turning his head from side-to-side. However, Evan is quick, and with a simple alteration of his position, he manages to dodge every attempt Laylen throws at him. Evan¡¯s normally dark eyes scorch as he angles his chin over his shoulder to look at me. Sweat beads his forehead and his hair is damp. This is taking a lot out of him and it shows. ¡°Alex, this is going to take all of my concentration,¡± he explains. ¡°Be ready to start questioning. And make it quick.¡± Page 3 I nod and inch around him so my boots are stationed near Laylen¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m ready, now go.¡± He targets his attention back at the horrified-looking Laylen. ¡°Laylen, if you can hear me, I¡¯m sorry buddy... but as for you, Alexander, I don¡¯t really give a crap, so get ready for some pain.¡± Laylen¡¯s body starts to tremble, quaking with the vibrations of a thousand earthquakes. The stones below his head begin to rupture, cracking down the center and pieces chip away as his head cracks against them. Evan¡¯s gaze intensifies, kindling with power. It¡¯s like someone has struck a match inside each pupil, his normally black eyes now fill with rays of scorching red. He positions a hand on each side of Laylen¡¯s head and secures it between his palms as he stares directly into his eyes. Seconds later, Laylen¡¯s body stills and his arms fall slack to the side of him. ¡°Okay,¡± Evan says, panting and sounding exhausted. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Laylen,¡± I say, crouching down beside him. ¡°I need to know how to save Gemma¡­ I need to know how to get Helena out of her without killing her.¡± Laylen¡¯s lips part and his voice is slurred, like he¡¯s intoxicated. ¡°D¡¯ya think yeeer gonna save her?¡± he asks. ¡°My beautiful Helena can never be beetin¡¯.¡± He tries to laugh as he says it, but it turns into a strangled cry as Evan¡¯s grip constricts on his face, his nails prodding deeper into Laylen¡¯s cheekbones, so deep the skin splits open and blood drips out. ¡°You know, I was starting off easy on you,¡± Evan growls. ¡°But I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± Flames burst from his eyes, raging, and flare towards Laylen¡¯s face. Laylen lets out a high-pitched squeal, his head tipping back, and his eyes roll into the back of his head. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Careful, Evan, we don¡¯t want to kill him,¡± I warn, leaning back on my heels to get out of the path of the flames. The flames retreat back to Evan, sucking back into his eyes, and Laylen stills again. ¡°Try again,¡± Evan orders, his gaze fixed on Laylen. I let out a breath, praying to God that this will work. ¡°Laylen, I need to know how to get Helena out of Gemma¡¯s body. Can you tell me how?¡± There is no response and I worry that we may have pushed too far. ¡°Laylen,¡± I repeat, ¡°We have to save Gemma¡­ you know Gemma¡­ the girl you¡­¡± It kills me to say it, but I need to because making the emotional connection is important. Emotions carry so much significance to memories and the things we do. I need to make Laylen connect back to what he felt for Gemma. ¡°The girl you care for.¡± There¡¯s a flicker of a movement that ripples across Laylen and sweat drips down Laylen¡¯s forehead. I¡¯m getting worried about how much longer either of them can continue without killing themselves or each other. ¡°Alex,¡± Laylen whispers in his natural voice as his eyelids lift. The blue shade has returned and replaced the darkness that has been in his eyes for the last few days. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± I inch closer to him. ¡°Yeah, I can hear you.¡± ¡°You can save Gemma.¡± He gasps each word through ragged breaths as his skin coats in sweat. ¡°Thank God.¡± I exhale, releasing the tension from my chest. ¡°How, though? How do we do it without killing her?¡± ¡°The loophole... Annabel¡­¡± His eyelids slip shut as his body goes limp, his arms and legs falling to the floor in a motionless slump. ¡°Laylen, what about the loophole?¡± Grabbing his shoulders, I give a rough shake. ¡°What about Annabella?¡± I glance at Evan who has released Laylen from his grip. ¡°Crap.¡± Evan moves away from Laylen, stepping back, his eyes widen as he stares down at Laylen. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t think he made it.¡± ¡°What do you mean; you don¡¯t think he made it?¡± I rise to my feet, the storm inside my chest building, raging and panicking. ¡°Shit. He¡¯s not¡­¡± I jerk my fingers through my hair as I stare down at Laylen, pale skin, bluish lips, and a slackened body. ¡°Did it kill him?¡± Evan releases a slow breath and then nods his head once. I feel guilt. I feel anger. I feel pain. I feel a lot of things that I don¡¯t like and I know it¡¯s only going to get worse if I don¡¯t fix this somehow. Evan turns away and heads towards the door. I¡¯d call him back because I might need his help, but he looks exhausted and horrified; sweaty skin, his head hanging low, and his shoulders slouched inward. I let him leave the room and then look down at Laylen. I rub my hand across my face and then crouch down, nudging him with my hand. ¡°Hey, can you hear me?¡± I hold my breath, waiting for whoever¡¯s voice to answer, wondering if it¡¯ll be Laylen, Alexander, or Laylen and Alexander. But it¡¯s silence, which is way worse than any of the voices combined. Guilt starts to plague me, foul and heavy, and it¡¯s messing with my head. Not knowing what else to do, I take the keys out of my pocket and free Laylen from the chains. He doesn¡¯t move and deep down I know he¡¯s dead, and leaving him¡­ his body cuffed to the wall, doesn¡¯t seem right. None of this does. ¡°Dammit,¡± I curse under my breath and jump to my feet, running out of the room after Evan. I catch up with him on the spiral stairway that leads to the foyer. ¡°How do you know he¡¯s dead? Can¡¯t he just be pretending?¡± Without looking at me, he continues to walk down the stairs, shaking his head. ¡°I¡­ I accidentally entered the mind of the Lost Soul inside him.¡± ¡°Alexander?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s also a Lost Soul in him.¡± I trot down the steps to the side of him. ¡°Okay, but what¡¯s the difference between entering Laylen¡¯s mind, Alexander¡¯s mind, or the Lost Soul¡¯s mind? Either way, you¡¯re entering someone¡¯s mind.¡± ¡°Entering the Lost Soul¡¯s mind is dangerous to the body of the person they¡¯re possessing,¡± he says with a loud exhale and guilt creeps into his voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would happen.¡± When we reach the bottom of the stairway, we stop beneath the chandelier and Evan finally looks at me. Remorse and blame flood from his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± His head falls forward as he balls his hands into fists. He stands silently for a moment and then he lifts his hand and slams his fist into the banister. ¡°Dammit, Alex!¡± He kicks the bottom step and then rushes over to the wall and hammers his fist into it, leaving a hole behind. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to kill anyone!¡± I feel like the world¡¯s biggest douche. I feel like a jerk. I feel guilty. I feel too many things and I can¡¯t stand it. For a moment I wish I could go back to how I was pre-Gemma and turn it off. I stand in the foyer, unmoving, with a bunch of thoughts and emotions jumbled into my head. Pain. That one stands out amongst the rest because, despite everything, only one thing really matters at the moment. I just killed one of my friends. Chapter 2 Alex After we each have our breakdown, we head back into the living room. I sink down into the sofa and drop my head into my hands while Evan stands by the window, observing the outside, lost in his guilt. A cluster of Sprites giggle from outside and the sounds are overlapped by the wind. It¡¯s annoying as hell and I have to fight down the urge to run out there and kick them all into the lake. ¡°It was my idea.¡± My emotions overwhelm me and my voice shakes a little as I raise my head up. ¡°If anyone¡¯s responsible, Evan, it¡¯s me. I made you do it.¡± Evan turns from the window and there¡¯s determination in his eyes, which is a little weird and unfitting for the situation. ¡°No, it¡¯s Helena¡¯s fault¡­ All of this crap happened because of her.¡± He blows out a breath. ¡°She¡¯s going to pay for this.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I¡¯m a little stunned by his shift in attitude. ¡°But we need to come up with a better plan. I¡¯m not going to let what happened to Laylen happen to Gemma¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t lose her.¡± I sound weak and pathetic¡ªwhich I hate¡ªbut it is what it is because I mean what I say. ¡°Helena can¡¯t control the world, Alex. While I was in Alexander¡¯s head I saw glimpses of what they hope will happen¡­ and it¡¯s bad¡­ really bad.¡± He pauses, recollecting the images, with his eyes enlarged. ¡°And as a Keeper, I know you understand that sometimes a few people have to die in order for a bunch to be saved. It¡¯s called sacrifice.¡± He pauses, frowning. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Laylen and I don¡¯t want to risk Gemma¡¯s life, either, but we need to try and get rid of Helena, either by sending her back or killing her, whatever it takes.¡± He gestures towards the window at the Sprites dancing in the sun. ¡°Because this is minor in comparison to what what''ll happen if Lost Souls take over." His hand falls to the side. ¡°We won¡¯t even know who¡¯s real and who¡¯s possessed.¡± Enfolding my fingers inward, I stab my nails into my palms. The Keeper in me knows he¡¯s right. It¡¯s what I¡¯ve been taught since I spoke my first word. Sacrifices sometimes have to be made. Nevertheless, some of the Keepers¡¯ rules are bullshit, along with the man¡ªmy father¡ªwho put most of the rules into order. I love Gemma and there¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m going to sacrifice her life for anything, even if it means the world has to suffer. ¡°What if we try to bluff Helena?¡± I ask, standing to my feet, cracking my knuckles. I hate how I¡¯m feeling right now¡ªout-of-control and unable to concentrate. ¡°That could help us get some answers.¡± Evan cocks his head to the side. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I head to the china cabinet and open the top drawer that¡¯s lined with small knives. ¡°Laylen said there was a loophole and that it has something to do with Annabella.¡± I select a silver-handled knife and run my finger down the rough, golden blade. ¡°What if we tell Helena that we know about the loophole¡ªthat we know about Annabella?¡± ¡°And then what? Hope she divulges every detail about it?¡± I rotate the knife in my hand. ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot.¡± I back towards the door. ¡°Sometimes, when people are really afraid, they say and do really stupid things.¡± Like accidentally kill their friend. My chest tightens, but I ignore it; focusing on the problem because, as long as I focus on something else, I won¡¯t have to feel the emotions struggling to surface. He looks skeptical as he follows me. ¡°Okay we can try it, but if I sense that it¡¯s not working, I¡¯m going to do whatever it takes to send Helena out of Gemma¡¯s body, even if I have to use mind-bending.¡± He tracks his finger down a twisted knot marking the back of his hand. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let what I saw happen¡­ I¡¯m not going to let Helena reign over the world and let a bunch of innocent people suffer. It¡¯s against the Code of the Omnia.¡± I nod, pretending like I agree, but really I don¡¯t care about any of the codes. Deep down I know what I¡¯ll end up doing if things go wrong. I need the plan to work because, when it all comes down to it, I love Gemma too much to let anything happen to her and I¡¯ll sacrifice anything to save her. Even if I have to sacrifice myself. Page 4 Chapter 3 Gemma I¡¯ve been tied to the bed for a few days now, staring at the same cathedral ceiling, the same four walls, the same door¡ªthe same everything. The ropes are starting to rub my skin raw and blood is dried up on my wrists, arms, and around my ankles. However, there¡¯s very little connection to the pain because even though it¡¯s my body and I¡¯m still inside it, I have no control over what I do. I¡¯m just a voice inside my head. Helena has all the power. She¡¯s chattering on and on¡ªshe¡¯s always rambling about something. From thoughts of escaping, to being furious with herself for letting this happen, to winning over her sisters, and most importantly, her plot to kill Alex. I want to wring her neck, kill her, and make her pay for even thinking it, but I¡¯m a useless sack of potatoes right now, trapped inside my own body, unable to control it. I¡¯m so afraid of losing myself in her thoughts because, sometimes, in the midst of the rambling, our thoughts collide and connect and for a moment I actually feel what she¡¯s thinking. But I¡¯m stronger than that¡ªI need to be stronger. ¡°Revenge on Alex? Don¡¯t we have more important things to worry about?¡± I ask her through my thoughts because I know she can hear me. ¡°Such as overtaking the world with your Lost Souls?¡± Her laughter echoes in my mind. ¡°My, my, Gemma. You¡¯re starting to think like a queen.¡± ¡°Well, I figure if I can¡¯t beat them, join them,¡± I lie only to distract her and keep her from thinking terrible things about Alex. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯d guess you are kind of enjoying this. Perhaps you¡¯ve always wanted to be evil.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± I say. ¡°But perhaps not.¡± ¡°You know I can see all your thoughts. I can tell when you¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± I know for a fact she can¡¯t because I¡¯ve thought things before¡ªevil things about her¡ªthat she would definitely comment on if she heard. The problem is I have no idea how to close her off completely. I wish I did, though. I wish I could shut the madness off. ¡°Oh, and you¡¯re idea of eating spiders because you¡¯re hungry is disgusting,¡± I add. ¡°Well, I¡¯m hungry,¡± she retorts. ¡°They haven¡¯t fed me anything for almost a day, which usually is fine, but this human starvation feeling is annoying.¡± I laugh at her, even though I¡¯m starving, too. ¡°Good, I¡¯m glad it annoys you.¡± She lets out a snicker. ¡°You think you can get to me¡ªwork your way under my skin. You think it¡¯s that easy?¡± ¡°It is pretty easy,¡± I smart off. ¡°Smile and laugh all you want,¡± she snaps. ¡°You¡¯re the one who has to suffer. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s human, who will experience pain over and over again. It¡¯ll never end, no matter what you do. Death, endings, heartbreak¡ªthey¡¯ll always be there. They¡¯re part of the mortal life.¡± ¡°You say mortal life like it¡¯s a bad thing,¡± I say. ¡°But I¡¯d rather be mortal than like you.¡± ¡°You say it like you know me¡ªunderstand me¡ªGemma,¡± she replies. ¡°But you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°But I do,¡± I tell her. ¡°You¡¯re Helena, Queen of the Lost Souls, who likes to throw temper tantrums, spit up black widows, possess bodies, and you¡¯d do anything for more power.¡± ¡°Power makes the world go round,¡± she sings. ¡°Without it, everyone would be held on the same level and no one would seek to be greater¡ªwe¡¯d never evolve.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest logic ever.¡± ¡°You say that now, but if you ever come across power, feel it, taste it, if only briefly, you¡¯ll find out why I crave it and you¡¯ll want it more than anything.¡± I open my mouth to argue with her that she¡¯s wrong, but I¡¯m cut off by the squeak of a door. Evan walks into the room with Alex trailing behind him. They look terrible, shaken up and torn over something. My body aches to comfort him, run my fingers through his messy, brown hair, the lines of his firm jaw, along his soft lips. I wish I could make his pain go away, but Helena takes over, smothering the feeling out with her own gratification. ¡°Back so soon, boys?¡± she singsongs in my voice as she bats her eyelashes at them It¡¯s infuriating because I¡¯d never, ever bat my eyelashes at a guy. ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t get enough of me. Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s plenty of me to go around if you don¡¯t mind sharing.¡± She laughs haughtily, and looks at them both with hungry eyes. ¡°Hello, Helena,¡± Evan says as he reaches the edge of the bed. I barely know him, but every time I look at his black hair that hangs in his dark eyes a faint memory clicks inside my head; one of when we were children, running around playing. I was fascinated by the marks on his skin and I remember one time sitting in a field with him and he explained what each one meant. Sometime in my life, I knew him. ¡°We just finished having a little discussion with Laylen.¡± Evan leans over me. ¡°He told us some very useful information about you and your ability to possess Gemma¡¯s body.¡± She smirks at him, shaking her head, and laughing. ¡°You really expect me to believe that Laylen broke down and told you everything? He¡¯s my puppet¡ªall mine. I control him. Without me, he has nothing to tell.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right; Laylen was like a puppet for you. Was being the key word,¡± he says calmly and then a condescending look rises across his face. ¡°But with a little persuasion from my mind-blowing gifts, he became a little more willing to cooperate. As a matter of fact, you could probably say he¡¯s now a puppet for me.¡± Evan¡¯s eyes light up as he makes movements with his fingers, like he¡¯s controlling the strings of a marionette. I try not to panic, but it¡¯s hard, especially when Alex¡¯s face twists in agony. Something¡¯s wrong. I can feel it. ¡°So what?¡± She snickers. ¡°Like I said, he doesn¡¯t know anything so I have nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°I have to admit,¡± Evan continues, sinking down on the edge of the bed, the mattress concaving beneath his weight, ¡°getting a Lost Soul to cooperate was kind of complicated and pretty painful for him, but he did cooperate and told us your little secrets.¡± He taps his finger against his chin with a mocking expression as he pretends to consider something deeply. ¡°Like that one secret.¡± He glances over his shoulder at Alex. ¡°What was it again?¡± Alex''s flourishing green eyes have been fixed on me since he entered the room. His skin has gone sheet white, which makes me wonder what I look like. ¡°Huh?¡± He rips his gaze from me. ¡°Oh, the secret.¡± He¡¯s suddenly as serene and composed as he was when we first met. ¡°The one on how to get you back to the Afterlife?¡± Evan snaps his fingers and slams his hand down on the bed beside my hip. ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± A rushing wave crashes through my body and slams into my heart, speeding up my pulse. ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Helena shouts. ¡°He would never dare!¡± ¡°Oh, we would dare,¡± Alex responds, his eyes searching every inch of my body. I want to shout that I¡¯m in here, alive, but I¡¯m bound to the darkness of my own mind and Helena¡¯s power. ¡°He told us that you have a loophole.¡± Loopholes? God dammit. Why is it always about loopholes? They¡¯re so unpredictable. ¡°We know about Annabella,¡± Evan adds, placing a hand on each side of my head as he leans over me. A gasp escapes from Helena. ¡°How¡­ no¡­¡± Adrenaline soars through my body, fueled by her fear. She struggles to stay collected, fighting the urge to shout and divulge what she knows. ¡°Annabella is the weaker of my sisters. Just because she saved you and Gemma once, doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯ll save you again.¡± Rage consumes her, though, and she¡¯s losing her composure. Her voice rumbles louder, thudding against the walls and the window. ¡°Besides, Annabella doesn¡¯t even exist anymore. I haven¡¯t seen her since I ate her for dinner.¡± Evan pulls a disgusted face as Alex arches his eyebrow. ¡°Okay, way too much information,¡± Evan says. Helena¡¯s grin magnifies and the fear inside her diminishes. ¡°So tell me then, what did Laylen say the loophole is?¡± She¡¯s enjoying herself now, thinking she¡¯s won. Evan moves so swiftly it startles Helena and myself. He grabs my face between his hands and his skin is scorching as he presses hard. Angling my neck back, Helena tries to jerk away, but he only constricts his grip. ¡°Please be careful,¡± Alex warns, inching forward, his arms twitching to touch me. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her.¡± A pale yellow orb radiates from Evan¡¯s pupils that entrances Helena and she can¡¯t seem to look away from him, as if she¡¯s now possessed, which would make me double possessed. ¡°Evan, don¡¯t!¡± Alex yells, lunging towards Evan, his boots scuffing the floor as he dives for the bed. Evan tilts his head to the side, the orbs glowing brighter, and Alex is flung across the room and pinned back against the wall. His arms are bent up to the side of his head and his legs hang lifelessly beneath him. ¡°Alex, I told you I wouldn¡¯t let Helena exist if it all came down to it and I meant it.¡± His grip on my cheeks tightens. My skull feels like it¡¯s been wedged into a vice-grip and is about to splinter. Helena screams inside my head, ¡°I won¡¯t let go of you, Gemma! I refuse to! I refuse!¡± ¡°If I go, Gemma goes with me!¡± she manages to speak, her voice thick and off-pitched as we both fight the unbearable pain. ¡°You know I can take her and this time, without Annabella around, she won¡¯t be able to come back. She¡¯ll be mine! All mine!¡± The pain becomes more than I can bear; wrenching, bones cracking, the blood in my body ceases to flow. I¡¯m falling, slipping away from my body when I hear Alex¡¯s voice. ¡°Evan, stop,¡± he pleads, wiggling his arms, battling to break free from Evan¡¯s power. ¡°Please, just listen to me. I want you to use your power to push Helena out of Gemma¡¯s body. Put her into me. You can do that, can¡¯t you¡­ you can do transferentem.¡± His voice is filled with desperation. He¡¯s not thinking rationally. He can¡¯t do it. I have to stop him. Please, please, please. I try to reconnect with my arms, but the insides of my muscles wind tightly in protest. ¡°No way,¡± Evan tells Alex, his grip on my face loosening as he gapes at him. ¡°If I do that¡­ it¡¯ll¡­ it¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit,¡± Alex responds, jerking his shoulder forward. ¡°Haven¡¯t you¡­¡± He grunts as he tries to move his leg. ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever loved someone more than anything and would do anything for them?¡± There¡¯s a pause that seems to drag out for an eternity and even Helena holds her breath. Then suddenly, Alex¡¯s arms spring free from the wall and he collapses to the floor, landing on his hands and knees. Page 5 He swiftly pushes himself up and walks over next to Evan, brushing the dirt off his hands. ¡°Just let me do it. I want to do it.¡± Alex glances at me and I want to scream at him to quit being a moron and that I can¡¯t live without him, so none of this matters, but my lips stay fastened. ¡°For her.¡± Evan stays silent for a while. There¡¯s no way he could be considering letting Alex do this. No. He wouldn¡¯t¡­ unless¡­ Unless he¡¯s loved someone before like Alex loves me. ¡°Okay,¡± Evan¡¯s voice is barely a whisper. ¡°If you love her that much¡­ I get it. I¡¯m sorry that it has to end this way¡­¡± He swallows a lump in his throat, trying not to let the emotions overtake him. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Helena says venomously, elevating her head to look at Alex. ¡°Think of the consequences.¡± ¡°Gemma.¡± Alex¡¯s eyes search mine. ¡°If you can hear me, know that¡­ know that you can never lose yourself. You have to fight no matter what happens. Don¡¯t let Helena win.¡± He exhales raggedly as he inches around Evan and leans over me, so close that I can feel the warmth of his breath hitting my cheek and see the darker specks of green in his eyes. He takes another deep breath and then another, like he¡¯s about to cry. ¡°I¡¯ll always love you, no matter what.¡± He leans down and kisses my forehead, causing Helena to take a sharp breath. My heart ruptures. Blood and pain and longing spill through my body and take both of us over. I feel my eyes burn and the tears forming behind them. One slips out and slides down my cheek. Alex watches it, swallowing hard, and then he brings his thumb to my cheek and wipes the tear away. ¡°I knew you were still in there,¡± he whispers and steps back from the bed. Facing Evan, he squares his shoulders and shakes out any sadness in his body. ¡°Okay¡­¡± He inhales and then exhales. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± The sight of him, willing and ready to sacrifice his life, causes something to flicker inside my mind. Something I¡¯ve heard before and an overwhelming feeling stirs inside me, hot and fiery and consuming. ¡°Gemma, don¡¯t waste your time trying to fight me,¡± Helena¡¯s voice snaps at me. ¡°You¡¯ll never win. I¡¯m too strong.¡± I shut my mind down from her and struggle to control my body again. I need to tell Alex to let me go, release me, just let it be me for once. I attempt to find my voice, forcing my neck muscles to move up and down. Please, please, please. For a second, I feel it, the ability to swallow on my own, but then Helena¡¯s laughter floods my concentration and my efforts shatter as my control slips away. Alex bows his head as Evan reaches up and places a hand on Alex¡¯s head. Then Evan places his other hand on my forehead. ¡°This will probably hurt,¡± he tells me. And it does. The pain¡¯s not from him, though. I¡¯m being beaten from the inside, there are knocks and blows to my body as Helena thrashes, trying to get out of my body and dodge the transfer and I want her to. I want her to leave me and let me die so Alex can go on living. At that moment, I hate Helena more than I¡¯ve ever hated anything. More than the Death Walkers. Stephan. More than any evil creature in the world. She is taking from me and I hate her. I want her to die. I want her to suffer in the most painful ways. I want so many evil things to happen to her that, for a moment, I feel like I¡¯m being controlled by evil. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Gemma. Let go of Helena.¡± Annabella¡¯s voice flows softly inside my head. ¡°No,¡± I sob. ¡°I have to save Alex. I can¡¯t let him die.¡± ¡°Gemma,¡± Annabella pleads, ¡°Please let go of us. We have to send Helena back to the Afterlife.¡± ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± Tears stream down my cheeks as I feel Helena¡¯s possession over my body lift and weaken, like a heavy blanket being removed from my body. Her spirit and voice dissipate as she swishes from me and begins to transfer to Alex. It feels like a part of me is being lifted with it, the good part, the one that belongs to him. The last thing I hear is Helena¡¯s fading voice. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve won,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯ll get my evanescence.¡± Then she¡¯s gone. ¡°Alex, no!¡± My lips part under my own accord and my body arches upward, the ropes ripping at my skin. ¡°Stop!¡± Evan¡¯s eyes char like fragments of hot ash and the ropes around my wrist and ankles flame and singe apart. Suddenly I¡¯m falling off the bed and onto the floor and Alex crumples to the ground beside me. ¡°Alex,¡± I gasp for air as hot tears spill down my cheeks and soak my hair. Angling my heavy head to the side, I reach my hand towards him, needing to touch him, needing to feel him. He slowly slants his head towards me and extends his fingers to me, but there¡¯s no life in his eyes, no movement, no light. ¡°Gemma,¡± he whispers. ¡°I lo...¡± His eyes slip shut and he rolls to his back as his arms fall to his side. The world stops moving, breathing¡ªI stop breathing. I hold onto his hand, crying with every ounce of sadness I have in me, as the world begins to erratically spin. There¡¯s a loud crack and I see Evan get up from the bed and start running. I feel the inside of my heart crumble to dust. I¡¯m hollow. Then, everything goes black. Chapter 4 Gemma I remain on the cold floor, lying on my back with my eyes shut for what seems like days. I hear Evan leave and then eventually return, but I don¡¯t move. My head is pounding and my body feels beaten, bruised, useless, dead¡ªnumb¡ªjust like my heart. Because he¡¯s gone. Alex is gone. I never got to fully be with him because I was scared of how I felt and now I can¡¯t. My chance is gone. He¡¯s gone, just like my heart and will to live. ¡°Gemma,¡± Evan says from above me. ¡°You need to open your eyes. Don¡¯t let Alex¡¯s sacrifice be for nothing.¡± I know he¡¯s right, but at the same time, I don¡¯t want to live without Alex. I don¡¯t even know if I am capable of living without him. It feels like the moment I open my eyes¡ªthe minute I see him lying beside me¡ªis the moment where this peaceful, consuming numbness will leave my body and crack me open like a shell. All my emotions will spill out and I¡¯ll lose it. ¡°Everyone has a destiny, Gemma,¡± my mom¡¯s voice fills my thoughts. ¡°Yours is just more important. I always knew it would be, since the day you were born.¡± She smiles brightly. ¡°My violet-eyed girl. You¡¯re going to do great things, but it¡¯ll be hard. You¡¯ll be tested, more than you already have. But no matter what, you can never lose yourself. You have to fight, no matter what, Gemma. Never, ever give up.¡± It is what she told me while I was in the Afterlife. Something about it had confused me at the time, but I¡¯m starting to understand what she meant now. Sort of anyway, despite how much I don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s also similar to what Alex said to me before he died. I can¡¯t let myself give up. I can¡¯t let evil win. Maybe if I fight and search hard enough I can find a way to fix this all, just like I have in the past. I just need to be strong and hold on. I slowly lift my eyelids open to the world. The bright sunlight gleaming through the window stings at my eyes and my vision is blurry. I blink and blink again, the room starts to shift into focus. My gaze settles on a pair of dark eyes that belong to a person leaning over me. ¡°So you¡¯re Evan,¡± I say in a groggy voice. Relief washes over Evan¡¯s face and his lips tug upward into a sad smile. ¡°And you¡¯re Gemma, I¡¯m hoping.¡± I bob my head up and down. ¡°As far as I can tell, I am.¡± He lets out a deep breath as he places a hand on my forehead. ¡°I thought I¡¯d lost you, too.¡± Squinting down at me, he examines me closely. ¡°How¡¯s your head?¡± My shoulders rise and fall as I shrug awkwardly while lying on the floor. ¡°Good, I guess.¡± ¡°Do you know where you are?¡± ¡°Yeah, in the castle¡­ on the floor.¡± I slowly nod my head and a sharp pain intensifies and shoots throughout my body. ¡°Ow.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Evan asks worriedly. I want to ask him about Alex; what will happen to him, if he¡¯s really dead, or if by some small miracle it¡¯s only temporary; because, in my world, temporary deaths seem to happen a lot. However, my brain is fuzzy and I can¡¯t move my lips to form words as images pop through my skull. I sit in front of a black coffin that sits in the center of a brick church with a cathedral ceiling and painted glass windows as the backdrop. Thunder booms in the background and lightning flashes across the room. The lid to the coffin is shut and red rose petals speckle the top of it like raindrops of blood. I don¡¯t know who¡¯s inside it, but in the depths of my heart it feels like I do. I want to know, but I don¡¯t at the same time, so I stay put, surrounded by empty benches and a silent room. It¡¯s just the coffin, me and the thunder outside. Briefly, I wonder if I can just stand in this same spot and never know what lies ahead. Eventually, though, I can¡¯t take it anymore and I walk forward; my black shoes and the tail of my long, black dress drag across the ground as I move. My body is weighted, my limbs stiff, and in my hand is a single red rose. Step-by-step, one foot in front of the other, the coffin gets closer. Finally, I¡¯m right in front of it. I can see my reflection in the sheen of the surface. My hair is done up and a wisp hangs to the side of my face. My skin is pallid, my lips a dark blue, almost black, and my pupils are so immense only a ring of violet remains in my eyes. Clutching the rose in one hand, disregarding the thorns stabbing into my skin, I reach for the lid, my fingers trembling as I slip them underneath the lip. Petals start to rain down from the church ceiling as I raise the lid up, but when the petals hit the floor, the lid, my skin, they splatter like drops of blood. Everything is bleeding and as I raise the lid completely my heart starts to bleed too. Lying inside it is Alex. His eyelids are sealed, his lips are slightly separated with a purplish tint to them, and his skin is ashen. His hands are overlapped on his stomach and he¡¯s wearing a black suit. Blood continues to soak down on me, drenching my hair, my skin, my dress, the floor as I slide my hand away from the lid towards him¡ªtowards his arm. Wrapping my fingers around his ice-cold wrist, I rotate it over and inch the bottom of his sleeve up where the outline of the black star should be. Our forever mark, but it¡¯s gone. Our forever is gone. I¡¯m ripped away from the future and back to reality. Alex is gone. Really gone. And I¡¯m here. I don¡¯t want to be here. I don¡¯t want to move¡ªbreathe. I continue to stare blankly at Evan, praying that somehow he can alleviate the piercing pain and sharp needles that feel like they¡¯re swimming inside my body and mind because it hurts and I swear my heart is bleeding to death. ¡°Just try not to move for a minute.¡± He leans closer to me, blocking out the sunlight with his body. ¡°I¡¯m going to try and help you the best that I can.¡± He keeps his hand on my forehead and the warmth flowing through his skin is comforting; not only for the pain in my body, but for the pain in my heart. I shut my eyes and bask in the sensation, absorbing the numbness seeping through me. Numb. That¡¯s what I want to feel. I picture Alex and the last time that we kissed each other, how our lips and bodies melted together. I remember the way his hands kept brushing across the bottom of my shirt, where a sliver of skin peeked out. We belonged together. We always will. Page 6 A tear falls down my cheek as Evan removes his hand from me, taking the sense of comfort with him. My shoulders heave as I start to sob. Evan tries to console me, but it doesn¡¯t do any good. Alex and I have endured so much before we could finally be together, all so it could be fleeting, like a breath of air leaving my lungs. I continue to cry, heart-wrenching sobs that rip the air out of my lungs and splinter my rib cage. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Gemma. Really, I am.¡± Evan says in an unsteady voice and I open my eyes, seeing the sincerity and genuine remorse in his own. I whisper in a hoarse voice, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± He looks away, trying to hide the guilt on his face. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Twisting my head, I look over at Alex¡¯s body. He doesn¡¯t look the same as in the coffin¡ªhe looks worse. I roll onto my side and, clawing at the floor, I drag myself over to him. His eyes are open, but sunken, and his lips are parted. His skin is mapped with veins and his chest isn¡¯t moving. He¡¯s dead. No, he can¡¯t be. I¡¯m conflicted and confused. Overwhelmed and enraged. I rest my head on his cold chest and tears start to spill out of my eyes again. Evan watches me, but doesn¡¯t try to comfort me or pull me away. He lets me grieve. Eventually, he leaves the room and this time he doesn¡¯t return. ¡°Alex,¡± I whisper as tears soak my eyes, cheeks, and his shirt. ¡°Why did you do it? Why couldn¡¯t you just let me, for once, be the one to go¡­ I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡± There¡¯s no response and my will to live dissipates, evaporating into the air. I cry until I¡¯m so exhausted that nothing is left except anger. I¡¯m angry. Angry at him. Angry at myself. Angry at Helena. She got her revenge just as she wanted¡ªshe killed Alex. But it¡¯s not over. I¡¯ll get my revenge on her just like she taught me. Chapter 5 Gemma I swear love is the most powerful emotion that¡¯s ever existed. It owns people, devours them, tears them open and bleeds them out from the inside, making them defenseless to everything. Hate is the same way. Hate takes your levelheadedness and even your sanity away from you. I hate Helena. I completely, utterly despise her with so much passion it has stolen my heart. I¡¯m hollow. Numb. Just like I used to be back when all this started, back when I didn¡¯t know what kind of a world really existed. Back when I was the unemotional Gemma. I run my finger across the black star outlining my wrist over and over again. Forem. My forever with Alex is gone. But when I really think about it, my forever never really started. Alex and I never got a peaceful moment together and we never had time to really look into our future. I reach over and touch his inner wrist. His skin is cold, but the star is still there; however, the black is fading and almost looks blue. Pressing down on it, I lean over and gently place my lips to his. They¡¯re like ice, but I kiss him anyway. ¡°I love you¡­ love you¡­ I love you. I love you.¡± I keep saying it until my throat runs dry, then I whisper, ¡°I¡¯ll make her pay for this.¡± I promise this and then lift my lips from his. ¡°Forever,¡± I say, and then I wipe the tears from my face with the back of my hand, gather my strength and stand up. I exit the room, refusing to look back, one foot in front of the other, with my head facing forward. I don¡¯t want to remember Alex dead and lying on the floor. I want to remember him when he was alive, breathing, his heart beating. Swinging the door open, I exit into the hall. I need to find Laylen and see if he¡¯s okay¡ªsee if he¡¯s himself again. I hurry to my left, toward his room and throw the door open and it bangs against the wall. I pause, glancing from left to right to the empty bed and sofa in the corner. ¡°Where is he?¡± I mumble, closing the door as I back out of the room. I deliberate for a moment and decide to head to the dungeon on the second floor. When I step inside that room, dust immediately surrounds me and I notice that the air smells stale and kind of rusty, like blood has been spilled somewhere. ¡°Laylen.¡± I take a tentative step inside the room and as soon as my foot crosses the threshold, I stop dead in my tracks. Across from me, on the farthest wall, Laylen is chained to the wall. He¡¯s lying on his back, with the chains pulled tight as his arms rest to his side, along with his head. ¡°No.¡± I rush quickly towards him. ¡°Laylen¡­ Laylen, are you okay?¡± He doesn¡¯t move. His eyes are open, blue like the sea, but he¡¯s not blinking or moving. There¡¯s nothing going on inside him. Nothing. He¡¯s dead. Like really dead, not just Vampire dead. Everyone¡¯s dead. My dad¡¯s trapped in his mind, maybe forever, and my mom¡¯s dead. Not to mention I haven¡¯t seen Sophia in forever. I have no one left in my life. Oh my God. I¡¯m alone. ¡°No,¡± I whisper, shaking my head. ¡°This can¡¯t be¡­ You can¡¯t be dead.¡± I start to hyperventilate, lungs shrinking, and my knees buckle from underneath me as I collapse onto the floor next to him. Clutching onto his lips, I lean down and kiss his cold lips. ¡°I love you,¡± I say, knowing that it¡¯s a different kind of love, but it¡¯s still love. In a different world, we would have been perfect together, made each other whole. Because he makes me smile, laugh, be happy. He¡¯s my best friend and always will be, even in death. My entire world dissolves. Everyone I know is either dead or gone. ¡°I really am alone.¡± Alone. Alone. Alone. The word echoes for miles. I¡¯m not sure how long I lay soundlessly beside him. I¡¯d cry, but my eyes are too raw to summon any more tears. Finally, I pull myself together the best that I can and trudge down the stairway, uncertain where I am going. I need to get away from this place and the memories it¡¯s carrying, along with their bodies. Bodies. I need to find a place where I can focus. I need a plan. I hear the soft sound of a fire burning as I walk down the hall and when I pass Evan¡¯s room, he¡¯s standing with his back turned to me, staring at the fire with his head hung low. I don¡¯t make a noise as I turn away and head for the stairs. As I step from the stairway and into the foyer, I catch sight of something silver and heart-shaped on a curio table just across from the stairs. It¡¯s shimmering from the sunlight streaming through the stain-glass window above the door. My locket. With my hand placed on the hollow of my neck, I walk over and pick it up. Running my finger along the violet stone pendant in the center, I remember when Alex gave it to me and how he kissed me right afterwards. Clasping it in my hand, I turn to leave, but notice another object on the curio. It¡¯s the teardrop-shaped Cornu Lepore that Helena stole from Nalina, my Aunt who I just found out I had not too long ago. I pick it up also, and dangle the golden chain from my fingers as I hold it up in front of my face to examine it. The light reflects off the pendant as the chain spins. I wonder what kind of power it holds and why Helena wanted it. It has to be important to her, but how? I unfasten the clamp on the chain of my locket and secure it around my neck, the icy metal hitting my neck and causing me to gasp. I take the Cornu Lepore and tuck it away into the pocket of my jeans, just in case I end up needing it for some reason or another. I turn for the door, preparing to leave, when I catch sight of my reflection in the mirror above the curio. I look like crap; tearstained cheeks, bags under my violet eyes, and my hair''s a tangled mess. My skin looks even paler than it normally does and my wrists are encrusted with blood. My eyes are also really wide, massive in fact, like I¡¯m still possessed. And maybe I am. Possessed by hate. Turning around, I pull a face at the serpent mark on my shoulder as I trace my fingers along its curving patter. Thanks to Helena, I¡¯m now branded with the damn thing after she made Dyvinius put it on her¡ªor her in my body. I¡¯m remembering something about it though... something that might be important. With the Serpent¡¯s mark, I can control thoughts, which gives me a lot of power. And I have the Cornu Lepore, which has a lot of power also. I have a lot of power. I just don¡¯t know what for, but I need to find out. What I need to do is talk to someone who can help me¡­ someone like Nalina. The necklace was hers after all, so she would have to know something. Whether she¡¯ll tell me or not is a whole other story. I give one last glance at my reflection, noting the numbness sedating my limbs, expression, and veins, but not in my eyes; there¡¯s rage there. Nalina will answer me because I¡¯ll make her. Ripping my gaze from the mirror, I swing the front door open and step outside into the cool air. I disregard the Sprites frolicking in the grass and the haunting way the lake moves like it¡¯s made of pieces of glass. None of that matters at the moment. I only need to focus on one thing. Hate is a compelling emotion and it¡¯s taken over most of my body and mind. I¡¯m not even sure if I¡¯m Gemma anymore. I¡¯m not sure who I am. I really don¡¯t care. All I care about is destroying Helena. Once that¡¯s done, then maybe there will still be a piece of me left to find love. Maybe not. Chapter 6 Alex There¡¯s a battle going on inside of me. Helena and Annabella are pissed off at one another. Each of them is trying to win the battle over who owns me, who gets my soul¡ªwho gets to keep me. Helena wants it for sheer greedy reasons and Annabella wants it so she can gain back her freedom from Helena. I think the two of them will rip me apart if they don¡¯t stop it, then neither one of them will have me. ¡°You need to go back to the Afterlife, Helena,¡± Annabella says. ¡°You must obey, Helena. You were never supposed to be here to begin with.¡± Helena fumes. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. The loophole is not complete¡ªI¡¯m still here and so are you. You are still my prisoner. Mine!¡± She hisses at Annabella. ¡°You can¡¯t make me go back!¡± Their battle is freaking exhausting, even if I¡¯m technically dead, well on the outside. On the inside, I¡¯m still thriving; however, I¡¯m growing weaker. I¡¯m trying to fight the compulsion to surrender to one of them, but their bickering is smothering me. I feel like I¡¯m dead on the inside, especially watching Gemma lying helplessly on the floor. I¡¯m worried that she¡¯s lost the desire to fight and survive. Then Evan puts his hand on Gemma¡¯s head and tries to help her recover. Relief and happiness overpower me, knowing that she¡¯ll be okay. Then suddenly, Gemma is crawling towards me with tears pouring from her beautiful violet eyes. My heart breaks and I desperately wish there were a way I could tell her everything will be okay¡ªthat I¡¯m still here. When she reaches me, she rests her head on my chest and sobs hysterically for what seems like hours. I lie powerlessly, knowing there¡¯s nothing I can do for her; that I am trapped on the brink of death. After her tears stop, she leans over and kisses me through the remaining tears staining her face. Life sparks inside me, as if the electricity has returned, even though I know that¡¯s not possible. We got rid of that when we stopped the portal and destroyed the power of the fallen star, but it feels like it¡¯s back, pulling me to her, radiating through me. In fact, there was even a spark when Helena and Annabella transferred into me, and for a second, I¡¯d thought Gemma had been placed inside me. Page 7 Helena and Annabella¡¯s voices grow quiet and, as the spark of life inside my body accelerates, I start to feel alive again. ¡°You see that,¡± Annabella says. ¡°It is just as I said. You can¡¯t have me and you can¡¯t have Alex or Gemma. You cannot cheat your way to get what you want, Helena, or things eventually fall apart.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not true!¡± cries Helena. ¡°I won¡¯t let you win again, Annabella.¡± ¡°You have no choice.¡± Annabella replies sternly. ¡°It¡¯s the way things are. Why do you have to be so greedy? You¡¯ve always been like this, ever since we were kids, and it¡¯s always gotten you into trouble, yet you continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about winning,¡± Helena complains in a shrill voice. ¡°It¡¯s about power and revenge. The power to rule the world and to get my revenge on the humans and their useless love that I don¡¯t see fit to exist.¡± ¡°You act as if love is powerless, yet without it I¡¯d still be trapped inside,¡± Annabella replies. ¡°But here I am free and ready to send you back to where you belong.¡± ¡°You really think you are capable of sending me back, my dear sister?¡± Helena sneers. ¡°Even if you do manage to send me back to the Afterlife my Lost Souls will still be able to roam the earth.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m perfectly capable Helena,¡± Annabella says. ¡°The loophole has been found and I¡¯m free. Love has conquered over your hate and self-loathing. As for the Lost Souls, I just hope they realize what you really are and find a way to resist your control over them because, if they don¡¯t, then they really are lost. Goodbye and good riddance, my sister.¡± ¡°I can come back you know,¡± she calls out in desperation. ¡°I will change my vision¡ªI will make things how I want them.¡± There¡¯s a loud snap, followed by a scream, and I feel Helena leave my body while Annabella stays behind. It feels like my limbs have been ripped off and then attached back to my body crookedly. I feel wrong, yet right. The spark from Gemma¡¯s kiss still burns inside me and it gives me comfort in the darkness I¡¯m still imprisoned in. ¡°Alex,¡± Annabella whispers. ¡°Helena can¡¯t take possession of you or Gemma again. She has been banished to the Afterlife¡­ and you won¡¯t die.¡± She pauses. ¡°The bond that you and Gemma share is unbreakable. It¡¯s because of this bond that I was set free.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t get how our bond sent Helena away,¡± I confess to her. ¡°I know love can be powerful and everything¡ªthat Gemma and I are proof of that¡ªbut how can our love destroy Helena¡¯s ability to possess us? It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± ¡°Because of the loophole,¡± Annabella answers and her voice sounds like it¡¯s fading. ¡°The loophole made it so that in order for Helena to be able to keep me prisoner, she could not possess a person filled with undying love. You felt the electricity of Gemma¡¯s kiss, right?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± I tell her, unsure if what she¡¯s saying is true. Love is what ended this. Our love. Gemma¡¯s and mine. ¡°You sacrificed yourself for Gemma because you love her and she was too helpless to stop you because of Helena. She wanted to, though. She tried to keep Helena inside of her, instead of letting her possess you.¡± ¡°I knew she would,¡± I reply. ¡°It¡¯s what she always does.¡± ¡°When you completed the sacrifice, everything that Helena planned began to fall apart and Gemma¡¯s kiss made it crumble until it didn¡¯t exist. That was the loophole. You love one another endlessly and it¡¯s very powerful. ¡°Forever,¡± I say underneath my breath. Annabella continues, ¡°You¡¯re both free from Helena and the possession of her Lost Souls and I¡¯m free to return to my Essences.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± I wonder with doubt. ¡°Helena¡¯s gone for good? Just like that? Because it seems too easy.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that she was gone,¡± she clarifies. ¡°I said she can¡¯t possess you anymore. She¡¯ll still have reign over the Lost Souls that are roaming free and possessing people. She¡¯ll seek her vision and try to change her past so she can have more power in the future.¡± There is sadness in her voice. ¡°I want to thank you, Alex, both you and Gemma. The power of your love continues to amaze me every single time I¡¯m graced with it. It proves to me that there is hope for the world and that true love still exists, even though it¡¯s rare and seems to be becoming extinct more and more each day.¡± I feel her drifting away, leaving my body. ¡°Wait¡­ Annabella, what about Laylen?¡± I ask. ¡°What happens to him? Gemma¡­ Gemma loves him, too.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fixed,¡± she says softly. ¡°Do you mean it will be¡ª¡± I start to ask, but I¡¯m cut off as I feel her separate from my body and I¡¯m left feeling empty. I¡¯m alone in my body. There are no extra voices, no whispers of evil. Everything is just as it should be. My body gradually recovers; my arms and legs returning to my control. My eyes open and I can hear Gemma crying from the opposite end of the castle, where Laylen lies dead. I try to get up so I can go to her¡ªtell her everything will be okay¡ªbut I¡¯m frozen. I can¡¯t move my mouth, my arms or my legs. I¡¯m paralyzed. I hear her footsteps as she walks passed the open door and then she trots down the stairs. I try to yell to her, to tell her I am okay, but I can¡¯t get the damn words out of my mouth. When I hear the front door to the castle slam shut, fear seeps into my veins because, for some strange reason, I can feel her pain, sadness, and hate coursing through me, like it¡¯s my own. She¡¯s not herself and I¡¯m afraid of what she might do, not just to someone else, but also to herself. Chapter 7 Gemma I use my Foreseer power to transport me to the neighborhood where Nalina¡¯s house resides. It¡¯s a simple trick of concentration and blinking my eyes. Simple. That¡¯s what I need at the moment. I plant myself down into the road in front of her ancient looking Victorian home with crooked shutters and a concaved front deck. It blends in well with the rest of the tattered neighborhood; full of barking dogs, collapsing fences, peeling siding, and a lot of shouting. Clouds are covering the sky and there¡¯s a chilly breeze to the air, blowing brown leaves across the dry grass and the murky gutter lining the street. I¡¯m glad to have my Foreseer power back, but I feel like the world¡¯s most horrible person when I think about how I manipulated Nicholas and his affection to get it back, even if I was possessed. Because of me, he¡¯s a prisoner, chained to the giant flaming Crystal Ball that feeds off his life force to provide energy in the City of Crystal and for all the Foreseers. I remember how I stuck the needles into Nicholas¡¯s arms and then attached him to the ball. I feel responsible and need to find a way to set him free, even if he is a perverted jerk. I¡¯m just unsure of how to go about it without Dyvinius stripping me of my power. Right now, I need to have it, so as terrible as it is, I decide to leave Nicholas in the chains, but I¡¯ll get to him. Eventually. A tall man comes walking down the sidewalk, whistling a tune as he kicks at the loose rocks. His hands are tucked into his pocket and he bends his legs in a strange way, like he¡¯s trying hard to walk. When he glances at me, a smile rises across his face and he whispers something that sounds a lot like, ¡°Helena.¡± I wonder if he¡¯s a Lost Soul or just a very strange man, and I don¡¯t dare move until he rounds the corner and disappears down the side street. I tread up the path that leads to Nalina¡¯s front door, my worn sneakers scuffing against the gravel, noting that the next door neighbor has their curtains pulled back and is watching me. Their hair looks bright purple and their lips match. From over their shoulder, two clear shaped structures sparrow out from their shoulder blades. I look away when they smile, not wanting to believe it could be a Faerie, but knowing I¡¯m probably in denial. I hear every shout and every bark. It¡¯s terrifying, yet it¡¯s not because part of me has shut down. I¡¯m only feeling half the things I normally do and it¡¯s strangely kind of liberating. The curtain to Nalina¡¯s front window of her home is pulled back and I can see that she is watching me through it, her dark eyes full of suspicion, probably wondering why I¡¯m here. She¡¯ll most likely be apprehensive towards me because the last time I was here I became violent with her and smacked her in the side of the head, but it wasn¡¯t entirely my fault, seeing as how I was possessed. She might not trust me because of the incident. Well, that and the fact that I stole the Cornu Lepore from her. I just hope she doesn¡¯t try to sneak out the back door before I can talk to her. It doesn¡¯t mean this will end. I¡¯ll chase her down if I have to. I just don¡¯t want to. Lucky, Nalina opens the front door and steps out onto the front porch, making it easy. She¡¯s dressed in a simple, floor-length, black dress, which seems to be her color of choice. Her eyes are unwelcoming as she looks me up and down, sizing me up. ¡°What do you want?¡± she asks coldly when her gaze arrives on my eyes. ¡°Did you come back to finish me off?¡± Her grey hair blows in a breeze as I step onto the bottom stair. ¡°We need to talk.¡± I climb up the steps and onto the old wooden porch that sways unsteadily beneath my feet. I cautiously step over a broken board in my path, making sure my foot doesn¡¯t fall through the hole, and then come to a stop in front of her. She measures me up with her frail arms folded. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Gemma,¡± I answer. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember me?¡± Her eyes squint as she examines my eyes closely. ¡°What I remember is that the last time you were here, you hit me over the head and that I¡¯m pretty sure you were possessed.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I know a lot of things. I¡¯ve told you this.¡± I sigh. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m me now, and I¡¯d like to chat with you about something¡­ something important.¡± She hesitates, then, I guess, decides that I¡¯m me because she nods and steps back to let me walk in. ¡°Come in then. We do have a lot to talk about.¡± I follow her into the house and the floorboards creak below my feet as she shuts the door behind us. The living room looks the same as the last time I was here; a worn sofa is in the corner and there¡¯s still dust covering most of the tables and shelves. Nalina walks through the living room towards the kitchen and takes a seat at the table stationed between the oven and the sink. ¡°Have a seat.¡± She motions for me to come in, then points to the empty chair across from her. I pull out the chair and sit down, feeling uneasy. I usually don¡¯t do things solo and I feel a little defenseless in the house, especially because there are lavender marbles scattered around the floor. Praesidium, which makes it so I can¡¯t use my Foreseer power. Nalina collects a yellow cup from the middle of the table and grips it in-between her hands. Steam rises over the brim as she blows on the liquid. Page 8 ¡°I was just having some tea before you showed up. Would you like some?¡± A smile creeps across her lips. The last time I had tea at her table she poisoned me so that Dyvinius could read my thoughts. He wanted to be able to get inside my mind to see if I was planning on saving my father from the Room of Forbidden, where he¡¯s been trapped for ages. When he found out that I was, he ripped my Foreseer power from me. ¡°No, thank you,¡± I decline, frowning as I shake my head. ¡°I remember the last tea you served me.¡± She tips her head, looking into her cup. ¡°You have to remember that I had no choice over what I did. I was ordered by Divinius to help him, and I had to obey.¡± Her fingers quiver along with her voice. I want to believe her, but I still don¡¯t trust her. I could tell her that she¡¯s my aunt and that she should have protected me, but I stay calm and keep my lips sealed because I need to gain her trust. ¡°I know that you had no choice,¡± I say, clutching onto the edge of the table. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. Besides, I have my Foreseer power back now, so no harm no foul.¡± I bite my lip as soon as I say it. I probably should have kept that piece of information to myself. Her face fades of color as she clumsily sets the cup down on the table, spilling tea all over the place. ¡°W-what do you mean you have your Foreseer power back? The only way you¡¯d be able to get your power back is if Dyvinius gave it to you and I know my stepbrother well enough to know that he¡¯d never willingly do that. He¡¯s very, very strict about his rules. So unless you forced him to give it back, the only other option would be to sacrifice someone as a prisoner to the Crystal.¡± She pauses, waiting for me to deny it. I stare at the cracks in the table, silently letting it sink in. ¡°Gemma, please tell me you didn¡¯t,¡± she says, stunned. ¡°Please, please tell me I¡¯m wrong.¡± I glance down at my hands, which are trembling. Guilt creeps back inside of me as I¡¯m bluntly reminded of what I¡¯m capable of and what I did to Nicholas. The guilt spreads through me like venom and my stomach churns as I visualize him being chained to the ball. However, I can¡¯t fall apart right now. I¡¯m on a mission. An unknown mission at the moment, but I¡¯ll figure it out once I get my answer. Taking a deep breath, I shove the guilt away. I¡¯m here to find out about the Cornu Lepore, not to cry over something I did to the half-Faerie. I lift my gaze up from the table and meet Nalina¡¯s horrified gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not proud of it or anything that I did while I was under the influence of Helena, but I still feel responsible. I can¡¯t do anything about it right now, though.¡± I lower my hands onto the table and splay my palms across the wood. ¡°There are too many other things I have to do first and then I¡¯ll fix what I did.¡± Nalina studies me intently as she grasps the handle of the cup holding her tea. ¡°You¡¯re a real mystery to me. The last time I saw you, you were a terrified little girl and now you just seem cold, sad, and confused.¡± I feel cold, sad, and confused. ¡°I think that¡¯s the case for most people who meet me.¡± I decide it¡¯s time to get down to business and get the answers I need. I reach into my pocket, retrieve out the Cornu Lepore, and drop it down on the table between us. Even in the dim lighting the gold chain shimmers like magic. Nalina sucks in a sharp breath as she stares at it with her jaw hanging open, then she quickly shoves her chair back and rises to her feet without saying a word. She picks up the cup of tea and carries it to the sink. She keeps her back to me as she pours the tea down the drain. ¡°Why did you bring that here?¡± she asks, turning the faucet on, and then rinses out the cup. ¡°I need to know what it¡¯s for,¡± I tell her, getting to my feet. ¡°Why did Helena take it from you? What does it do?¡± ¡°What makes you think it does anything?¡± she asks nonchalantly as she sets the cup inside the sink, then she slowly turns around and leans against the counter. ¡°The Cornu Lepore is the pendant for royalty of the Fey. That¡¯s it. There¡¯s nothing spectacular about it.¡± ¡°I know what it is,¡± I say, struggling to keep my cool as I wind around the table. ¡°But why did you have it? And what does it do? Because most things like this,¡± I lean over and snatch the necklace off the table. ¡°Do something.¡± I thrust the necklace in her direction ¡°I have¡ªor had it anyway¡ªbecause I have royal Fey blood in me,¡± she says easily as she pretends the necklace isn¡¯t in my hand, avoiding looking at it. ¡°Just like you have Royal Fey blood inside you.¡± I look at her skeptically. It¡¯s still hard for me to accept the fact that I¡¯m part Fey. But Royal Fey? Really? ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± I tell her, frowning as my arm falls to my side. ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡± ¡°Well you can believe it or not,¡± she retorts. ¡°But it is true.¡± ¡°Okay, if it¡¯s true, then explain to me how it is?¡± I cross my arms and narrow my gaze at her. ¡°I mean, who was the royal Fey in our family?¡± Her gaze is locked on the pendant dangling from my fingers and her eyes glaze over, as if she is being hypnotized from it. Interesting. I toss the pendant back down onto the table and she blinks her eyes, clearing her throat as she elevates her gaze to mine. ¡°Your grandmother¡ªmy mother¡ªNalini Lucas was Fey,¡± she answers with a sigh. ¡°Crap!¡± I don¡¯t mean to say it out loud, but it slips out. ¡°What, you thought I was really lying?¡± ¡°No, but hoping¡­ being Fey is the last thing that I need right now.¡± ¡°No one ever needs to be Fey, but, unfortunately, some of us are.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ like Nicholas,¡± I mutter and then swallow hard. Silence builds between us as she stares at the teardrop pendant on the table. The Cornu Lepore. If it¡¯s not important at all, then why can¡¯t she take her eyes from it? ¡°It was a secret,¡± she explains, adjusting her gaze back to me. ¡°It isn¡¯t often that the Fey develop relationships with others besides their own kind and a relationship with a Fey and a Keeper, that¡¯s strictly forbidden. However, Nalini was very beautiful and your grandfather, Julius, was enthralled by her; from the sound of her voice to the shade of her violet eyes.¡± Her eyes drift off over my shoulder as her forehead creases. She¡¯s caught up in memories of her parents, making her smile. ¡°Nalini kept the love between them a secret from her parents, who were part of the royal court, knowing that if they found out about her love for a Keeper, then they¡¯d put an end to it.¡± I¡¯m engrossed in her tale, partially because it makes me think of something else besides Nicholas, Laylen and Alex¡­ and partly because the part about Nalini¡¯s violet eyes is striking a nerve. I wonder if my eyes are violet because of my Fey blood. All this time I¡¯ve loathed the color, thinking it was because of the Star, and then I saw my dad and thought it was from him. But now¡­ what if it¡¯s because I¡¯m Fey? Ew. Yuck. Ick. I shake my shoulders, trying to get rid of the dirty feeling plaguing my body. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she inquires, her eyebrows dipping together. I nod. ¡°Yeah, but what were you saying?¡± ¡°That they loved each other very deeply and were never apart from one another,¡± she continues. ¡°So naturally, Nalini¡¯s parents were bound to find out about her forbidden love. When they did, they disowned her. Later, Julius and Nalini married, keeping her Royal Fey blood a secret, so they could live in peace.¡± ¡°So how did you get the pendant?¡± I ask, scooping it up from the table. She smiles again, her grey eyes lighting up. ¡°Once, when I was a little girl, my mother decided that I should meet my grandmother. My mother didn¡¯t talk about her family often¡­ I think it brought back too many sad memories for her. I was very excited when she told me that we were going to visit her, though. She told me it had to be kept a secret and I promised her I wouldn¡¯t tell a single person. She snuck me into the Faerie Realm¡­¡± She trails off for a moment, and then clears her throat, standing up straight. ¡°The Fey are really an interesting breed, aren¡¯t they?¡± she mutters to herself in puzzlement. ¡°I was captivated by the Faerie Realm, the beauty of the place. My mother had me wait by a cluster of flowers while she went to find my grandmother. When she came back, she was with a very tall woman who had purple hair and skin that glittered in the sunlight. You can imagine my surprise, when, as I looked up to see her, she suddenly shrunk down to my size.¡± I¡¯m stunned. Shocked. Beyond words. I stay silent, disbelieving what she¡¯s telling me. Worried that if it is true, well... Clearing my throat several times, I finally find my voice. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that your grandmother¡ªmy great-great grandmother is the Empress to the Faerie Realm?¡± She nods her head smiling. ¡°Yes, Gemma, not only are we Royal Fey, we¡¯re also from the blood of Luna.¡± ¡°Luna¡­¡± My eyes enlarge as I shake my head in disbelief. There¡¯s no way that it can be possible. I can¡¯t be related to the crazy Empress of the Faerie Realm, can I? No matter how much I try to deny it, it seems like it¡¯s possible. That also means that not only is Luna trying to destroy me and overtake the world, but she¡¯s my great-grandmother? And if that¡¯s true¡ªLuna is my great-grandmother or whatever¡ªthat would make Nicholas¡­ what¡­ my cousin? ¡°Holy shit!¡± Chapter 8 Gemma I¡¯m speechless. Struck dumb. I don¡¯t even know what to say. I think of Nicholas and the countless times he came on to me. The time he bargained a kiss in exchange for his help. It had felt wrong. It was wrong, but there¡¯s no way Nicholas could have known¡­ or does he? ¡°Yuck.¡± I shudder, wanting to take a shower more than I have in my entire life. ¡°B-But, how?¡± I¡¯m flustered. ¡°I mean who¡ªwho knows about this? Does anyone? I know you said it was a secret, but some people have to know because secrets are rarely secrets.¡± She scans me over curiously as if she senses my concern is for another reason. ¡°Nobody else knows about it, Gemma,¡± she assures me. ¡°It¡¯s been kept a secret very well. Your father and I know, though, and now you do. Well, and of course Luna knows, too.¡± So Nicholas had¡­ has no clue. ¡°Thank God,¡± I say out loud and she pulls a confused face. ¡°Never mind.¡± It was all just an innocent mistake, at least I hope it was. On the bright side, maybe this will make pervy Faerie boy back off. ¡°Well, Helena knew somehow,¡± I tell her. ¡°And obviously she wanted the pendant for something.¡± I eye her over with suspicion because she keeps avoiding eye contact with me. ¡°You still haven¡¯t explained to me how you got the Cornu Lepore pendant.¡± I walk towards her as she stares at the floor. She flinches. ¡°Luna offered me the pendant that day,¡± she reluctantly answers, lifting her eyes to mine. ¡°She told me that although I wasn¡¯t pure Royal Fey, I was still part of the most important line of the Fey blood and that the Cornu Lepore was rightfully mine. And even though it is just a trinket, I should always cherish it, and I have.¡± Shaking her head, she pushes past me and sinks down into the kitchen chair. ¡°But then Helena stole it from me.¡± She eyes the pendant in my hand. Page 9 I can tell she¡¯s lying, and I quickly close my hand around it as I move around the table. ¡°You¡¯re lying and I want you to tell me the truth. It¡¯s important.¡± ¡°Gemma you have to believe me¡­ What I say is the truth. There¡¯s no other reason. The necklace isn¡¯t powerful, just pretty to look at. And sentimental.¡± ¡°Helena wouldn¡¯t have stolen it from you if it wasn¡¯t,¡± I argue, sitting down in the chair across from her. She¡¯s starting to cry, but her tears are plastic¡ªnot real. She¡¯s acting like she¡¯s upset, but I can tell she¡¯s not. ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell it could be worthless if she wanted it¡­ It has to have some kind of value¡­ some kind of power.¡± A smug look rises on her face. It was an act, just like I thought. ¡°Well that¡¯s the only answer you¡¯re getting from me, Gemma. That is all you need to know.¡± I¡¯m getting riled up and fully pissed off. I want Helena to pay for what she did to Alex. To Laylen. To everyone in the world that she hurt. I¡¯ll do whatever I need to get my answers. Rage fires inside me, the kind controlled by hurt. I¡¯m losing control of myself and I don¡¯t care. All I care about is wiping that smug look off Nalina¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but if you¡¯re going to refuse to cooperate, then I guess I¡¯m going to have to help you change your mind,¡± I tell her, realizing how much I¡¯m starting to sound like Alex. With his threats and blunt remarks. I kind of like it. In fact, I love it and I¡¯m going to hold onto it because then I can keep part of him with me forever. ¡°You¡¯re bluffing.¡± Her eyes flicker up and down as she scans me over. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do to me. You are just a little girl.¡± I have had enough of this crap and her attitude. I jerk the collar of my shirt down from my shoulder, angling my neck to the side as I rotate in the chair, showing her the Serpent¡¯s mark. Surprise and understanding register on her face¡ªshe understands what I can do now. Part of me is ready to invade her mind, but the other part of me wishes she¡¯d just give me the answers without me having to use the power because I¡¯m afraid that once I decide to go down this road, I won¡¯t be able to turn back. That I won¡¯t want to turn back. That I won¡¯t be myself anymore because really, what do I have left? Chapter 9 Alex When I¡¯m finally able to move again, I immediately jump to my feet and run out of the room. I barrel down the stairs, trying to catch Gemma before she disappears to wherever the hell she¡¯s going. As I reach the bottom of the stairway, I almost plow over Evan, standing at the bottom, looking astounded; jaw agape, eyes amplified, and nausea fills his expression. I slam into him and send us both flying sideways. Losing his balance, he grabs the wooden railing of the staircase for support. ¡°Alex¡­ what the...¡± He regains his footing while I skid across the marble floor and I only stop when I run into the wall. ¡°What the hell? I thought you were dead?¡± Shaking my head, I get my feet stable underneath me. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. Right now I have to find Gemma.¡± I sidestep around him and rush towards the front door. ¡°Do you know where she is?¡± He shakes his head, trailing after me with his hands stuffed into his pockets. ¡°I thought she was still upstairs. When I left her she was lying by your¡­ body.¡± He pauses, looking confused as he coils the chain on his jeans around his finger. ¡°I thought she was still up there.¡± I jerk open the door and step outside, the bad feeling twisting inside me like an illness. ¡°Gemma!¡± I shout and a herd of Sprites come scurrying out of the bushes and surround my knees. ¡°Charge!¡± One of them yells in a squeaky voice as he raises his arms in the air. The rest of them flap their wings as they start to march toward me. Shaking my head, I kick it in the face and it goes soaring through the air like a football. The rest of them scatter in terror; diving into the bushes, flying away, and running across the grass. ¡°You search the forest and I¡¯ll search down by the lake,¡± I tell Evan. ¡°Just a second,¡± Evan says, stepping out onto the porch. ¡°I don¡¯t get why you¡¯re so panicky. She probably just wandered off to like¡­ Mourn or something.¡± I shake my head and shield my eyes from the sun with my hand. ¡°I have a bad feeling¡­¡± My gaze scrolls the lake and the lofty trees next to it. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it, but it feels like she¡¯s going to do something that will get her hurt.¡± A lot of people would question my strange response, but not Evan. He nods and then jogs off towards the brink of the forest. I slam the door and do a lap around the castle, before heading down the gravel path that descends to the lake. I search through the trees that surround it and walk out along the shoreline, but she¡¯s nowhere and, deep down, I think I know she¡¯s not here. ¡°Dammit!¡± I curse, kicking the trunk of a tree. Where the hell would she go? Think. The million answers to that question scare the living daylights out of me. And it¡¯s my fault. I was supposed to protect her¡ªI promised her I would. The sky is shifting to black and stars are starting to sparkle. I return to the castle, frustrated, knowing that I need to find her, but knowing there are a thousand places she could be. I think back to what she said while hugging my body. She said she¡¯d make her pay. But who? Helena? No, there¡¯s no way. She would never try to go back to the Afterlife, would she? I throw open the front door to the castle and step into the foyer. It¡¯s dark inside and I turn around to flip on the light. The bright light from the chandelier above flicks over the entryway and I nearly drop to the floor when it finally steadies and lights up the room. Laylen is sitting on the bottom step, with his head hanging low. He lifts his head up and his eyes are blue again. ¡°He¡¯s out of me,¡± he says with a heavy sigh. ¡°I¡¯m me again.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I reply, noting how much he looks like himself again. ¡°Did you find her?¡± he asks. ¡°I heard you talking about it while I was waking¡­ while I was coming back to life, I guess, and you said she left¡­ please tell me you found her and that she¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t... I searched everywhere.¡± I sit down on the bottom step and rest my arms on my knees. ¡°I don¡¯t have a God damn clue where she went¡­ and I¡¯m worried.¡± He presses his lips together, nodding his head. ¡°You know she has her Foreseer power again, right? She probably used it to go somewhere.¡± ¡°Yeah, but where¡­¡± I tap my fingers on my knee anxiously. ¡°What if she went to¡­ What if she went after Helena? I mean, she wasn¡¯t thinking rationally. What if she¡¯s planning on doing something stupid, like getting revenge?¡± He swallows hard. ¡°As much as I hate to say it, would you really blame her? She thought she was alone and that we were all dead because of Helena. Or should I say I was?¡± He raises his eyebrows accusingly because it¡¯s partly my fault that he died. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that. I didn¡¯t want to kill you¡ªEvan didn¡¯t want to kill you anyway. We just had to see what you knew about Helena and that stupid loophole and things just kind of spiraled.¡± ¡°Hey, no judgment here,¡± he says, letting out a loud breath as he stares at the front door. ¡°I know why you did it and I¡¯d have done the same thing probably because¡­ because I love her, too. Maybe not in the same way as you, but it¡¯s still love.¡± He shrugs and shakes his head as he stands up. ¡°We need to figure out where she is, and what she¡¯s doing, though, because you¡¯re right. She¡¯s probably thinking irrationally and, as much as we both love her, we both know how much trouble seems to be drawn to her.¡± My neck muscles constrict and I pop my neck, trying to stay composed, even though he keeps saying he loves her. It¡¯s annoying, although it¡¯s not the same way I feel about her. At least, that¡¯s what he says. I¡¯ve always had my doubts about their ¡°friend¡± relationship. I rise to my feet and we go into the living room. The fire has burned out and it¡¯s dark. I flip on the lamp and draw back the curtains, so the damn Sprites will quit peeking in. Laylen takes a seat on the sofa, slumping back, and crossing his arms. I sit in a chair opposite of him, resting my hands on the armrests. Evan hasn¡¯t come back yet, which makes me kind of nervous. He¡¯s an Omnia and everything, but still, there¡¯s a lot of madness always going on and when someone disappears I have to question it. ¡°Evan should be back,¡± I remark, rubbing my hand down my face. ¡°It¡¯s getting too dark to keep searching for Gemma, and besides, I¡¯m pretty sure that, if she were here, we¡¯d have found her by now.¡± Laylen kicks his feet up on the table and winces from the movement. His hand travels down to his knee and his face twists in pain as he massages his kneecap. ¡°You know, you two are ruthless. It friggin¡¯ hurt to die.¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry about that,¡± I say, lost in my own thoughts because I swear I can feel her¡ªfeel her pain and almost see what she¡¯s thinking. She¡¯s hurt. She wants to make someone pay. She¡¯s seeing a lot of red. ¡°If there¡¯d been another way, I¡¯d have done it.¡± Laylen¡¯s lips tug upward. ¡°Now, I think that we both know that¡¯s not true and that, deep down, a tiny part of you enjoyed watching me get hurt.¡± I don¡¯t deny it. As much as I¡¯ve gotten over the fact that Laylen is a Vampire, he¡¯s still the guy Gemma runs to for help. She still cares for him and apparently he loves her. An awkward silence builds between us and he starts scratching at his arm. I notice the marks on his skin, but it takes it a second to register. ¡°Laylen, are those¡­¡± I trail off. ¡°Yeah, they came back when I woke up¡ªor came back to life.¡± He traces his finger along his forearm, along the Mark of Immortality. ¡°We¡¯ll get Aislin to remove it again,¡± I assure him and he fakes a smile, looking like he¡¯s going to cry. I¡¯m about to ask him what¡¯s up, when Evan walks into the room with his jacket zipped up and the hood pulled over his head. He immediately slams to a stop when he sees me talking to Laylen and the awkwardness, thankfully, vanishes. He stares at us incredulously. ¡°What the hell is going on? I mean¡ªno offense or anything, but aren¡¯t you both supposed to be dead?¡± I shake my head and can¡¯t help smiling. Leave it to Evan to be straightforward. ¡°I take it you didn¡¯t have any luck finding Gemma.¡± He shakes his head in response as he draws his hood down. ¡°No, and apparently you didn¡¯t find her either.¡± ¡°No,¡± I say. ¡°And as much as I hate to admit it, she probably used her Foreseer power and left.¡± I let out a breath as Evan sits down on the sofa beside Laylen and I drag my fingers through my hair. ¡°This is turning into such a mess.¡± ¡°It always does,¡± Laylen mutters. ¡°And not only do we have to find Gemma, but I don¡¯t think anyone has even begun to figure out how to get Aislin out of the Fey Kingdom.¡± Page 10 Evan holds up his hand. ¡°Before you two start making plans, can someone please give me a rundown of what the heck is going on? I mean for all I know you two could be zombies.¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°Zombies don¡¯t exist. Everyone knows that.¡± Evan elevates his eyebrows and gives an exaggerated eye-widening. ¡°Yeah, everyone knows that, yet a few hours ago, you two were lying on the floor without a pulse and now look at you.¡± I shrug. ¡°It¡¯s been known to happen.¡± He sighs, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I say and then give them both a quick rundown of what happened. ¡°There¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t get,¡± Evan says, fiddling with the chain on his belt loop. ¡°Why weren¡¯t we able to tell that you were still alive? We couldn¡¯t see you breathing or find a pulse.¡± I shrug. ¡°Maybe it was because I was on the brink of death. Or maybe because I was possessed. I really don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s because you were dead and now you¡¯re a zombie,¡± he says. ¡°Oh, would you get off the zombie kick, dude.¡± Laylen looks at me with disbelief as he hitches his thumb at Evan. ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s up with him?¡± Laylen doesn¡¯t know Evan very well, but I do, and I know he¡¯s seen a lot of strange things in his life, which is why he questions a lot of things. Evan narrows his eyes at Laylen and I catch his skin flickering. It¡¯s time for a subject change before one of them steps too far on the other one¡¯s toes. ¡°Any ideas of where she would have gone?¡± I ask Laylen. ¡°Gemma?¡± he questions. ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± I stare him down. ¡°Because she seems to tell you everything? Do you remember her saying anything when she found your body?¡± He shrugs. ¡°I couldn¡¯t really hear anything.¡± ¡°You know the possibilities of where she could have gone are endless, right?¡± Evan chimes in. ¡°With her gift she can basically go anywhere.¡± ¡°I know that,¡± I tell him, thinking about the last thing she whispered to me. She said she¡¯d make her pay. Helena. It has to be Helena. I tap my fingers on the armrest, wondering if she¡¯d really do it. Throw herself into danger without any protection. Sure she¡¯s Immortal¡ªone of the protected one¡¯s¡ªbut she could get trapped down there, amongst many other things. Maybe that¡¯s what she wants. Maybe she wants to die. I shut my eyes. It¡¯s like I can almost feel her pain, feel what she¡¯s doing, see how she¡¯s thinking. It¡¯s strange, but for some reason, I can almost retrace her steps. Without saying a word, I get up from the chair and leave the room. With my eyes still shut and ignoring Evan and Laylen¡¯s shouts about where I¡¯m going, I walk down the hallway; not of my own accord, but with something else, as if I¡¯m getting lead by a ghost. When I open my eyes again, I¡¯m standing in front of the curio table. It hits me, like a brick over my head. Her locket and the Cornu Lepore are gone. I crouch down on my hands and knees and feel underneath it, searching the floor to see if they were knocked down. However, deep down, I know I¡¯m not going to find them because I know she picked them up on her way out to where ever she went, just like, deep down, I know she¡¯s hurting and angry about something. I can almost see it happening, the way she walked down the stairs, sad, yet determined, and when she passed them, she scooped up her locket because deep down, a tiny part of her wants to live. Evan and Laylen walk in. ¡°Are you okay, man?¡± Laylen asks, leaning against the doorway, eyeing me as I crawl around on the floor. ¡°Evan, did you move the necklaces we took from Gemma?¡± I ask, pushing to my feet. ¡°No, they were on the table earlier today.¡± He points a finger at the curio. ¡°Gemma must have taken them,¡± I speculate, brushing the dirt off the knees of my jeans. ¡°I think I might know where she is¡­¡± I glance at the front door, picturing her opening it. ¡°To Nalina¡¯s with the Cornu Lepore.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Laylen wonders. ¡°Just because she took the necklaces?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a feeling,¡± I reply, knowing I¡¯m sounding like a freaking weirdo. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Laylen considers this and then, standing up straight, he heads for the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go get her.¡± ¡°Why would she do that, though?¡± Evan questions, perplexed, as he zips his jacket up. ¡°The Cornu Lepore isn¡¯t supposed to be anything special. At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve always been told.¡± ¡°It was special to Helena,¡± Laylen interrupts, turning the doorknob, then holds up his hand when I start to open my mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me why because I¡¯m not sure. All I know is that it was important to her. That¡¯s why she took it from Nalina in the first place.¡± ¡°Maybe Gemma¡¯s going to try and go after Helena on her own.¡± Evan shuffles toward the door. ¡°Yeah, I already thought of that,¡± I mutter. The three of us grow quiet and I feel like I¡¯m going to explode. I¡¯ve always been taught to keep my cool and deal with whatever¡¯s thrown at me, but it¡¯s becoming too much. I just wish that, for like a month¡ªHell, I¡¯d take a day¡ªthat we could live our lives in a normal way, without any crazy Faeries, Keepers, Witches, or anything else trying to take over the world. ¡°I think she¡¯s gone to Nalina¡¯s to find out why Helena wanted the pendant.¡± I pat my pockets for my knife. ¡°And I think she is going after Helena if we don¡¯t make it to her first.¡± Evan withdraws a small, ruby-filled Crystal Ball from his pocket and holds it in the air. I¡¯d almost forgotten that he has the power of a Foreseer as well. ¡°I can¡¯t use this in here with the Praesidium.¡± He glances at the lavender marble lining the floor. ¡°So, we¡¯ll have to go outside.¡± We nod and Evan leads the way. It¡¯s pitch black and I can barely see as we make our way down the grassy hill and away from the castle. I can hear the pitter-patter of footsteps and the fluttering of Sprite wings. I take out my knife because it makes me feel content and Evan lights up his hand so we can see where we¡¯re going. Where are we going exactly? To Gemma? I really don¡¯t know. All I¡¯m basing it on is a feeling I have that I can read the things she does. That¡¯s it. Other than that, I¡¯ve got nothing. All I can do is hope that I¡¯m right. And I¡¯ve never really been a fan of hope. Chapter 10 Gemma I think I¡¯ve officially lost my mind, but I don¡¯t think I care. I have Nalina trapped in the corner of the living room, cowering and crying as she rocks back and forth, banging her head against the wall. I used the Serpent¡¯s mark to invade her mind; made her think that there were snakes crawling on her. It¡¯s a little trick I learned from a certain Fairie/Foreseer who also has the mark. He did the same thing to me when he invaded my thoughts. I guess I¡¯m a good student. Nalina¡¯s fear of snakes is much more intense than mine, though. She flipped out so bad that she jumped on the kitchen table, screaming at the top of her lungs until she ran out of breath. Then, she ran towards the front door and almost escaped, but as she swung the front door open I conjured up the thought of a giant snake with an open mouth, scaly skin, and venomous fangs, waiting outside to swallow her. She leapt back and slammed the door shut. After that, she retreated into the corner of the living room, cowering behind the sofa. That¡¯s when the banging started, like she¡¯s trying to bang the images out of her head. I feel sort of bad for her. I know from my own personal experience that it¡¯s terrifying to see snakes everywhere and to have my mind invaded. Nevertheless, I need to know why Helena wanted the pendant. Besides, I think I¡¯m starting to lose my mind a little bit, maybe because of my grief or maybe it¡¯s from the hate I feel toward Helena, but for some bizarre reason, pity, guilt, and shame just aren¡¯t working for me at the moment, like I¡¯ve completely disconnected from the world and reality. Snapping my fingers, I make the crawling snakes vanish from Nalina¡¯s thoughts and walk over to the sofa. She¡¯s trembling from head-to-toe and tears stream down her cheeks, soaking her face and the collar of her shirt. ¡°Please, Gemma,¡± she begs me. ¡°Please, don¡¯t torture me anymore. I can¡¯t take it¡­ it¡¯s hurting my head.¡± I squat down beside her, wanting to feel bad¡ªsearching for it deep inside me¡ªbut I¡¯m numb. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop, on one condition. You have to tell me the truth. No more bull crap lies about not knowing anything.¡± My voice does not sound like it belongs to me; it sounds strong and confident. She takes a breath through her nose and releases it from her quivering lips. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know.¡± She wipes the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand, then stands up, running her fingers through her hair, trying to compose herself. ¡°I just need to sit down for a moment.¡± Nodding, I follow her to the sofa in the middle of the room and we have a seat on opposing sides. It¡¯s quiet for a minute and I can hear the tick of the clock, the song of the wind, the shouting of some dude nearby who really wants to, ¡°Chillax.¡± ¡°What happened to you, Gemma? You have become quite ruthless.¡± Her eyes are full of animosity. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think that Helena might still be inside of you.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not,¡± I tell her, crossing my legs and studying the window across from us. It¡¯s getting dark, the stars are out. The day¡¯s coming to an end. The day everything came to an end. ¡°This is just who I am now, I guess.¡± Shaking my head, I clear the thoughts and shoot her an impatient look. ¡°Start talking.¡± She sits up straight and, covering her mouth with her hand, she clears her throat. ¡°I was telling the truth when I said the Cornu Lepore was given to me by Luna when I was a child, I just left out a few of the details. I promise that my intent with all this has always been to protect you, even though it may not seem like it.¡± I roll my eyes at her. ¡°Sure, whatever you say.¡± She glares at me. ¡°My mother taking me to see Luna was a one-time event. It was the only time I was allowed to go to the Fairie Realm. My mother told me I was never supposed to go back¡ªthat it was too much of a risk and that the Empress could end up being discovered. ¡°Even though our meeting was short, Luna managed to pull me aside while my mother was distracted by some Sprites. Luna told me that I was special and I deserved something special. She told me to hide the pendant from my mother and that she was never supposed to find out I had it. I did what I was told and I don¡¯t even know why. Luna didn¡¯t know I¡¯d never be allowed to return to the Fey Realm and she became bitter toward Nalini. Honestly, she just became bitter towards everything.¡± She crosses her legs and adjusts her skirt, smoothing out the wrinkles. ¡°I think it¡¯s one of the reasons why she wants to conquer the world¡­ because the Cornu Lepore proves that I¡¯m from royal blood and, if I were to go to the Faerie Realm, the Fey would have to respect that I could rule over them, even though I¡¯m not full Fey.¡± Page 11 Reaching into my pocket, I take out the Cornu Lepore. I thread it through my fingers and hold it up in front of my face, letting it spin. Nalina watches it spin, her eyes hungry and full of lust. She wants it. Badly. And it makes me wonder if she wants to control the Fey. ¡°But, why do you want it back?¡± I ask, letting it spin from my fingers. She¡¯s mesmerized by it. ¡°I already told you why¡­ because I¡¯m not supposed to have it.¡± I shake my head and enclose my hand around the necklace. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the only reason.¡± I lean forward, getting close to her, and her eyes darken as they shift to my hand and then back to my face. ¡°I think that you want to have it for the same reason Helena does. I think that you both want to rule the Fey and their realm. Because if you do, you¡¯ll have more power than any other Fey¡ªmaybe even more than anyone else in the world.¡± I tip my head to the side, thoughtfully. ¡°When you told me, during my first visit, that there was a battle breaking out in the Fey Realm and that Lucinda, Helena, and Annabella all wanted something¡­¡± I unfold my fingers and let the chain hang around them, dangling the pendant down at eye level, ¡°you meant this, didn¡¯t you?¡± It makes sense. Helena already rules the Lost Souls, but if she has the ability to rule the Fairie Realm, too, she¡¯d have a lot of control and power, which is her favorite thing. Also, if there really is a war about to break out amongst the Fey, her chances of winning would be even greater with the ability to control both sides. I slip the pendant off my fingers and tuck it back inside my pocket. ¡°I think I might have just gotten what I came here for.¡± ¡°You know that belongs to me,¡± she snaps, sticking out her hand. ¡°Give it back.¡± ¡°Right now, it belongs in my pocket.¡± I get up from the sofa, feeling liberated¡ªfeeling powerful¡ªbut also very tired. I walk towards the door. ¡°Well, Nalina, it¡¯s been a real pleasure, but it¡¯s time for me to¡ª¡± Her arms wrap around me, and she tackles me to the floor with a surprising force for someone her age. My head bangs against the floor and she lands on my back, grabbing my hair as I try to flip over. I elbow her in the side, trying to shove her off me. I manage to get on my back, twisting my body, but she shifts her weight and sits down on top of me, pinning me down by the shoulders with her weight. She reaches into her pocket and whips out a knife, flipping it open, she places it against my throat as she smiles down at me. ¡°The necklace is mine, give it back!¡± She yanks back my head and tips the blade of the knife so it grazes my skin. I gradually reach inside my pocket, inching my hand in as I glance around, looking for something that can help me. What I need is to get out from underneath her. What I need is the knife. Suddenly, someone pounds on the front door and it distracts Nalina long enough that I kick her in the gut. She huffs as she slumps forward, dropping the knife to clutch her stomach. I shove at her and she loses her balance and falls to the side, then I quickly leap to my feet and make a mad dash towards the door. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere!¡± Nalina cries, running towards me with the knife in her hand. The door swings open and hits the wall with a lot of force and I whirl around ready for anything because, at this point, anything could walk through that door. What I see, though, is nothing I could have prepared myself for. I stumble back, tripping over my own feet and fall to my ass. My body bounces back and my head hits the hardwood floor, hard. I blink up at the ceiling, watching it spin insanely. ¡°Gemma,¡± I hear his voice, but I tell myself it¡¯s a hallucination because he¡¯s dead. I saw that he was dead, touched his cold skin, saw his funeral and the missing mark. Alex is dead. Except he can¡¯t be since he¡¯s leaning over me, his bright green eyes fierce, and his jawline is taut like it almost always is. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He bends down and touches the side of my head, right at my temple where my pulse is racing. Or maybe it¡¯s his. I nod my head up and down, afraid to blink, afraid to breath. ¡°Are you?¡± His lips quirk and then he¡¯s reaching for my arms, lifting me to my feet like I¡¯m air. Steadying me by the shoulders, he smoothes down my hair, and traces a line down my cheek as he pulls away. I watch him, unable to take my eyes off him because he¡¯s here, alive, when I thought he was dead. Suddenly I feel alive again. The numbness is gone. My heart has stopped bleeding. He smiles softly, shifting his weight, and looking a little uncomfortable. ¡°Gemma, if you don¡¯t stop staring at me like that, I¡¯m going to lose it and have to take you back to the castle.¡± He sucks in a deep breath, his chest expanding as he lets it out and his eyes scroll down my body. ¡°And as much as I want to, we have a bunch of other stuff to fix at the moment.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± I say with honesty, still staring at him. ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of that. I want you to take me back to the castle. I want you.¡± I¡¯m not even sure what compels me to say it. I¡¯ve always been afraid of intimacy and how it makes me feel, but right now, standing here with him when I thought he was dead¡ªit¡¯s scarier if I don¡¯t say it. I almost missed my chance. Alex¡¯s neck muscles work as he swallows hard, then he wraps his lean arms around me and warm air flows freely though my lungs again as I bury my face into his strong chest. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± he whispers in my hair, his heart beating against my cheek and the sound is the most amazing, beautiful noise that¡¯s ever touched my ears. ¡°I hated seeing you like that¡­ seeing her inside you.¡± ¡°I missed you, too.¡± Encircling my arms around his waist, I breathe him in, his earthy scent. I feel safe. Then I hear a grunt and a loud bang and I quickly pull away, looking over my shoulder. ¡°I think we should go back to the castle,¡± Laylen says rather awkwardly, removing his fingers from Nalina¡¯s neck. She¡¯s passed out on the floor with her eyes shut, her body is motionless, and her arms are sprawled out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Laylen quickly says, climbing off her. ¡°She¡¯s not dead.¡± Nodding, I take him in, his pale skin, bright blue eyes that match the tips of his blond bangs, the silver lip ring that loops his bottom lip, and his tall body. ¡°You¡¯re alive,¡± I declare stupidly, but I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s a moment where acting stupid is fitting. I release Alex and run over to Laylen, wrapping my arms around him. ¡°I thought you were dead.¡± I hug him tightly, trying to stifle the feelings rising up in me, the ones that belong to Helena; the ones she felt for Alexander when he was in Laylen¡¯s body. He pats my back and kisses the top of my head. ¡°So did I.¡± We hug forever and eventually I start to cry, but I don¡¯t hold back, and no one says anything. Finally, Evan breaks the moment up. He clears his throat as he picks up a broken lamp and puts it back on a stand next to the sofa. ¡°I hate to break up this lovely, heart-warming moment and everything, but we¡¯ve still got a few things to take care of¡ªlike the Fey roaming the streets and the Lost Souls¡ªand I can¡¯t use my Foreseer power in here.¡± Nodding, I wipe the tears from my eyes. ¡°He¡¯s right¡­¡± I glance at Nalina, and then place my hand on the pocket where the pendant rests. ¡°We should go.¡± I turn towards Alex, who¡¯s leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed and his muscles flexing. He looks unhappy, which makes me sad because he¡¯s alive and he should be smiling. I walk over to him and pull on his arm, lacing my fingers through his. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask. ¡°You look sad.¡± He fakes a smile, which hurts my heart. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± He squeezes my hand, and then glances at Evan and Laylen before returning his gaze to me. ¡°But Evan¡¯s right. We should get going. We also need to get Aislin out of the Fey Realm.¡± My eyes widen. ¡°Oh my God. I forgot¡­ oh¡­¡± I forgot I¡¯d talked her into it. Culpability pierces through me like shards of jagged porcelain. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did that.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t you,¡± Alex insists, giving me a comforting smile. ¡°It was Helena.¡± Helena or not, I still feel guilty and I need to make it right. Somehow. The four of us walk outside and into the street, away from the house. Alex holds my hand, guiding me across the dark yard towards the curb. I can barely make out the Crystal Ball in Evan¡¯s hand, but when the glow of the full moon hits the glass, it shimmers like fireflies. As Evan prepares to foresee us away¡ªeven though I could without a Crystal¡ªI glance over my shoulder at the house. It¡¯s dark and the street is silent, but, on the inside, I feel a storm stirring and I have a feeling that more and more bad things lie ahead of us. Chapter 11 Alex We arrive back to the outskirts of the castle in the blink of an eye, but, to me, it seems like forever. Gemma¡¯s still holding onto my hand and I have to wonder if deep down she wishes she was holding someone else¡¯s hand. I don¡¯t want to be jealous, I just can¡¯t help it. The way she ran to him and hugged him for a way longer time than what seemed necessary is driving me crazy and eating away at my insides. At first everything had been great; she¡¯d hugged me and then agreed when I said I wanted to take her back to the castle; pretty much so I can kiss her and touch her all over. She¡¯d never been so forward before and it threw me off a little, but I want it¡ªher. So freaking bad. Then came Laylen and our perfect reunion turned into a disaster. The four of us hike up the hill towards the castle, my mind drifting as I stare at the outlines of the tree beside us. What if she loves Laylen like she says she loves me? What if this whole time she¡¯s loved both of us? Can I live with that? Suddenly, she jerks on my arm as she slows to a stop. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I ask, turning to her, but she silences me by crushing her lips to mine. She¡¯s never kissed me like this before¡ªmade the first move¡ªand an intense hunger consumes me. I wind my arm around her waist and press her body against mine, kind of roughly. I explore her mouth with my tongue, tasting her, pretty much devouring her as my hands travel down her backside and I scoop her up. Her breath falters as she fastens her legs around my waist while she continues to kiss me, making little moans that drive my body crazy. ¡°Gemma¡­¡± I say between breaths. ¡°Is everything¡­ okay¡­¡± She answers me with her tongue, tangling it with mine and pushing her body closer. I decide to stop talking and knot my fingers through her hair, pulling gently at the roots so I can tip her head back and delve my tongue into her mouth deeper. I start to walk blindly forward, into the dark, towards a tree near the lake and, when I reach it, I press her up against it. She moans as our bodies weld together so tightly that we pretty much become one person. The longer we kiss, the more desperate our movements become. Her legs are secured around my waist and my fingers are digging into her hips, feeling the sliver of skin below the bottom of her shirt, feeling her warmth. We¡¯ve never gotten this heavy and all I want to do is hold onto her and never let her go. Page 12 Eventually, she breaks the kiss, breathing ravenously. ¡°I really needed that,¡± she gasps between breaths. I give her a soft kiss on the lips and bring my hand out from underneath her shirt, my fingers grazing her stomach and she shivers. ¡°I needed it, too.¡± It¡¯s dark, but I can see the outline of a smile on her face. ¡°You want to take me into the castle now?¡± I study her, wishing I could see her in the light so I could tell what she¡¯s thinking. ¡°Are you sure you want to?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I shrug and let out a breath. ¡°It means are you sure you want to be with me and not Laylen,¡± I bluntly throw it out into the air because that¡¯s what I do. She pinches my chest, surprising me, and I wince. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. I love you.¡± It¡¯s a simple answer, but she sounds genuine, and I really want it to be genuine. ¡°I love you, too.¡± I¡¯m the one to kiss her this time, backing her into a tree as I thrust my tongue inside her. She lets out this whimpering moan that I¡¯ve never heard before and I just about lose it. There¡¯s so much fire and heat pouring through me¡ªit¡¯s more intense than when we shared the electricity. My hands sneak back underneath her shirt; her skin is so soft and smooth, her tongue warm. She slides her hands underneath my shirt and traces her fingers along the lines of my muscles, instigating a tightening from them. Although I¡¯ve been touched like this before from a few different girls, it¡¯s different with her. It¡¯s real. I¡¯m real. ¡°Umm¡­ sorry, I was worried something happened to you,¡± Laylen¡¯s voice drifts through our moment and we pull back, gasping for air. ¡°Clearly, I need to go back into the castle, though.¡± There¡¯s a hint of laughter in his tone. ¡°We should probably go inside,¡± Gemma says, shivering from the cool breeze. She wraps her arms around herself and in the moonlight; I can see that she¡¯s smiling. ¡°We¡¯ll continue this later.¡± I thread my fingers through hers and steer us up the hill towards the castle, the windows glowing in the night. As we walk both of us are lost in our own thoughts and, when we reach the front porch, the door is wide open. I hear Laylen and Evan arguing about something as we step inside. Gemma¡¯s eyes instantly find mine and I¡¯m taken aback by how wide and terrified she looks, when just seconds ago she was moaning in sheer bliss. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I ask, shutting the door. She shakes her head, clutching onto my hand. ¡°How are you alive¡ªYou didn¡¯t have a pulse¡ªYou weren¡¯t breathing¡ªYou looked dead and I know we¡¯ve both died already and everything, but I saw a brief vision¡­ and it¡­ and it¡­ I don¡¯t get it.¡± I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. ¡°You really want to know?¡± She nods, biting her lip. ¡°Yes, please tell me¡± I take a deep breath. ¡°It was our love¡­ It saved me. It¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m still alive.¡± At first she looks doubtful and then she looks stunned. Then she¡¯s unexpectedly kissing me again. I kiss her back fiercely and this time I don¡¯t plan on ever stopping. Chapter 12 Gemma Alex is kissing me and I don¡¯t want it to ever end. I thought I¡¯d lost him forever and it is amazing to feel the warmth of his lips against mine. I circle my arms around his neck as our bodies crush together. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m dreaming and, when I wake up, everything will be gone. That I¡¯ll be back at Nalina¡¯s, fighting over the pendant with so much hate and pain in my body, it¡¯ll drown me. Alex scoops me up again, like he did outside, and starts to walk towards the stairway with his lips sealed to mine. His tongue massages mine and makes me feel something I¡¯ve never felt before. Something wonderful. I know where he¡¯s going and even though, in the pit of my stomach, nervousness tugs at me; I want him to take me upstairs. Yet then Laylen says, ¡°Guys, seriously,¡± and the moment is broken again. I could seriously hit him right now for interrupting us, not once, but twice. When I open my eyes again, I notice that Alex looks pretty much the same way as I feel. Sighing, he sets me back down on the floor, giving me a quick kiss on the mouth. Then, taking my hand, he leads me down the stairs to where Laylen¡¯s waiting at the bottom. ¡°Sorry,¡± Laylen apologizes. ¡°But we kind of have some other problems to deal with, like Faeries and,¡± he swallows hard as he steps toward the hallway, ¡°Aislin.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Alex responds, walking with him and pulling me along. ¡°We just got caught up a little bit.¡± He turns his head and looks at me, giving me a wink and I smile. The four of us seat ourselves in the living room, ready to make some kind of plan. When I really think about it, it seems like I¡¯ve spent a lot of time making plans only for them to fail. I wonder if there¡¯s any point. Alex and I take the sofa and he drapes his arm around my shoulder, keeping me close, while I rest my hand on his knee, needing to know he¡¯s alive and real; not just my imagination. Laylen and Evan take a seat in the sitting chairs corner side from us. Laylen kicks his feet up on the table between us and Evan fiddles with the chain on his belt loop. Alex gives me a quick recap of everything that went on and how our love not only saved him, but Annabella and Laylen, too. ¡°It was the loophole that sent Helena back to the Afterlife,¡± he tells me with a look in his eyes that makes my skin feel like it¡¯s melting. Despite that, there are still Lost Souls and Fey roaming free, like the ones I saw on Nalina¡¯s street. Aislin and Aleesa are trapped in the Faerie Realm. Two huge problems. Also, Nicholas is still prisoner in the City of Crystal. ¡°So where do we start?¡± Evan asks, checking the time on his leather-band watch. ¡°Late for a date or something?¡± Laylen questions with an arch of his brow. Evan sweeps his black hair out of his face and stretches his hands above his head, yawning. ¡°No, I¡¯m just tired. It takes a lot of energy to use my powers and I¡¯ve been using them a lot over the last few days.¡± Laylen nods and then glances at Alex. ¡°We should save Aislin first.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Alex concurs. ¡°As much as I love my sister, she¡¯s probably having a meltdown by now with all those Faeries and their insanity.¡± He dithers. ¡°Then again, she might be fitting right in.¡± I pinch him right above the kneecap. ¡°Be nice,¡± I say and he leans over and kisses me for no reason. It makes me smile stupidly, despite the heaviness of the conversation. ¡°And yes, we should save Aislin first¡­ it¡¯s my fault she¡¯s down there.¡± I frown. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did that.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t you.¡± Alex massages my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± He pauses. ¡°But we do need to get her out of there. If Luna returns to the Faerie Realm, she might be able to force Aislin to use magic and that¡¯s the last thing we need on top of everything else.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that Aislin is our biggest concern,¡± Evan interrupts. ¡°I think we need to get the damn Faeries,¡± he hitches his finger over his shoulder at the window where a pair of blue, beady eyes are peeking in, ¡°and the Sprites the hell out of our world.¡± ¡°Yeah, but what do they really do?¡± I ask. ¡°I mean, I thought I saw one while I was standing in the street at Nalina¡¯s, but it didn¡¯t do anything except watch me like a creeper.¡± Alex chuckles under his breath as he starts brushing his fingers through my hair. ¡°A Faerie creeper?¡± I shrug. ¡°That¡¯s what it was acting like.¡± ¡°Creeper or not, Faeries can be dangerous,¡± Evan says, sliding his cell phone out from his pocket. He swipes his finger across it and starts scrolling through something, dragging his finger down the edge of the screen. ¡°Do you really think now¡¯s the time to be surfing the Internet?¡± Alex asks. Evan holds up a finger with his free hand as he continues to scroll. ¡°Just a second. I¡¯m proving my point.¡± He mulls over the screen as he lowers his hand. ¡°There it is.¡± He looks up and then pitches the phone across the room to Alex. Alex catches it effortlessly; careful not to bump the screen and lose whatever Evan¡¯s trying to show us. I lean over and read, with Alex, the article on the screen. Early this morning, there was an accident at the City Center when a massive, moving structure crushed through Town Hall, destroying the entire building. At least three people are dead and twenty-three have been injured. The various reports of what the structure was ranged from a large purple airplane to a giant purple woman. The latter has been linked to severe head trauma in many of the victims. The official cause is still being determined. I glance up at Alex as he shuts down the screen. ¡°Why would she do that?¡± Alex shakes his head and tosses Evan¡¯s phone back to him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but we need to find out.¡± ¡°We need to get Aislin out of the realm first,¡± Laylen says. ¡°Then we can chase down crazy, purple, Faerie woman. Aislin can help us, too.¡± He looks at Alex for help. ¡°You know her, magic is always needed whenever we¡¯re about to do something dangerous.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Alex is torn. ¡°What about the Lost Souls?¡± I ask. ¡°I saw one of them on the street, too, but they don¡¯t seem to be doing anything.¡± Evan stuffs his phone into his pocket. ¡°Besides taking over innocent bodies?¡± ¡°Shit,¡± I mutter under my breath. ¡°This is such a huge mess.¡± ¡°A huge mess that needs to be fixed.¡± Evan rises to his feet. ¡°Which is why I¡¯m going to go figure out how to put the Faeries back where they belong.¡± Alex moves his arm off me and gets up, too. ¡°Evan, I get where you¡¯re coming from, but I need your help getting Aislin out of the realm first.¡± He glances at Laylen. ¡°It¡¯s important.¡± Evan shakes his head and heads for the door. ¡°Do it yourself.¡± ¡°Come on,¡± Alex fumes. ¡°As much as I hate asking for help, I know there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to be able to get her out of there without some help from your power.¡± Evan shakes his head as Laylen rises to his feet, pretty much towering over the two of them. Alex balls his hands into fists as he heads after Evan, red faced, and getting pissed. They start shouting, yelling, and getting in each other¡¯s faces, which is so pointless and gets us nowhere. I can smell a fight coming and I get to my feet, looking for a way to end it. I rack my brain for something¡ªanything¡ªbut I panic when Evan¡¯s arms begin to ignite with flames and I sputter out the first thing I can think of. ¡°Luna is my grandmother and Nicholas is my cousin!¡± All three of them come to an abrupt halt and their heads turn towards me. ¡°What?¡± Alex asks, his face twisting in disgust. ¡°Nicholas is your what?¡± ¡°Cousin,¡± I say quietly. My shoulders slump as the dirtiness surfaces inside me. ¡°Not only is Nicholas my cousin, but I¡¯m from Royal Fey.¡± Page 13 Saying it aloud makes it all real. I don¡¯t want it to be real. I don¡¯t want to be a Faerie. I don¡¯t want to be royalty. When I really look at it, I don¡¯t want to be a Foreseer with an extraordinary talent, or a Keeper. I just want to be normal. Chapter 13 Alex I¡¯m getting pretty pissed off at Evan. I¡¯m so used to doing things my way, but he¡¯s making it a pain. I¡¯m about to resort to violence when Gemma drops a bomb on us. ¡°Nicholas is your cousin?¡± I repeat for the thousandth time, thinking about how many times he came onto her. ¡°Cousin?¡± She nods, biting at her thumbnail. ¡°Yeah, pretty much.¡± ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Laylen asks, letting go of the collar of Evan¡¯s shirt. ¡°Why are we just finding out?¡± I add, taking a step towards her. I can tell she¡¯s uneasy and slightly freaked out, which is pretty understandable, considering some of the things that have happened between her and Nicholas. ¡°And does Nicholas know?¡± She shakes her head quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. At least, according to what Nalina told me.¡± ¡°And you believe her?¡± Evan asks, assessing Gemma over as he runs his hands down the front of his black shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles. ¡°She had enough details that I don¡¯t think she could have been making it up,¡± Gemma explains with a frown. ¡°Why haven¡¯t we heard anything about this before?¡± Laylen asks, his forehead creased as he walks up to Gemma. ¡°You¡¯d think someone would have let it slip out by now.¡± Gemma glances at him, taking a deep breath, her chest rising and then falling as she sighs. ¡°It was a secret. My grandmother, Nalini, was basically disowned from the Fey world. My grandfather was a Keeper. And we all know how the Keepers feel about the Fey; how they are supposed to protect people from them. I guess they just decided it was best for everyone to just pretend that part of Nalini¡¯s life didn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°So what does this mean to Luna?¡± Evan asks, joining us in the middle of room. Gemma gets this funny look on her face, avoiding eye contact with me. ¡°It means nothing, I don¡¯t think¡ªI mean nothing.¡± ¡°You always think you mean nothing,¡± I say, grabbing her hip and digging my fingertips into her soft skin, just above the top of where her jeans sit. ¡°But you always do.¡± ¡°No you think I always do,¡± she responds, flustered. I pull her closer to me until I can feel the warmth of her breath touching my cheeks. ¡°Well, the less Luna knows about this, the better.¡± ¡°I really doubt Luna doesn¡¯t already know everything,¡± Evan says, rubbing his jawline. ¡°And I find it hard to believe that Luna doesn¡¯t care. Fey, Keepers, Foreseers¡ªall of you don¡¯t like mixing, especially with royalty blood. I wonder if that¡¯s why Luna¡¯s here¡­ maybe she feels threatened by you¡­ or by Nalina?¡± Gemma pulls back from me and rummages in her pocket, withdrawing something. ¡°She might be threatened by this.¡± She holds up the Cornu Lepore, letting it suspend from her fingertips. ¡°Why would she find that threatening?¡± I ask, touching the pendant at the end. ¡°I thought it was powerless?¡± ¡°It is powerless unless someone with Fey blood is wearing it.¡± She eyes it as it sways in the low light of the room. ¡°And what happens if someone of Fey blood wears it?¡± I ask, hooking my finger under her chin and making her look up at me. ¡°Well Royal Fey can control the Faerie Realm with it,¡± she smiles as if she finds it amusing. It¡¯s kind of freaking me out a little. She¡¯s acting crazy and possessed. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask in a low voice. She nods, swallowing hard. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°So that means if you were to wear the pendant, you can control the Fey?¡± Laylen muses over the thought, like he¡¯s brainstorming an idea. ¡°Yeah, but only the Fey in the Faerie Realm,¡± she clarifies. ¡°When they¡¯re here, they can pretty much do whatever the hell they want.¡± Laylen and Gemma exchange this weird look, it makes me wonder and it kind of pisses me off. ¡°What are you two thinking?¡± I ask, inching over a little so I¡¯m blocking her from Laylen¡¯s view. ¡°Are you possessed again, or something?¡± I lower my head and study her eyes, which are as captivating as ever, but look a little hollow. However, then she gives me a tentative smile and she looks like herself again, but I can feel that something¡¯s off, like I could when I first woke up from my possession and knew what she was thinking. ¡°I have Royal Fey blood, Alex,¡± she says, in a duh tone. ¡°I can use the Cornu Lepore to control the Fey in the Fey Realm. We can free Aleesa and Aislin because I can make the Faeries let them go.¡± She swings the chain around on her fingers with a proud smile on her face. ¡°No,¡± I say, shaking my head and grabbing onto her hand. ¡°No freaking way. Besides, I wasn¡¯t even planning on you going to the Faerie Realm. You can stay here where I know you¡¯re safe.¡± Her expression falls and she slips her hand from mine. ¡°You don¡¯t get a say in this.¡± ¡°Like hell I don¡¯t,¡± I argue, seizing her by the waist. ¡°I watched you for the last few days, possessed by a freaking evil queen who has Fey blood in her.¡± I tug her roughly towards me and she gasps as I lean in, breathing hotly on her neck. ¡°And there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you go anywhere near the Fey.¡± She huffs a frustrated breath, but she¡¯s trembling in my arms. ¡°Alex, this is the perfect plan¡ªthe easiest one to get Aislin and Aleesa back. Please, don¡¯t make this hard.¡± She wiggles her arm up between us and then places her hand on my cheek. ¡°You can be right by me the whole time. You can¡­¡± She bites her lip nervously as she glances at Laylen and Evan, then leans in, dropping her voice low enough that only I can hear her. ¡°You can even kiss me the entire time to make sure I¡¯m still me.¡± ¡°You think you can bribe me?¡± I ask, trying to sound firm, but the idea of kissing her the entire time is so God damn appealing. She lets her lip pop free and stares into my eyes. ¡°Just let me do it or I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll never be able to forgive myself for everything I did.¡± ¡°That was Helena,¡± I remind her. ¡°You can¡¯t feel guilty about the stuff she made you do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy.¡± Her eyes beg me to cooperate and even though I really don¡¯t want to, I find myself saying, ¡°Fine.¡± Shutting her eyes, Gemma kisses my cheek. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispers in my ear and I shut my eyes, fighting the urge to pick her up and lock her in the dungeon until I can fix all this and know she¡¯s safe. Evan lets out a yawn, stretching his arms above his head, and then blinks his eyes repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to get a quick nap if you guys want me to be a part of this.¡± He opens and closes his hand and a flame starts to burn, but then sizzles weakly. ¡°I¡¯m drained and my powers are pretty much useless right now.¡± I let out a breath, glancing at the window and the blackness outside. ¡°How long of a nap?¡± Evan shrugs. ¡°Like an hour, tops.¡± I hate waiting, yet I want to wait because I don¡¯t want Gemma to do it alone. I¡¯m extremely conflicted, but in the end the more power we have, the better. ¡°An hour,¡± I say. ¡°And then we¡¯ll go.¡± Laylen, who pretty much never sleeps, heads for the doorway. ¡°I¡¯m going to go get that book about the Lost Souls and see if I can find a way to send them back. After we get Aislin, we¡¯re going to have to move onto that problem.¡± Gemma lets out a breath and mutters, ¡°I wish that we didn¡¯t have to deal with so many damn problems.¡± Laylen and Evan wander out of the room and Gemma watches them leave, staring at the doorway even after they disappear. Worry courses through her and I can almost feel it inside me. ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to do it?¡± I try to reassure her and calm her down. ¡°I can go and fix it for you. As long as Aislin comes back, it¡¯s really all the same.¡± She shakes her head and slides her gaze to me. ¡°Yes, I do. I need to do it or it¡¯s going to haunt me forever.¡± Her eyes squint as she considers something. ¡°I do have a question, though.¡± She walks towards the sofa, pulling me with her. ¡°You said you could feel that I went to Nalina¡¯s; how?¡± She sits down without releasing my hand and I sit next to her. I shake my head. ¡°I have no idea. All I know is that when Helena and Annabella left your body and went into mine, something shifted in me and I could feel and almost see¡ªor tell¡ªwhat you were going to do.¡± She pouts at her lip, disappointedly. ¡°You don¡¯t think we¡¯re connected again somehow, do you?¡± ¡°Would it be that bad if we were?¡± I joke, touching her bottom lip with the pad of my finger. She nods. ¡°I want everything between us to be real. When we had the Star¡¯s energy in us, I always had my doubts that I was the driver behind our feelings for each other; that it could be the reason for the feelings instead of me.¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t know that until it was gone.¡± I eye her over, feeling her concern flow through her and into me. I don¡¯t want her to ever think that my feelings aren¡¯t real. It took me forever to let myself feel like this towards someone. ¡°You¡¯re the most important person to me,¡± I say, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet as I stand up. ¡°You need to understand that. I¡¯ve never¡ªever¡ªfelt this way about someone else.¡± ¡°Not even Stasha?¡± she questions as I lead her towards the stairway. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel anything for Stasha,¡± I tell her with honesty as I step up the stairway, my body rotated so I can look at her. ¡°Which was the appeal of dating her.¡± She assesses my expression, like she¡¯s hunting for cracks that will reveal that I¡¯m lying, but I¡¯m not. ¡°Nothing at all?¡± I shake my head, holding her gaze as we reach the top of the stairway. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt anything, except with you.¡± She¡¯s quiet for a minute as we walk down the hall, towards the room at the end where I¡¯ve been sleeping. I don¡¯t even think she realizes where I¡¯m taking her until I stop in front of the shut door, and then her cheeks start to turn a little red. ¡°What are we going to do for an hour while Evan takes a nap?¡± she asks, nervously. ¡°Whatever you want,¡± I say, turning the doorknob. I wait for her to say something, but she never does. Instead, she lets out a faltering exhale, stands on her tiptoes, and seals her lips to mine. It¡¯s the best answer I¡¯ve ever gotten. Chapter 14 Gemma I¡¯m glad Alex didn¡¯t put up too much of a fight about my, ¡°save Aleesa and Aislin rescue mission.¡± When he agrees, I kiss him, relieved, yet scared because I actually have to do it now. Even though I¡¯m a Foreseer, a Keeper, and apparently Royal Fey, it doesn¡¯t make things less terrifying. I still have the same things to lose, which is where the fear stems from. Page 14 Somehow, in the midst of the madness, Alex ends up telling me that I¡¯m the only one he¡¯s ever loved. At first I question it, but the look on his face is genuine. I¡¯m the only person he¡¯s ever loved and I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s the only one I¡¯ve ever loved. Then he takes me up the stairs, kissing me, with this hungry look in his eyes that makes my skin tingle. We end up in his room, on his bed, kissing, slowly at first, but the more time that passes by, the more things get heated. My skin feels like it¡¯s burning up as his palms feel every inch of me. His tongue is in my mouth and he tastes like life, full of warmth and familiarity. He¡¯s positioned above me, with one elbow propped next to my head, so his full weight doesn¡¯t bear down on me. As he runs his tongue along the roof of my mouth, I slip my hand below his shirt, sketching the lines of his muscles as I gasp between kisses. Suddenly, he¡¯s pulling back, though, and I think he¡¯s going to stop. Through the darkness of the room, I can barely read him, but the trail from the moonlight shows the passion in his eyes as he reaches over his shoulder, grabs his shirt and tugs it over his head. I trace my trembling fingers over the edges of the Keepers¡¯ mark on the side of his ribcage, taking my time on each pattern of the golden flames and the black circle centering it all. He shivers from my touch and it makes my body heat as he returns his lips to mine, almost violently. I open my mouth, letting him in, and he kisses the oxygen out of my lungs. Pulling away slightly, he kisses a trail down to my jawline, the arch of my neck; my body getting warmer and warmer. When he reaches my collarbone and slips the strap of my tank top down, I feel like I¡¯m going to burst. I moan as he moves his mouth to the hollow of my neck and runs his tongue along my skin. My hands slip around him and I clutch onto his bare shoulder blades as my body arches into him. He groans as his lips travel lower and my body bursts with feelings I¡¯ve never felt before. ¡°I love this¡­¡± he murmurs. ¡°I love you¡­¡± ¡°I love you, too,¡± I whisper, knowing out of all the words I¡¯ve ever spoken, these convey the most truth. These words own me; they changed me, made me become who I am. It¡¯s the most amazing moment of my life, and for a moment, I¡¯m just a normal girl, basking in the touch of her normal boyfriend, who she loves, knowing he reciprocates her love equally. I never ever want the feeling to go away, but I know as soon as I open my eyes, reality will crush me, like it always does. Chapter 15 Laylen The mark is back. The stupid, annoying mark that¡¯ll never go away, not even with magic. I know because when Aislin removed it the first time, she explained to me that if I died again, it¡¯d come back and there would be no way to take it off. So, after a few months of thinking, I get to finally have a future, I¡¯m back to where I started, which isn¡¯t that great of a place. I sometimes get the feeling that I¡¯m the most confused person¡ªor Vampire, anyway¡ªthat¡¯s ever roamed the earth. I love Aislin. I really do, but I also love Gemma. Sometimes, I can distinguish between the two loves, and realize that Gemma¡¯s is more of a friendship thing. There are times, though, like now, when I have a hard time. I hear Gemma and Alex going upstairs, into his room, and it¡¯s followed by a lot of noises that I don¡¯t want to hear. Finally, I get up and shut the door, silencing it. When I return back to the chair, I feel a little bit better, but I¡¯m still distracted. I make myself focus on the book, though, and a few minutes later, I¡¯ve blocked it out. I¡¯m actually really good at blocking things out. The whispers. The hateful comments. I can remember when I was first turned, just how much I had to block out. Back then, Aislin and Alex were pretty much pod people and did whatever Stephan, and the Keepers, told them to do. ¡°You can¡¯t be around him,¡± Stephan had said, right in front of me. ¡°He¡¯s an abomination¡ªevil.¡± I wanted to show him just how evil I was. I¡¯d even run my tongue along my teeth, pretending I was hungry, when really, I had no desire to bring out my fangs. Deep down, I really thought¡ªvery stupidly thought¡ªthat Aislin and Alex would be on my side and that they¡¯d stand up for me, but I was wrong because they stood behind their father while he made me walk away from the Keepers, never letting me return, as he put it. It hurt and, sometimes, when I¡¯m with Aislin, the pain I felt back then comes back. It¡¯s hard being with her sometimes, but with Gemma, it¡¯s easy¡ªlike breathing. With Gemma, there¡¯s no painful history. In fact, her past is even worse than mine, which makes her understand me and allows me to understand her. It¡¯d probably be easy if we were together. No complications. However, she¡¯d always have feelings for Alex and I¡¯d always have them for Aislin, and in the end, I don¡¯t think it¡¯d work out. Flipping the pages of the Lost Souls¡¯ book, I sigh, wishing I didn¡¯t feel so alone all the time. Wishing I could forget the past. Wishing I wasn¡¯t a goddamn Vampire that was frozen in age, knowing that eventually, I¡¯m going to have to watch everyone die. Chapter 16 Gemma I¡¯m walking down a long aisle, wearing a long, black dress with red roses embroidered on it. My hair is pinned up in curls and residing in the hollow of my neck is a red, teardrop pendant. There are flowers all around me; roses, lilies, tulips. Leafy vines twist across the ground as well as around the trees and the air smells intoxicatingly of freshly fallen rain. Dew beads the grass and leaves, a light trickle falls from the sky. My eyelashes flutter against the water as I put one foot in front of the other, moving towards a podium, trimmed with rubies and holding a silver throne. It feels like I¡¯m walking somewhere, yet nowhere. It feels like I¡¯m not moving on my own. ¡°Hello,¡± I call out as my feet keep moving forward. At the echo of my voice, figures emerge from behind the trees. They are different sizes; short, tall, some are more round, others thin. The colors of their skin and eyes could make the most colorful rainbow. Each of them has one thing in common, though¡ªthey have wings. They step to the lines of the aisle, a sheet of red carpet, dusted with white rose petals. I glance at each one as I keep walking towards the podium, towards the throne. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I ask, but they all just stare at me in awe. When I reach the end, I stop and turn around. It has stopped raining, but my skin and dress are still damp; raindrops fall down from the leaves. Gathering my dress behind me, I step backwards onto the throne. My gaze sweeps across the Faeries, and even though my mind seems confused, my body doesn¡¯t, so it lowers itself onto the throne. It feels like I belong there as I wrap my fingers around the velvety armrests. I stare out at the land, waiting for whatever is next. The Fey move in and gather in front of me, then they lower onto their knees and bow their heads. ¡°Our Queen,¡± they say in harmony. ¡°Our ruler.¡± It¡¯s terrifying and my pulse races because, for a moment, I like it. For a moment, I feel powerful. For a moment, I feel like I belong here. I wake up trembling, sweat dripping down my skin as I clutch onto the locket around my neck. I glance around the dark room, trying to figure out where I am and why there¡¯s a warm body next to me. I¡¯m about to panic¡ªscream¡ªwhen the night¡¯s events catch up with me and my heart and breathing steady again. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Alex sits up, his bare chest pale in the moonlight as he wraps his lean arms around me and delicately kisses my neck. I nod, turning my head to look at him. ¡°I just had a weird dream. That¡¯s all.¡± He cringes. He knows that sometimes my dreams aren¡¯t really dreams, but visions of the future or the past. ¡°Want to talk about it?¡± I shake my head. ¡°No, not really.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He glances around the dark room and then a devilish grin rises on his face. ¡°Do you want to continue where we left off?¡± A blush touches my cheeks and I¡¯m thankful it¡¯s dark. ¡°Only if you do.¡± He laughs underneath his breath, lying back down and pulling me down with him. ¡°I always do.¡± I rest my head on his chest and trace the lines of his muscles. ¡°I wish everything could be just like this.¡± He chuckles again. ¡°What? Me being shirtless?¡± I slap his arm. ¡°No.¡± But I kind of do and he must be able to read my mind because he starts laughing harder. Resting my chin on his chest, I peer up at him. ¡°I mean, just you and me, away from all the crap¡­ away from the world. I wish we could just disappear and not have to deal with any of this anymore.¡± He¡¯s silent for a while, his chest rising and falling beneath my chin. ¡°We will.¡± I force a smile. ¡°I sure hope so.¡± He tips his chin down and then, while lifting me up, he scoots down so we¡¯re at eyelevel, lying face-to-face. ¡°It¡¯ll happen. I promise. We¡¯ll get this fixed and then we can have our time.¡± ¡°But what happens when something else goes wrong?¡± I ask. ¡°Because it always does.¡± He pauses, scanning my face for something. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll let someone else handle it. I think it¡¯s time that you and I start moving on from this. We¡¯ve worked hard enough. We need a break.¡± I offer him a soft smile. ¡°Together?¡± He rolls his eyes and then leans in to kiss me. ¡°Of course, together. How else would it be?¡± I smile and he returns it wholly. Then he rolls over, covering his body with mine as he begins to kiss me again, kneading his warm tongue against mine. I hope he¡¯s right. I hope one day we can escape it, but every time I look into the future, all I see is chaos lined up with more chaos. Chapter 17 Alex It¡¯s probably one of the best nights of my life. When I wake up, Gemma¡¯s nuzzled into me and her legs are draped over my side. She¡¯s wearing my shirt and I love that she is. In fact, if I could have one wish, I¡¯d wake up every morning like this, only I¡¯d wake up knowing she¡¯s safe. It seems so farfetched when I think about it and it makes my chest hurt. I breathe in the morning air and her scent, but then frown at the sun rising over the mountains, the land shifting from grey to hues of pink and orange. ¡°Evan said he only needed an hour,¡± I mutter. Glancing down at Gemma, I lift her arm off my chest and scoot her leg off me, carefully, so I won¡¯t wake her up. I sit up quietly so I don¡¯t wake her. Giving her a quick kiss on the forehead, I slip on my jeans and exit the room, yawning and stretching my arms above my head, wondering why the hell Laylen and Evan didn¡¯t wake me up. I¡¯m about to head to the right tower where Evan usually crashes, when the smell of bacon and eggs hits me in the nostrils. I follow the scent, like a dog, down the stairs, past the library, and into the kitchen. Evan is leaning over the stove, dressed in a pair of holey jeans, a grey t-shirt, and his hair is combed. He has a fork in his hand and is turning sizzling bacon over in a pan. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± I ask, stopping in the doorway. ¡°I thought we were going to bail out after you took like an hour nap.¡± I nod my head at the sun lighting up the crystal clear lake. ¡°But it¡¯s morning.¡± Page 15 Evan rolls his eyes as he sets the fork down on the counter. ¡°You do realize I went to go take my nap at like four in the morning.¡± Tilting his wrist, he looks at his watch. ¡°And it¡¯s like six-thirty, so we¡¯re only a little over an hour behind schedule, so don¡¯t go getting your panties in a bunch.¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°We¡¯re behind schedule and you¡¯re in here cooking breakfast.¡± Shaking his head, he rotates the knob on the stove, turning down the temperature. ¡°You do realize we¡¯re still human, right? And we have to eat or will starve to death. Besides, Gemma hasn¡¯t eaten anything, really, since we were trying to torture Helena with hunger.¡± I wince, feeling guilty. ¡°Yeah, good point.¡± ¡°Are you hungry?¡± He collects a plate from the cupboard above the sink. ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± Sighing, I walk over and get a plate, knowing I should wake up Gemma, but she was so worn out last night and I want to let her sleep. What I want to do is let her sleep for like a few days, so I can sneak off and make everything right with her here, safe. I pile on some bacon and pancakes and sit down at the table in the corner, tucked beside the island. I chew on the bacon, thinking about last night and how Gemma felt in my arms. God dammit, I just want to protect her and for everything to be simple for her. I¡¯d give up anything to make it possible. ¡°Dude, what¡¯s up?¡± Evan asks, pulling out a chair. He sets a plate of bacon down in front of him and then takes a seat. ¡°You look weird.¡± I shake my head and start cutting the pancakes. ¡°I¡¯m just stuck in my own head.¡± Evan shoves a piece of bacon in his mouth and then thrums his fingers on top of the table, watching me like a weirdo. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I ask, shoveling a forkful of pancakes into my mouth. ¡°I just was thinking that I may have been a little over the top last night.¡± He stops drumming his fingers and picks up a fork. ¡°I kind of acted like a douche.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°It is, though. Sometimes, I just don¡¯t get what it¡¯s like to have family. It has been too long since I¡¯ve had one.¡± I shrug, feeling about as awkward as he looks. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Trust me. We all have douche bag moments.¡± He clears his throat and then coughs, shaking his head. ¡°Are we good then?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re good,¡± I reply and then chew my mouthful of pancakes. ¡°Something smells good.¡± Gemma walks in, dressed in a pair of jeans and a black tank top. Her hair is pulled out of her face and, when she turns for the counters, glancing at the food, I get a view of all her marks. ¡°But I¡¯m kind of confused.¡± Her face is scrunched when she looks at me, walking around the island. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be heading to the Fey Realm already?¡± She stops in front of me with her arms folded. I reach over, grab her by the waist and pull her down onto my lap. ¡°We are, but Evan thinks we need to have some breakfast.¡± She pulls a confused face. ¡°Don¡¯t we usually just go, empty stomachs and all?¡± I shrug, then pick up a piece of bacon, and move it towards her mouth. ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯ve got to be hungry. We practically starved Helena when she possessed you.¡± She opens her mouth and takes a bite, licking her lip. ¡°I am starving.¡± A piece falls from her mouth and I wipe it away, slowly dragging my finger along her bottom lip, pressing it between my thumb and my finger. She smiles and then blushes, probably thinking about last night. Evan rolls his eyes. ¡°Please, not at the dinner table.¡± ¡°Yes, please. People are trying to eat,¡± Laylen says in a teasing tone, appearing in the doorway. He squirms uncomfortably when I look at him and I wonder why. ¡°Although, I¡¯m not eating, so I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± Gemma¡¯s cheeks are turning redder, which is weird, because usually she can contain her embarrassment a little bit better, probably because of all those years not feeling anything. She begins to squirm on my lap, getting to her feet, but I tighten my grip on her, deciding to have some fun, just for a moment, hoping it might help her relax. I kiss her neck, sucking on the skin, and she turns as red as a cherry. ¡°Alex,¡± she whispers, her shoulder rising as she shudders against my breath. ¡°People are watching. ¡°People as in Laylen and Evan?¡± I cup the back of her neck and guide her lips to mine, kissing her fervently. For all I know, this may be the last time I kiss her because, if anything happens to her, anything at all, I¡¯ll lay my life down to save her, just like I have time and time again. One of these times, though, I might not be so lucky and I won¡¯t wake up. When I pull away, she¡¯s breathless, her eyes shut, her cheeks flushed, and she¡¯s shivering uncontrollably. Evan drops his plate in the sink and it hits the stainless steel loudly. ¡°Okay, enough. I¡¯m seriously going to throw up right in this sink and then leave it in there for you two to clean up.¡± Gemma¡¯s eyelids flutter open and her face contorts with revulsion. ¡°Ew.¡± I nod my head at the food. ¡°Eat up before we go.¡± She reluctantly stands, piles some bacon and pancakes onto a plate, then sits down next to me. She starts munching on the bacon and I watch her, seriously considering locking her up again. I can¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t let her risk her life. She shifts uncomfortably in her chair, her eyes fastened on her plate. ¡°Alex.¡± She peeks up through her eyelashes. ¡°I can¡¯t eat with you staring at me like that so quit being a weirdo.¡± I decide to let her eat in peace and pick up my plate, carrying it over to the sink. Evan is wiping the counters down, which seems pointless, but whatever, and Laylen is staring out the window, the sun hitting his eyes, but he¡¯s not blinking. He looks at me as I set my plate down in the sink. ¡°So, are we ready to get Aislin and Aleesa from the Faerie Realm?¡± he asks. ¡°Because standing around, eating breakfast seems like a waste of time if you ask me.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I lean back against the counter, my gaze drifting to Gemma eating at the table. ¡°I just wish it didn¡¯t have to be her.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Laylen agrees with a frown. ¡°Do you ever get the feeling that things are always going to be this way?¡± I arch an eyebrow. ¡°You mean, do I think we¡¯re always going to be on the brink of death?¡± I ask and he nods. I move away from the counter, my eyes glued on Gemma. Last night was great and I wish that every night could be like that, but I just don¡¯t see it happening because every time we think things have mellowed, something turns up. ¡°Yeah, all the damn time.¡± Chapter 18 Gemma They¡¯re trying to create a plan to get Aislin and Aleesa out of the Faerie Realm, even though we talked about it last night. It¡¯s making me mad because, even though Alex said I could do it my way, he seems to be trying to find a way around it, like he changed his mind. ¡°But it¡¯s the easiest way,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ll put on the Cornu Lepore and foresee my way to the Faerie Realm. When I get there, the Fey have to obey me, then I¡¯ll find Aislin and Aleesa and bail them out. It¡¯s that simple.¡± ¡°You know there is probably a loophole somewhere.¡± Alex says, slumping back in the kitchen chair. ¡°There always is and what if there is this time. What if you get stuck there or something and have to be their ruler?¡± I think of my dream last night and how content I felt in the throne. ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen,¡± I say. ¡°I won¡¯t let it happen.¡± He lets out a derisive laugh. ¡°Yeah, like you can control it. You can¡¯t control anything¡­ none of us can.¡± I stab my nails into my palm, clenching my fist. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be an ass about it.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t have to be so na?ve,¡± he retorts. I glare at him, rising from my chair, fully prepared to run off and go there myself. He snags my wrist, though, and pulls me back down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he says, releasing my arm. ¡°I just worry about you.¡± ¡°I know you do,¡± I tell him. ¡°But you have to stop. You make things so difficult sometimes.¡± He rakes his hands through his disheveled hair. ¡°That¡¯s because I love you and the idea of anything happening to you scares the shit out of me.¡± My lips part and I¡¯m about to tell him I love him, too, however, like I¡¯ve said a million times, he needs to stop worrying, except I¡¯m interrupted by a knock on the front door. The four of us glance around at each other with baffled expressions on our faces. Nobody ever comes to the castle¡ªat least, not anyone good. ¡°Who the hell could that be,¡± Laylen mutters under his breath as he pushes away from the table. Evan follows his lead and I start to get up when Alex grabs my arm. ¡°Stay here,¡± he instructs, then surprises me when he stays with me. Laylen and Evan disappear into the hall and, moments later, we hear the sound of voices. I tap my fingers on top of the table, anxiously wondering who¡¯s out there. Alex squeezes my leg gently. ¡°Relax. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything bad. It¡¯s too quiet.¡± He¡¯s right, but I¡¯m still edgy. I hear the front door close and the shuffling of feet heading down the hallway towards us. There are no loud bangs, or screams, and I start to relax. I look at Alex. ¡°I guess you were¡­¡± I trail off at the sight of him. He¡¯s staring at the doorway, with his eye enlarged, and his skin has gone deathly pale. ¡°Dammit.¡± I track the line of his gaze to Laylen and Evan and some strange man is with them. His dark hair matches his black eyes and his skin is as white as a lily and equally as beautiful. His lips are a deep red, like they¡¯re stained with blood. He¡¯s wearing a black buttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, black jeans, and black boots. ¡°Is he a Vampire?¡± I whisper to Alex, leaning over the table towards him. He shakes his head, not taking his eyes off the man. ¡°Nope, he¡¯s something worse.¡± Something worse? I gape at the man as he enters the room. His eyes are on us and, when he sees Alex, a malicious smile rises on his face. Using long and very deliberate strides, the man makes his way towards us. Tension fills the air, more and more, the closer he gets. Alex looks sick, but he keeps his head up, his chin raised high with confidence and his shoulders squared. ¡°Alex, who is he?¡± I hiss, starting to panic when Laylen and Evan hover in the corner, like they¡¯re afraid for their lives. Alex takes my hand from underneath the table and I can feel his erratic pulse through his fingertips. ¡°Draven, Lord of the Afterlife.¡± ¡°Lord of the Afterlife? What?¡± I¡¯m confused and fear rushes through me. ¡°Why is he here? Is he working for Helena?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Alex says with a simple shake of his head. ¡°He¡¯s here for me.¡± Chapter 19 Page 16 Gemma I¡¯m not sure why the Lord of the Afterlife is coming for Alex, but Alex sure seems to know. I wonder if he¡¯s been keeping things from me and then I remember that it¡¯s Alex, so of course he is. ¡°Why is he here for you?¡± I hiss, gripping onto his hand. ¡°Because it¡¯s time for Alex to pay a debt to me,¡± Draven responds in deep voice that sends a chill down my spine. Angling my neck back, I elevate my gaze to him. His dark eyes are cold, dark and emotionless. There¡¯s nothing going on inside and I know we¡¯re in some deep trouble, even if I don¡¯t know anything about him. ¡°A debt?¡± I ask, battling to keep my voice even. ¡°What kind of debt?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll let Alex share that with you.¡± Draven strolls over to the window and stares at the sunlight with his hands in his pocket. ¡°I¡¯m ready whenever you are, Alex,¡± he says with a wicked laugh in his tone. Laylen and Evan rush over to the table. ¡°Okay, what the hell did you do?¡± Evan sounds anxious as he slides into the seat. Alex stares down at my hand in his with his forehead creased. ¡°I made a deal a little while back¡­ I thought it was the only way.¡± ¡°You thought it was the only way to what?¡± I urge him to continue with a squeeze of my hand. He looks at me and there is sadness in his eyes. ¡°To save you.¡± ¡°What do you mean, save me? Save me from what?¡± I search his eyes, trying to find an answer and what he¡¯s really feeling, because he seems so calm, but I know it¡¯s just an act. He lets out a slow breath and leans back in the chair, still holding my hand. ¡°From the star, Stephan, from everything really. I didn¡¯t think the debt would matter. I needed to find my mother. I was told Draven would be able to give me some information on how to find her. And he did, but for a price. I thought I¡¯d end up dying anyway, so I agreed.¡± He presses his lips together, shaking his head. ¡°I gave him one year of service from me, in exchange for what I hoped would save you from death¡ªfor what I hoped would save the world.¡± ¡°A year of service to him? In the Afterlife?¡± I gape at him incredulously. ¡°Alex, please tell me I¡¯m wrong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s wherever I choose,¡± Draven interrupts our conversation. I glance at him and he cocks his head towards me with a curious expression on his face. ¡°Doing what?¡± ¡°Whatever I choose,¡± he says, his cold tone matching the iciness in his eyes. I turn my attention back to Alex. ¡°There¡¯s got to be a way out of this, like I can use the Serpent¡¯s mark on him.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± Draven chuckles. ¡°But I¡¯m immune,¡± he says and when I target a doubtful look at him, he adds, ¡°Go ahead and try.¡± So I do, shutting my eyes, trying to channel the energy, but nothing. Zero. Zilch. I open my eyes and focus on Alex. ¡°There has to be something else.¡± An idea hits me and I start to close my eyes, ready to Foresee the two of us away. He slips his hand out of mine and moves it to his lap, like he¡¯s already letting go and saying good-bye. ¡°Not this time, Gemma. I can¡¯t just disappear¡­ There¡¯ll be¡­ there¡¯ll be consequences.¡± I look to Evan for help, refusing to give up like Alex seems to. ¡°Can you do something?¡± I whisper. ¡°With all of your¡­¡± I glance down at the marks on his arms. ¡°Can¡¯t you stop this?¡± Evan shakes his head sadly and Laylen swallows hard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is beyond my abilities,¡± Evan says. ¡°A bargain with the Lord of the Afterlife is unbreakable. Alex will die if he doesn¡¯t fulfill it.¡± I gape at Alex, unwilling to believe it. ¡°Tell me it¡¯s not true. Tell me I¡¯m just dreaming or in a vision and this isn¡¯t happening because I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± I¡¯m trembling and I know it makes me look weak, but I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m so tired of all of this. Of everything. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do, Gemma.¡± Alex swallows hard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± A thought enters my mind. ¡°What if Helena¡¯s behind this? What if this is all a trick?¡± I lower my voice, knowing I¡¯m searching for something that doesn¡¯t exist, but I can¡¯t give up. Not when I just got him back. Not after what I felt last night. ¡°You can¡¯t go with him, Alex. I mean, what if Helena finds out and comes after you?¡± Alex sighs, reaching for my face, and placing his hand on my cheek. He rubs his thumb across my cheekbone, looking at me like he¡¯s never going to see me again. ¡°All right, enough with the sentimental good-bye. It¡¯s time to go.¡± Draven nods curtly at Alex and calls him over like a dog. ¡°Come.¡± Shutting his eyes, Alex reluctantly pulls his hand away and then he gets to his feet. ¡°Take care of her,¡± he says to Laylen. ¡°Don¡¯t let her do anything stupid.¡± Then he follows Draven out the doorway. Fear, panic, and rage burst through me in an alarming combination. I jump to my feet, knocking the chair to the floor, and race after him, hot tears spilling from my eyes. I only make it two feet before long arms encircle me. ¡°Let me go, Laylen,¡± I fume, wrestling to get my arms free. ¡°I mean it. Let me go.¡± He only tightens his grip, pulling me into his chest. I start hitting him, actually punching him in the chest, but he just stands there and takes it. I scream as he continues to hold me, tears pouring out, and finally I collapse, dropping to my knees. Laylen falls to the ground with me and hugs me while I cry. I let him because I know that when he lets go of me, I may never get back up. Chapter 20 Alex When I made the deal with Draven I really didn¡¯t think there would be a chance I¡¯d ever have to repay the debt. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d live long enough for him to collect it. I¡¯d either die from the Star or the portal. That obviously didn¡¯t happen and even though, deep down, I knew he¡¯d eventually show up, I was hoping it¡¯d be when I was old and had lived my life. I follow him outside, wanting to reach inside my pocket and stab him, yet knowing that he would neither die nor get hurt and would probably end up killing me. I shut the door and halt on the step. A woman dressed in a long, black dress with turquoise eyes and blond hair stands at the bottom of the porch. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± I ask. A slow smile spreads across Draven¡¯s face. ¡°This is Marissa. She¡¯ll be transporting us.¡± I note the crescent moon and star mark on her arm as she rolls up her sleeve. ¡°She¡¯s a Witch.¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± Draven trots down the stairs. I hesitantly follow after him, my knife feeling like lead inside my pocket. My Keepers¡¯ instincts want me to put up a fight, even if I end up getting killed. ¡°And don¡¯t try anything stupid,¡± Draven says, stopping beside the witch, who stands there, staring at me mutely. He turns around with a wicked glint in his eye and I nearly explode on the inside with the urge to knock it off his face. ¡°Or I¡¯ll slit your throat.¡± The witch¡ªMarissa¡ªsmiles and extends her hand out to me. In her hand is a golden Crystal with jagged edges and a pointed tip. She doesn¡¯t say anything as she holds out her other hand, opening her fingers, and a flame ignites in the center. She dips the crystal into the flame, and she¡¯s mesmerized by the flickering as she chants under her breath. I shut my eyes because I don¡¯t want to watch. I want to save Gemma from going to the Fey Realm. I start to panic thinking about it and suddenly I don¡¯t care if I get killed. I open my eyes, ready to fight, but the foul odor of rotting banana peels and musty socks surrounds me. I¡¯m standing in an alleyway between tall metal buildings that are lined by large metal dumpsters which are overflowing with stale food, rotting wood, old clothes, trash bags, and more trash bags leaking out onto the asphalt. I¡¯ve been here before, when I originally met Draven, when I made the stupid deal. Marissa is standing next to me, clutching onto the Crystal and staring at Draven with a silent begging in her eyes. ¡°You can go,¡± Draven orders and relief washes over her face. Letting out a noisy breath, she snaps her fingers and vanishes in a cloud of smoke that snakes over to me and stings my eyes. Draven steps back and I fan the smoke from my face, coughing. He crooks his finger at me, stepping backward down the alley. ¡°You, come with me.¡± I glare at the back of his head when he turns around. As I follow him, I calculate everything; from the garbage on the ground to how many steps we take until we stop¡ªninety-eight. He stops in front of a dumpster, barely grabbing onto it, he wheels it to the side, revealing a door hidden behind it. Then, he pulls out a silver key, shoves it into the lock, and pulls the door open. He steps aside, motioning me to go first, and I obey because I have to; otherwise, I¡¯ll die. As soon as we¡¯re in, he shuts the door and darkness suffocates our surroundings. Part of me wishes that¡¯s how things would stay because then I would never have to find out what I have to do. I hear the sound of a key scraping in a lock and then some squeaking, like a rusty latch being slid over and locked. ¡°This way,¡± he says and brushes past me. I can barely make out his silhouette as he walks down a dark, cement tunnel and I follow with my eyes locked on him, forcing myself not to try and stab him in the back. He can¡¯t die. The air is musty and smells like decaying corpses. There¡¯s a light up ahead and we head towards it. When we step out of the tunnel, we¡¯re in the room where I first met Draven. Lanterns hang from the red walls by metal loops and an oval table circles the center. There¡¯s a cage in the corner, but it¡¯s empty. Draven pulls a chair out and takes a seat at the end of the table, then gestures for me to sit in the empty chair next to him. I obey, but only because I have to. It¡¯s a rule now that I¡¯m paying my debt. Do whatever he says, or I¡¯ll drop dead. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± I ask. ¡°I know I owe you, but there has to be a reason why you¡¯re collecting now.¡± He thrums his fingers on top of the table, deliberating. ¡°There¡¯s been a fight going on between Helena and me for quite a while¡­ Even though I¡¯m Lord of the Afterlife, she has it so I can¡¯t enter the Afterlife.¡± He waves his arm around at the room. ¡°I have to live here, in this filthy place, with a bunch of rodents and garbage, but I¡¯m still able to keep up with what¡¯s going on in the Afterlife.¡± Well, this is news to me. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard any of this before,¡± I say. ¡°From what I understood, you¡¯re pretty much out of the loop.¡± He leans over the table, reaching for a wooden cigar box. ¡°You will never repeat what I just told you. To anyone.¡± He opens the lid to the cigar box and takes out a cigar. ¡°You know the rules about your debt.¡± He pops the cigar in his mouth and reaches for a silver lighter next to the box. ¡°If you don¡¯t obey, you die.¡± He lights the end, puffing smoke while he turns the cigar. ¡°Or, if I really want to be cruel¡­¡± He lets out a breath of smoke as he leans back and crosses his leg over his knee. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll send you to the Afterlife.¡± Page 17 ¡°I know the rules,¡± I say through gritted teeth. ¡°Good.¡± He puffs on the end of the cigar, then takes it out of his mouth and positions it between his fingers. ¡°Now let¡¯s get down to business. You¡¯re here for a year. Now, usually I don¡¯t get someone like Keepers, and I plan on using that to my advantage.¡± I rest my arms on the table. ¡°What kind of advantage?¡± I ask, pretty sure I¡¯m not going to be thrilled by his answer. He puts the cigar down on top of an ashtray, the end still smoking. Then, he leans back in the chair with a pleased grin on his face. ¡°I¡¯m going to train you.¡± ¡°Train me for what? To kick your ass?¡± ¡°Watch your tone with me.¡± He narrows his eyes, glaring at me. ¡°I¡¯m going to train you to be my apprentice. I want you to learn how to become like me, so I can take control of the Afterlife. Because, with your help¡ªwith two people as strong as me¡ªHelena doesn¡¯t stand a chance.¡± ¡°You have got to be shitting me,¡± I say, trying not to laugh. ¡°You think I¡¯m going to help you take control of the Afterlife?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think. I know. Because you can¡¯t disobey me.¡± He grins when I frown. ¡°If you do that, then I won¡¯t even be human. I won¡¯t even exist.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll exist,¡± he says. ¡°You¡¯ll just be different.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the scum of the freaking earth.¡± ¡°You better watch what you say.¡± ¡°Or what?¡± My words are fueled by my rage. I¡¯m angry. Enraged. If he does what he says he¡¯s going to do, then I won¡¯t be myself again, even in a year when I¡¯m freed. ¡°You¡¯re going to change me into something evil.¡± The darkness in his eyes dims even lower as he leans forward, the veins in his neck bulging. ¡°Watch how you talk to me.¡± I¡¯m planning my next choice of words carefully, when someone emerges through the side door of the small room and interrupts our argument. She¡¯s wearing a bright red dress, has long blonde hair and a very familiar face. It takes me a minute, but I place her. She¡¯s the Banshee I met here before¡ªthe one that led me to this room. Her lips twist into a smile as she walks over to Draven and wraps her fingers around the back of his chair. ¡°Glad you made it back.¡± She doesn¡¯t quite clarify whom she¡¯s speaking to. ¡°Trivela, take our new friend, Alex, to his quarters,¡± Draven tells her, his fingers seeking the cigar from the ashtray. Her smile widens. ¡°It¡¯d be my pleasure.¡± She walks over to the door and waits for me to follow. I push back from my chair, my gaze fixed on Draven. ¡°It¡¯ll never work. I¡¯ll never turn into you.¡± ¡°You will eventually. Eventually, everyone gets tired of fighting.¡± He places the cigar on his lips and smoke surrounds his face. ¡°A deal¡¯s a deal, Alex. And, you never know, you may start enjoying being evil.¡± He removes the cigar from his mouth. ¡°Maybe you won¡¯t even want to go back to your old life.¡± ¡°Oh, I will,¡± I assure him and then drop my voice to a threatening tone as I place my hands on the table and lean over. ¡°And when I do, I¡¯m going to come back and kill you.¡± With that, I follow the Banshee out of the room, knowing I¡¯ll probably pay for my exiting line, but not caring because, at the moment, things couldn¡¯t get any worse. The Banshee takes me to a dark corridor that leads to a small room with a single bed, a chipped dresser, and a small bookshelf. She stops in the doorway and watches me as I walk around the room, shaking my head at everything. ¡°If you need anything,¡± she flashes a smile at me, ¡°and I mean anything, please, please, ask me.¡± Grinning at herself, she turns around and leaves me alone. I sink down on the bed and drop my head into my hands. I¡¯m here for a year. A year. Away from the world, from life¡ªfrom Gemma. What¡¯s worse is that I can still feel her, how sad she is. If I close my eyes, I can almost picture her lying on her bed, crying. We¡¯re going to be apart for a year. A year. And if Draven teaches me to be like him, and forces me to start taking Souls, then what? In a year, I won¡¯t even exist. I¡¯ll wind up a hollow shell, full of death and darkness. I may as well be dead. Chapter 21 Gemma I¡¯m lying on the bed, my face buried in a pillow. Laylen carried me up to my room after Alex left and he offered to stay with me, but I wanted to be alone. I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry my heart out all by myself, which is exactly what I did. Just last night everything had seemed perfect. Well, not perfect. The world was still being tortured with Fey and Lost Souls, but, between Alex and me, everything was amazing. We were connected in every single way possible and not like how we were when we had the Star¡¯s energy in us. Everything was raw, breathtaking, moving, blissful. And then poof, once again the feelings are gone. Because he¡¯s gone. ¡°Gemma,¡± I hear a voice say inside my head. I blink though the veil of tears, propping my head up, and glancing around the room. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not out there,¡± he says. ¡°But I¡¯m still with you.¡± ¡°Dad?¡± I ask inside my head. ¡°Is that you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he answers. ¡°But I can¡¯t talk for long¡­ I¡¯m not supposed to be communicating with you anymore.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I ask and then add, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t saved you just yet. I¡¯ve been trying, though.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to save me. That¡¯s not why I came here and I need to hurry, before I lose the connection.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Well, I never was never really alone, to begin with, but I wasn¡¯t really being watched,¡± he replies sadly. ¡°After what you did to Dyvinius¡ªwhat Helena did¡ªI¡¯m being closely watched.¡± I wince. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡± ¡°I know you didn¡¯t, but Dyvinius is still upset.¡± ¡°Upset because I had more power than him?¡± I ask, recollecting the memory of Helena doubting his legitimacy to how he got his leader position. ¡°That amongst most things.¡± He sighs. ¡°I needed to talk to you, though. I needed to let you know that you¡¯re not alone.¡± ¡°But I am, Dad,¡± I say. ¡°Everyone¡¯s either dead or being held captive¡­ and I don¡¯t¡­ and I¡¯m not sure if I can fix everything this time.¡± It strikes me like a whip; the reality that there might be too many problems this time and I might have to sacrifice some of them, but which ones? The world¡¯s problems? Or my friends?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time you stopped trying to fix everything,¡± he says. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time to try and fix yourself.¡± ¡°Myself¡­ what does that mean?¡± ¡°It means that maybe it¡¯s time for you to change your life and give yourself something you¡¯ve never had.¡± He pauses. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time for you to live your life.¡± ¡°But I still have to fix everything before I get there,¡± I say. ¡°I don¡¯t want to live my life in a world ruled by Fey and Lost Souls, without the people I love.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more possible than you think,¡± he says. ¡°But it all depends on how much you want to give up.¡± I pause. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He takes a deep breath. ¡°What if I told you there was a way to change everything¡ªstart over. Would you do it?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I reply eagerly. ¡°Dad, tell me how?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how, without interfering. And there¡¯s something you need to understand about it.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He¡¯s always so cryptic. ¡°You need to understand that if you do decide to change everything¡ªreset your life¡ªeverything that¡¯s happened, both the bad and the good, won¡¯t exist. You¡¯ll be starting from scratch.¡± ¡°So everything¡ªthe Star, my unemotional life, even Alex¡ªwould be gone?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± he answers. ¡°Unless it was also meant to be in another life.¡± I silently take it in, thinking about how many things I wish were gone, but there are some things¡ªlove, friendship, even some painful experiences¡ªthat I¡¯m not sure I could give up. ¡°How do I do it? Please, just tell me.¡± It goes quiet in my head. ¡°Dad!¡± I shout, glancing around the room, knowing I won¡¯t find him. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t leave.¡± The silence is my only response. It doesn¡¯t make any sense. Reset time? With a vision? Or something else? I wish that, for once, my dad would just say what he was getting at, instead of making it like a scavenger hunt. I¡¯m tired of playing games. I sit for what seems like an eternity and the pain returns to my body as I think of Alex. Finally I decide to get up and be strong because Alex is alive, which means there might be a way to fix it¡ªbring him back. First, I¡¯ll save Aislin and Aleesa, then Alex, because that¡¯s what he¡¯d want me to do. If and when I get it all fixed, I¡¯ll start looking into what my dad said. Right now, I need to save my friends I push myself up off the bed. ¡°God, I have a whole lot of saving to do,¡± I mutter, clutching onto my locket as I swing my legs over the bed. ¡°One foot in front of the other, Gemma.¡± I take a deep breath and stand to my feet; I pad over to my dresser and open the top drawer, retrieving the Cornu Lepore. I hook it around my neck then tuck it and my locket down beneath the collar of my shirt. I grab a pair of clean jeans and bump the drawer with my hip. I change into them and then pull my hair out of my face, before slipping my boots on. I look like I¡¯m going into a battle and that¡¯s exactly how I¡¯m going to look at it because there are plenty of things that can go wrong. I may have to kick some ass and take charge, but hopefully not in the way I did in my dream. I stop by Alex¡¯s room and raid the drawer where I know he keeps his knives, taking a deep breath before I walk out, feeling the haunting memories pull at my heart. I¡¯m going to make this right. Somehow. I just need to take it one step at a time. Tucking the knife into my pocket, I head for the stairs. As I pass Aislin¡¯s room, I hear this strange, low-pitched noise. I pause, listening carefully, but all I hear is silence. I¡¯m about to leave when I hear a crash, like glass shattering, and it¡¯s echoed by a shrill giggle. Bending my elbow, I start to slide my fingers into my back pocket for the knife while I slowly push the door open. I flip the blade open as I step over the threshold and into the quiet room. The lights are off and the curtains are pulled shut, so the glow of the sun outside is muffled. ¡°Hello?¡± I ask, cautiously making my way into the room. ¡°Is anyone in here?¡± ¡°Gemma,¡± someone says in a hushed whisper. ¡°Gemma...¡± My eyes quickly search the room; the bed, behind the room divider, to the side of the armoire. I have the knife aimed out in front of me, my legs crossing one over another as I move for the closet. Suddenly, the door behind me slams shut with so much force that a picture hanging on the wall falls to the floor and the frame breaks. I spin around just in time to spot a tiny, nubby creature scurrying. Sprites. Page 18 I dodge to my right, jumping out of its way, and bump the side of the dresser with my elbow, knocking a lamp to the ground. ¡°Ow!¡± I exclaim, rubbing my elbow as an eruption of giggles flutter through the room. ¡°Real funny, you freakin'' little gremlins.¡± I hate Sprites. Not only are they strange, abnormal-looking creatures, but their personalities and mischievousness are irritating. I scan the room until I spot one standing on the bed, materializing pretty much out of nowhere. I start to make my way to it as it jumps on the bed, fluttering its wings, letting out giggle after giggle, unfazed by me. Right as I reach the foot of the bed, I¡¯m rammed from behind, the force slamming mostly against the back of my knees. Arms wrap around them and I jerk back, falling forward, as I slam face first into the floor. The knife shoots out from my fingers as I try to flip to my back. Rolling over, I lift my knee to kick it, but it has disappeared. I groan. This is the last thing I need. A bunch of giggling Sprites that want to play hide-and-seek-torture-Gemma. I start to sit up, reaching for my knife when something cracks over the top of my head. I hear the sound of glass shattering and then I¡¯m surrounded by broken pieces of the lamp. My head spins as the room starts to sway. I tip sideways, my vision spotting. The last thing I hear are giggles and then everything goes black. I¡¯m standing in front of a slender tunnel, smothered by darkness, but there¡¯s a light glowing vividly at the end of it. I walk towards it with my hands to my side and my heart knocking inside my chest. As I get closer, I can hear voices that ring with familiarity. When I reach the light and step into the warmth, the tunnel opens up, altering as it splits open and widens out into a room that has red walls decorated with metal lanterns. In the middle of the room is a table, enclosed by chairs, and sitting in one of the end chairs is Alex. He¡¯s leaning back, his brown hair slicked back in a style I¡¯ve never seen on him before. He¡¯s dressed in a black shirt, black pants, and black boots; not his usual choice for clothing. His green eyes look a little darker, too, and, I have to admit, I don¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t like his look at all. Standing next to him is a woman with blond hair that runs down her back in curls. A form-fitting black dress hugs her body and her black stilettos make her look taller than she really is. There¡¯s a haughty look in her eyes and the way she carries her chin high, along with her shoulders. She snakes her arm around Alex¡¯s shoulders as she leans in and whispers something in his ear. He responds with a grin; jealousy and anger blaze inside me. I have the urge to step forward, pull her hair, and then slap him across the face, but I clench my hands into fists, telling myself it isn¡¯t what it looks like because Alex loves me. In the corner of the room is a massively large, iron-rod birdcage. The door to it is secured with a heavy padlock and someone¡¯s crouched inside. I inch closer to the cage, trying to get a better view of who it is and I¡¯m shocked to find it¡¯s a man, because usually there are Black Angels inside these kinds of cages. He¡¯s sporting worn looking jeans and a navy blue t-shirt, his dark hair curled up slightly below his ears. His arms are tracked with various shaped tattoos and his head is tipped forward with his back turned to me. ¡°Are you ready to cooperate?¡± Alex¡¯s voice causes me to look at him and his gaze is targeted at the cage. The woman beside him tracks her long nails through Alex¡¯s hair, ruffling it. ¡°Oh he¡¯s going to try and be the strong and silent type. How sweet.¡± Her voice is sugary and annoying. Alex shoves the woman aside, causing her to lose her balance and topple in her heels. She grasps on to the edge of the table, regaining her balance, and shoots Alex a dirty glare. ¡°What was that for?¡± He ignores her and fixes his attention on the guy inside the cage, his eyes like cinders. ¡°You know you¡¯re just making it harder on yourself. If you join us, there¡¯d be no pain. If you don¡¯t¡­ well, let¡¯s just say I wouldn¡¯t choose that route if I were you.¡± I don¡¯t like the tone in his voice, or the stone look on his face. Something¡¯s wrong. He¡¯s not acting like himself. The guy in the cage gradually turns around and faces Alex. It¡¯s Evan, only he looks beaten and worn down; dark bags underneath his eyes, his lips cracked like he¡¯s dehydrated, and there are scratches on his skin. ¡°You know I¡¯ll never join you,¡± Evan says calmly. ¡°So I don¡¯t even know why you¡¯re trying.¡± Alex pushes the chair back and slowly stands to his feet. Walking toward the cage, he smiles. ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t even begun to try.¡± I don¡¯t get it. Why is he acting this way? Like he¡¯s possessed. ¡°Oh my God, he¡¯s possessed,¡± I whisper in horror, backing up, wishing I didn¡¯t have to watch this. The door behind me swings open and Draven enters the room. He walks past the blond, before stopping beside Alex and me. He observes Evan with a sinister expression and then puts a hand on Alex¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Any luck getting him to cooperate?¡± Draven asks, slanting his head to the side to look at the cage. ¡°I¡¯m still working on it,¡± Alex responds in a deadpan tone. ¡°But he¡¯s being uncooperative.¡± Draven shakes his head as he drops his hand from Alex¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve never understood about you humans. You always want to do things the hard way. Go ahead Alex, take his soul.¡± I watch in horror as both Alex and Draven walk towards the cage with their arms to the side of them, their eyes cold. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re going to do, but the tension and coldness in the air let me know that it¡¯s bad. I don¡¯t want to watch. I don¡¯t want to see Alex acting this way and I¡¯m grateful when I feel myself being pulled away, glad I never get to find out just how far into the darkness of evil he¡¯s gone. Chapter 22 Gemma I open my eyes and my knee instinctively shoots up along with my arm, ready to kick the ass of the creeper hovering over me. ¡°Easy, sweetheart,¡± Evan says, arching his eyebrows as he leans back with his hands surrendered in front of him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to get violent. I was checking to see if you were okay.¡± I prop up onto my elbows, glancing to my sides, noting the pieces of glass everywhere. ¡°Jesus, what happened?¡± I clutch my head, recollecting how the Sprites beat the crap out of me. ¡°Are they still here¡­ the Sprites?¡± He shakes his head and motions at the black streaks on the walls and floor, the remnants of smoke and flames. ¡°When I came in here, they were dragging you into the closet.¡± He points at the closet door, which is shut and there¡¯s a large chest and dresser pushed against it. ¡°I had to get them to let go of you, so I used a little Pyrokinesis and then locked them in the closet when they scattered and let you go.¡± He offers me his hand, I take it and he lifts me to my feet. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asks as I let go of his hand. I wipe my sweaty palms on the front of my jeans. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. They didn¡¯t hit me that hard.¡± I touch the side of my head and wince. ¡°But I went into a vision¡­ and¡­ and let¡¯s just say that it¡¯s giving me more of a headache than the Sprites.¡± He eyes me curiously. ¡°So you can go into visions without the Crystal. Huh?¡± he muses, rubbing his jawline. ¡°I thought that it might have been exaggerated.¡± I shrug and sigh as I grab the knife I dropped. ¡°Nope, it¡¯s my gift and my curse.¡± Refastening the elastic around my hair, I walk towards the doorway, tucking the knife into my back pocket. ¡°I need to go find Laylen and get ready to do this.¡± He follows at my heels. ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Go to the Fey Realm.¡± He grabs my shoulder, stopping me as I cross the threshold. ¡°Gemma, I thought Alex didn¡¯t want you going alone?¡± I crane my neck and look over my shoulder at him. ¡°Well, he¡¯s not here right now, so he doesn¡¯t really have a say... I know I¡¯m right¡ªit¡¯s better for me to go alone. It¡¯s less of a risk that way¡­ less lives get put into danger.¡± I know I¡¯m being cold, but if what I saw¡ªhim with Draven¡ªhim with that woman, is real, then I need to hurry up and start fixing things, so I can hurry up and fix him, too. ¡°I saw something bad,¡± I announce after I finish telling Laylen about the Sprites. ¡°In a vision.¡± He¡¯s relaxed in a chair in front of the fireplace with his boots up on the table, the laces undone. However, his relaxed demeanor quickly shifts, when I utter the word vision. ¡°Do I even want to know?¡± I elevate my shoulders and then let them fall as I flop back into the chair. ¡°Probably not, but I think I need to tell you¡­¡± I pick at my nails. ¡°I saw Alex, only he wasn¡¯t himself. He was weird and acting evil and he seemed like he was friends with Draven.¡± Evan arches a brow as he positions his foot on his knee. ¡°Friends with Draven?¡± ¡°It sounds crazy, but it¡¯s what I saw,¡± I say. ¡°And I also saw you, in a cage, and I think he was¡­ I think he was trying to take your soul.¡± Laylen gapes incredulously. ¡°Is that what Draven wanted him for? To be his soul collector.¡± ¡°Or maybe he¡¯s making him another Lord of the Afterlife,¡± Evan says. ¡°What?¡± Laylen and I exclaim simultaneously. Evan shrugs, tracing the lines of a vine mark on the back of his hand. ¡°Taking and collecting souls is how the Lord of the Afterlife gets his power and holds his position, so if Alex gets enough then¡ª¡± ¡°Then he¡¯ll be a Lord of the Afterlife, too,¡± I finish for him, then I stop breathing. Chapter 23 Gemma ¡°We have to get him out of there.¡± I leap to my feet. ¡°We can¡¯t let him change into a Lord, let alone a Lord of the Afterlife, that takes souls and hangs around with slutty Banshees.¡± Laylen¡¯s head slants to the side as his eyebrow questioningly bows upward. ¡°Slutty Banshees?¡± I wave him off as I start pacing the floor. ¡°There has to be a way to break the debt he owes to Draven¡­ a loophole or something.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not.¡± Evan grabs a small, jewel-encrusted knife from the end table, throws it up in the air, and then catches it like it¡¯s a baseball. ¡°I told you that he dies if he breaks the debt. It¡¯s how things work.¡± Laylen nods his head in agreement with pity in his eyes. I want to argue with them and tell them there¡¯s always a way, but my mouth feels thick, the words too heavy to get out. ¡°We need to take care of some other problems first,¡± Evan says, touching the tip of the knife with his finger. ¡°And then maybe we can look into it¡­ but I¡¯m going to be blunt and say that, as far as I know¡ª¡± he puts two fingers to his temple, ¡°and there¡¯s a lot of knowledge stashed up here¡ªthere¡¯s no way around a debt to Draven.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± I huff as I stop pacing and put my hands on my hips. ¡°I¡¯m going in then. It¡¯s time to get this damn Faerie thing over with and move on.¡± I blow out a breath and then wrap my hand around the Cornu Lepore hanging around my neck. ¡°God, I¡¯m really beginning to hate Faeries.¡± Page 19 Laylen eyes me intently, his expression filled with concern. ¡°Are you sure you want to do it this way¡­¡± He eyes the pendant on my neck. ¡°Maybe we should try to find another way¡­ a less power-driven way.¡± I shake my head, straightening my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯ll take too long. It¡¯s time to get this done.¡± Before anyone can say anything else, I march out the front door, leaving it open as I step outside and hike across the grass. ¡°Gemma, wait!¡± Laylen calls out as he hurries after me, but I only speed up. Once I reach the edge of the lake, I don¡¯t waste any time. I shut my eyes and picture the Kingdom of Fey; the vibrant blooming flowers, the flourishing leaves and trees that encase the land, the grassy forts that are on the ground as well as in the tree branches. My body starts to shift forward and then I feel a ripping tug, but I relax and let it happen. When I open my eyes, my feet are planted firmly on the grass and trees tower to the side of me. The sky is clear, the sun beaming down across the flowers dotting the shallow hills and paths. I¡¯m about to do a celebratory dance because, honestly, I thought it¡¯d be harder to get inside, when a voice rises over my shoulder. ¡°Well, Gemma, thank you for making my job easier.¡± I spin around and come face-to-face with Luna. She¡¯s in normal form, average height, and she looks almost human except for the purplish tint of her skin and the wings sprouting from her back. Towering figures with wings and spears in their hands emerge from behind the trees and bushes. I turn in a circle as they close in on me and reach for my knife that¡¯s in my pocket. ¡°Don¡¯t even try it,¡± Luna warns as her guards aim the tips of their spears at me. She stands just outside them, smiling at me, and then she squeezes through them, snapping her fingers at me. ¡°Come with me.¡± I glance around, wondering if I should shut my eyes and Foresee back, but that wouldn¡¯t solve the problem. Making sure the pendant is tucked safely into the collar of my shirt, I walk with her, hoping she¡¯ll lead me to Aislin and Aleesa, that the pendant works the way Nalina told me; hoping I¡¯ll make it out of here, hoping Luna won¡¯t do anything to me. Suddenly, I realize just how much faith I¡¯m putting in hope. Chapter 24 Alex The wall has a tiny crack in it. I can¡¯t stop staring at it, like if I stare at it long enough, it¡¯ll suck me in it and I¡¯ll disappear from this shit hole. The room pretty much looks like a jail cell; four walls, a bed and dresser. The mattress is ratty and smells pretty much as bad as the dumpsters outside, but I better get used to it since this is where I¡¯m living for the next year because of my own dumb choices. There¡¯s a knock on my door and I rip my gaze from the wall just in time to see it open. The blond Banshee from earlier struts inside and glances around the room with a smug smile on her face. ¡°Why the hell did you knock if you were going to just walk in?¡± I ask in a harsh tone. Her smug smile expands. ¡°Now, Alex, we¡¯re trying to make you feel like you have some freedom here.¡± She winks and then laughs, throwing her head back. I cross my arms over my chest to resist the urge to punch her. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you hilarious?¡± She waves her finger back and forth at me as if she can read my thoughts. ¡°Now, now, I¡¯m just having a little fun. There¡¯s no use getting mad about it¡± I lean back against the wall ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Draven asked me to come get you. He wants you to come and dine with him tonight.¡± Her heels click as she browses around my room, running her finger along the wall. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not happening,¡± I say. ¡°So tell him thanks, but no thanks.¡± ¡°Declining isn¡¯t an option.¡± There¡¯s a threat in her tone. She traces the crack in the wall with her fingernail, biting at her lip. Banshees are very misleading creatures because¡ªdeep underneath her blond hair, long legs, and pretty appearance¡ªresides a hag. What she looks like now is a disguise. ¡°Why do you even bother looking like that?¡± I ask, looking to pick a fight. It¡¯ll be a good distraction, something I need right now. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not what you look like.¡± I scoot to the edge of the bed and put my feet on the floor. ¡°It¡¯s not real¡­ We both know you¡¯re a hag underneath the nails and makeup.¡± She turns around and snarls at me and I smile, hoping she¡¯ll get irritated enough to bring out her true form. But then she smiles and saunters towards me, swinging her hips. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you just a tricky thing¡­ trying to bring out my real character. You know it won¡¯t do anything.¡± She stops in front of me. I tip my head up with a condescending expression. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯ll show how truly ugly you are,¡± I say, trying to get a rise out of her. She places her fingernail under my chin and drags it forward, cutting my skin. ¡°You¡¯re coming to dinner with Draven. Now get up.¡± I reach up and wrap my fingers around her wrist, gripping tightly. ¡°If you ever touch me again, you¡¯ll regret it.¡± With that, I shove her back and she falls onto the floor. I walk out of the room and head down the tunnel until I reach the room at the end where Draven¡¯s seated at the table, puffing on a cigar with his sleeves rolled up. On the table is an assortment of meat, bowls of fruit, and plates of vegetables along with desserts. There are plates, cups, and shining silverware; the whole display is fancy, which seems stupid considering the building is tucked in an alleyway beside a bunch of smelly dumpsters and rats are running around on the floor. ¡°So nice of you to join me.¡± Draven signals for me to take the seat next to him. ¡°Like I had a choice.¡± I pull out the chair and sit down, resting my elbows on the table. ¡°I want to make sure that you are well taken care of during your stay with me.¡± He motions his hand at the food on the table. ¡°Eat as much as you want, it¡¯s all for you.¡± ¡°Why? What do you eat?¡± I ask with sarcasm dripping in my tone. ¡°The rats on the floor?¡± He narrows his eyes. ¡°Now, watch it. I wouldn¡¯t want to make you eat the rats.¡± ¡°Like it matters.¡± I take a slice of chicken and then scoop up some potatoes on my plate, deciding to eat and keep my strength up. In case, by some freak chance, I find some way out of this mess. ¡°Good food or not, I¡¯m still down here.¡± Ignoring me, Draven watches me as I take a bite of the chicken. ¡°Make sure you keep up your strength during your stay with me. I don¡¯t want you dying before I get my use out of you.¡± His attitude is pissing me off. He¡¯s acting like I¡¯m on a vacation, feeding me food, chatting at the table like he¡¯s my host or something. ¡°I¡¯m only at this table because I have to be.¡± I take another bite of my chicken, chewing it with my eyes focused on him. ¡°You would have just made me come out if I refused.¡± He takes a puff of his cigar as he relaxes back in the chair. ¡°Good. It¡¯s good you¡¯re remembering who I am and what I¡¯m capable of. It¡¯ll make this easy for you and for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to make it easier on you,¡± I say, chewing my food. ¡°I¡¯m just eating because I¡¯m hungry.¡± His expression darkens as he stations the cigar in between his fingers. ¡°Very well, then.¡± He says it like he¡¯s about to do something, but all he does is sit there, observing me. I shrug my shoulders and then shift my eyes back to my plate, pulling a face. The chicken and potatoes are covered with white squirming insects. I elevate my gaze back to him, keeping calm. ¡°Maggots? Really? That¡¯s all you got?¡± He grins as I set my fork down and suddenly my jaw is unhitching of its own accord. It feels like someone presses a finger into my back, right between my shoulder blades and I gag, throwing up maggots all over the plate. I gag repeatedly, vomiting mouthfuls of maggots. ¡°What the hell?¡± I ask when my stomach is empty. I reach for a napkin and wipe my mouth off. ¡°As I said before, you need to remember who I am and why you¡¯re here.¡± Draven scoots his chair away from the table and rises up. He doesn¡¯t say anything else, laughing under his breath and leaving me alone in the room with a bunch of maggoty food and my own vomit. Shaking my head, I shove back from the table, eyeing the door that leads to the outside, wondering what would happen if I stepped out of it. If the rules go how they¡¯re supposed to, I¡¯d drop dead as soon as I chose my defiance. Sometimes, though, rules are made to be broken because, if I don¡¯t find a way to break them, then I have to stay here, maybe forever. Because if Draven has his way and turns me into him, then I can¡¯t ever go back to the real world. Chapter 25 Laylen ¡°So what¡¯s the deal with you two?¡± Evan asks as we lounge in the house, waiting for Gemma to come back, hoping that everything will be okay and that, when she returns, Aislin and Aleesa will be with her. I¡¯m searching a bookshelf in the library for a book I know I saw once that has information about debts to Lords and Queens, hoping to learn more about it. ¡°The deal with whom?¡± I run my fingers along the titles. Evan pulls out a book, glancing at the cover. ¡°You and Gemma?¡± My forehead creases as I stare at him. ¡°We¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°Yeah, right.¡± Evan rolls his eyes. I¡¯m not really sure how I feel about the dude. He seems to like stepping on my toes and it¡¯s getting annoying. ¡°That hug you two shared back at the crazy lady¡¯s house was not a,¡± shifting the book underneath his arm, he makes air quotes, ¡°¡¯friend hug.¡¯¡± I roll my eyes, sweeping my hair out of them before returning my attention to the titles. ¡°What does that even mean?¡± I slide out an ancient looking book that has a layer of dust on the top of it. ¡°What even makes a hug qualify as a friend hug or a non-friend hug?¡± Evan wiggles the book back into its place on the shelf. ¡°The kind where you hug for way longer than what seems necessary.¡± I shoot him a dirty look because he¡¯s striking a nerve. ¡°She thought I was dead¡ªI thought I was dead.¡± He shrugs and starts humming as he heads over to the end of the shelf. ¡°Whatever. Just know, though, that she cried over Alex¡¯s body a lot longer than yours.¡± Shaking my head, I start to follow after him, fueled by a lot of anger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but do you have a problem with me?¡± He stops near the window, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he gazes out at the lake. ¡°No, I just see how stupid you¡¯re acting,¡± he says. I¡¯m about to shove him, when he adds, ¡°I¡¯ve been in that place.¡± ¡°What place?¡± ¡°The awkward friend place where the love is only one-sided.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not where I am.¡± ¡°Yeah, right.¡± ¡°Seriously, man.¡± I walk backwards towards where I was searching the shelf. ¡°Gemma and I are just friends. I¡¯m actually with Aislin, but you don¡¯t know that since you showed up like a few days ago.¡± Page 20 He shrugs, still staring out the window. ¡°Whatever you say. I was just telling you from my own personal experience that it¡¯s not going to work out in your favor.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a favor,¡± I mutter under my breath, but as I say it, I realize I have no idea. About anything. Maybe it¡¯s time to change that, though. Maybe I need to start figuring stuff out about relationships, about life, about what I¡¯m going to do for the decades and decades I have lying before me. Alone. Chapter 26 Gemma As soon as we step into Luna¡¯s chambers, I¡¯m enclosed by a herd of Sprites. Go figure. They¡¯re whispering with their beady little eyes on me and I even hear one of them giggle, ¡°Gemma.¡± Luna glares at them. ¡°Silence!¡± They hastily drop their heads and a hush falls over them. ¡°Stupid, little creatures,¡± she mutters under her breath and for a second I kind of like her. She hikes down a path dotted with petals, heading towards a podium holding a throne. Green, leafy vines budding with pink flowers entwine around the throne and up the trees that grow in the room. She climbs up the short stairway with me trailing at her heels, and then sits on the thrown, gathering her flowing black dress to the side of her. ¡°Sit.¡± She points at the grass that surrounds her throne. ¡°Seriously?¡± I hesitate, but she shoots me a death-glare and I quickly plant my butt down on the ground, the pointy edges poke through my clothes. I cross my legs and rest my hands on my lap. ¡°Why are you here?¡± I ask. ¡°I thought you were in our world.¡± ¡°I¡¯m wherever I want to be, now.¡± She grins, and it makes her look old. ¡°So tell me, Gemma, why are you stupid enough to show up here? And to come alone, without any of your little friends?¡± Her grin dominates her face. ¡°Yes, very, very stupid.¡± I take a deep breath, praying to God the pendant does exactly what Nalina says. ¡°I came to get Aislin and Aleesa.¡± She¡¯s startled and then enraged, her eyes blazing as she pounds her fist on the armrests of her throne. ¡°You have some nerve coming to my Kingdom and asking me to let someone go.¡± She stomps her foot. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask,¡± I clarify. ¡°I just told you why I came here.¡± She sneers at me. ¡°The only thing you¡¯ve accomplished by coming here is that you¡¯ve made it easier for me. I won¡¯t have to waste any more time trying to hunt you down.¡± ¡°Now, we both know I can leave whenever I want,¡± I say, treading on thin water. She smiles smugly and it makes my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. ¡°You know, I¡¯m finding your Witch friend very useful¡­ Her magic is the most amazing thing. It can bring people to my realm and even lock them in it¡ªeven someone like you.¡± I shut my eyes, giving my Foreseer power a test and realizing I can¡¯t channel any energy. I open my eyes and glare at her. ¡°Great.¡± She gestures at the guards waiting at the entrance just behind me. ¡°Take her with the others¡­¡± Her grin consumes her whole face as she beams proudly, like she just won a shiny new trophy. ¡°Let her be with her friends just like she came here to do.¡± The guards march towards me as I jump to my feet. I keep my head hung low down so Luna can¡¯t see the satisfaction on my face. Foreseer power or not, she¡¯s just given me what I wanted. A ticket to where Aislin and Aleesa are. Once I get to Aislin, I can get her to lift her charm or spell or whatever it is she used, and get us out of here. It¡¯s going to work out. For once. I¡¯m ushered out of the chambers as Luna climbs down from her throne, the Sprites scatter as she hurries down the path behind us. I have this overpowering urge to pull out the pendant tucked under my shirt and start barking orders, telling them all to listen to me and overtake Luna¡¯s position, but I shove the feeling down. I won¡¯t let my vision happen and if they¡¯re going to take me straight to Aislin, we might just be able to walk out of here; unaffected and unharmed. We walk across the path and then step out onto a grassy area that¡¯s surrounded by bushes, flowers and lofty trees. Fey of all different shapes and sizes watch me curiously as I¡¯m led towards a cluster of bushes by the Fey guards carrying spears. They¡¯ve strategically placed themselves around me, so I can¡¯t run, but I¡¯m not even going to try. They¡¯re taking me exactly where I need to go. As we get closer to the edge of the grass, a hill rises into view. In the side of the hill, there¡¯s an entrance to a cave carved into the stone. Sitting next to the opening is a gigantic Faerie with diamond-studded wings and sapphire eyes with a spear clutched in his hand. ¡°Hey, Tiny, we got another one for you.¡± The guard next to me shoves me towards the Faerie and laughs. ¡°She actually walked in here on her own.¡± Tiny? Really? The dude is freaking huge. ¡°You don¡¯t need to shove me. I was walking in.¡± Tiny (eye roll) looks at me and his sapphire eyes are filled with something I¡¯m very familiar with¡ªsadness. ¡°Get inside.¡± He aims his finger at the opening of the cave as he steps aside to let me through. Ducking my head, I step inside. It¡¯s dark and the air smells murky. Water drips from the ceiling and puddles the dirty floor. I can barely see past the entrance so I place my hand on the rock wall and start making my way into the cave. I can hear voices ahead and, as I get closer, the darkness starts shifting to light. I let go of the wall, cautiously walk towards the opening and, seconds later, I step out of the cave. There¡¯s a flat ledge, encompassed by rocky cliffs. The cliffs are hundreds of feet high and make it pretty much impossible to climb down. In the middle of the ledge is a patch of grass and a tree. Beneath the tree is a stone bench and sitting on it is a girl. Her golden hair glimmers in the sunlight, and she¡¯s wearing dirt-stained clothes while shielding her eyes with her hand. ¡°Aislin,¡± I mutter and she looks at me. ¡°You need to move to the right,¡± she yells, still looking up at the sky. I track her gaze, looking up to the sky. About halfway up the cliff is Aleesa, scaling up. Her curly hair blows in the light breeze, along with the back of her torn shirt. ¡°What the¡­ Is she trying to escape?¡± Aislin must hear me because she anxiously glances around. When her eyes land on me, a look of panic crosses her face until she realizes it¡¯s me. She leaps up from the bench and rushes in my direction, but there¡¯s a loud noise from above and she halts as rocks come crashing down from top of the cliffs. Aislin cups her hands to her mouth. ¡°Aleesa! Watch out!¡± Aleesa pauses and glances down at us as Aislin points above her. Aleesa angles her head up and scans the cliffs above to where the rocks are falling down. I see the fear on her face as she tries to move to the side of the cliff, out of the way of the falling rocks. They tumble past her and Aislin and I let out a sigh of relief as they smash onto the ground. ¡°That was close,¡± Aleesa yells and then digs her fingers into the rocks as she continues climbing up again. I free the tension from my lungs, letting out a stressed breath. ¡°God, she shouldn¡¯t be up there. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Aislin looks at me with a confused and suspicious look on her face, like she¡¯s trying to assess who I am¡ªif I¡¯m possessed. I take a cautious step forward. ¡°I¡¯m sorr¡ª¡± A loud crash cuts me off and when I look up at the cliff again, more rocks and boulders are tumbling to the ground, and Aleesa is spiraling with them. She¡¯s falling helplessly, her arms flailing as she no longer has control over her life. Aislin and I race toward her, wanting to help her, but neither of us have our power and all we can do is watch her fall, her screams echoing through the land. Then suddenly it¡¯s silent as another person gets stolen from this world. Chapter 27 Gemma In the blink of an eye, in a breath of air, in the time it takes for a heart to beat, Aleesa is gone. It¡¯s a sight I¡¯ll never be able to get out of my mind. It¡¯s branded there, like marks on my body. Another death. Another haunting memory. Over and over again, and a part of me wonders if Helena is right. Maybe it¡¯ll never end. Maybe this is how life will always be; death, heartbreak, endings. I wonder if it¡¯s worth it. Is it worth it? Aislin screams out Aleesa¡¯s name and we both run over to her, knowing what we¡¯re heading for, but not yet accepting it. We find her body at the bottom, mangled and broken, her eyes open. Aislin rushes to her side, tears running down her cheeks. ¡°No, you can¡¯t die¡­ We just found you.¡± She clutches onto her as tears roll down her eyes. I don¡¯t cry. All I can think is, why. Why does it always happen? Death, pain, terror. The four of us constantly work to save the world, only for the world to become endangered again. Aleesa is dead, Alex is turning into the Lord of the Afterlife, Fey and Lost Souls are torching the world. I put my hand on Aislin¡¯s shoulder and stand there, closing my eyes as she sobs and sobs, wishing that I could erase her pain somehow. Not just her pain. All of this. I wish I could go back and shift something so that the Star never fell and our lives were ordinary, even boring. I hear footsteps coming around the rocks towards us and I lift my hand from her shoulder, reaching for the knife in my back pocket, but it¡¯s gone. I begin to panic, patting my pockets. ¡°Where did it go?¡± One of the guards from earlier¡ªTiny¡ªweaves around the largest boulder. Shock is written on his face as he takes in the scene, but what¡¯s surprising is that there¡¯s sympathy in his eyes as he stares at Aleesa¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯ll go get help,¡± he tells us and turns to leave with his spear to his side, but unexpectedly, he stops and looks back at us. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± he says and then weaves around the rock quickly. I gape unfathomably at him. ¡°Was he just nice?¡± I shake my head because it¡¯s beside the point right now. ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± Aislin whispers through her tears and sniffles. She lets go of Aleesa and stands up, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± I say. ¡°You didn¡¯t make her climb the cliff. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Tears stain her cheeks and drip down to her pink t-shirt. ¡°I should have made her stay¡­ but she wanted to try it... try to escape¡­ or at least go somewhere else. I told her I didn¡¯t think it would be safe, but I didn¡¯t make her stay.¡± Her voice lowers. ¡°I should have made her.¡± She starts crying again, her shoulders heaving, and I don¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯m not very good in these kinds of situations and I can¡¯t seem to stop staring at Aleesa, like if I stare long enough, she¡¯ll wake up. Aislin quiets down when the guard returns, carrying a white blanket in his hand instead of the spear. There are three other guards with him, all similar in looks and holding spears along with a stretcher. They lower the stretcher to the ground next to Aleesa, and then they each place a hand underneath her body. Lifting together, they slide her over onto the stretcher. The guard carrying the blanket carefully drapes it over her body, covering it up. Page 21 I¡¯m surprised by the respect they¡¯re showing her and I wonder if Luna knows. They each take a corner and then inhaling, they lift the stretcher together, carrying her body away, winding around the rocks and disappearing wherever they entered. At the last second, Tiny glances back and his eyes scan over me and there¡¯s a sparkle in them, like he knows one of my secrets. I¡¯d try to narrow it down to which one, but I¡¯m full of them, so there¡¯s no point. Tiny nods his head once before hurrying away with the others and then, seconds later, they vanish into the air. One of them has left their spear on the ground and I bend over to pick it up, figuring I can use it as a weapon. Aislin gasps. ¡°Where did you get the Cornu Lepore, and why are you wearing it?¡± she asks with a sniffle, wiping her nose. Clutching the spear, I stand upright. ¡°Huh?¡± She points at my neck and I glance down at the teardrop pendant showing on the outside of my shirt. ¡°Wait. How long has that been hanging out?¡± I touch my neck, remembering how Tiny looked at me before he disappeared, and my jaw falls. ¡°Oh no, he saw it.¡± Aislin looks confused as she blows her nose onto the sleeve of her shirt. ¡°Who saw it?¡± I unwrap my fingers from the pendant and tuck it back inside my shirt. ¡°The guard saw the pendant.¡± She shrugs at me, trying to look casual, but it looks awkward because she¡¯s still kind of crying. ¡°So what if he saw you wearing the Cornu Lepore. What are they going to do, lock you up for wearing it?¡± She gestures around the cliffs. ¡°Because I hate to break it to you, but you¡¯re already kind of there.¡± ¡°I stole it from Nalina,¡± I explain, heading for the bench. ¡°Nalina is Luna¡¯s granddaughter.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Didn¡¯t Nalina say she was your aunt?¡± she questions as she lowers herself down onto the bench. Her eyes are a little wide and glossy as she stares at the cliff where Aleesa fell, but then she gasps as she puts the pieces together. ¡°So you¡¯re Luna¡¯s great-granddaughter?¡± It comes out loud and I throw my hand over her mouth. ¡°Shh¡­¡± I put my finger to my lip, shaking my head as I sit down on the bench beside her. ¡°No one can know.¡± She nods her head at me and I lower my hand to my lap. ¡°Sorry, but seriously,¡± she hisses. ¡°That means you have Fey blood in you.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I whisper. ¡°And I can¡¯t let Luna know about it or about this.¡± I touch the spot on my shirt where the pendant is hidden. ¡°But I thought,¡± she nods at the pendant, keeping her voice low, ¡°that was just supposed to be some powerless necklace thingy.¡± Shaking my head, I lean in. ¡°Turns out, it can control the Fey.¡± ¡°What?!¡± she exclaims and then quickly slaps her hand over her mouth. ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t get it. How did I not know about this?¡± I shrug, shaking my head. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think there¡¯s a crap load of stuff out there that we don¡¯t know about.¡± She nods in agreement, tears starting to pool in the corners of her green eyes, but she sucks them back. ¡°So what are you planning on doing with it?¡± ¡°Well, I was planning on taking over the Fey to get you out of here, but since they pretty much led me right to you, I guess nothing.¡± She presses her lips together. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t quite settle on that just yet.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because¡­ because I did something.¡± Whenever Aislin says she did something, it¡¯s usually something bad. ¡°What?¡± She blows out a breath. ¡°Luna made me put an irreversible charm on the land. No one can leave without walking out of the exit.¡± ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t lift it?¡± ¡°Irreversible means irreversible, unless I have the power of a coven, which I don¡¯t.¡± My gaze sweeps the cliffs and the spot where the guards seemed to materialize out of thin air. I could look around, try to find cracks in the hideout, waiting for someone to come save us, but I¡¯m tired of waiting. I just want it over. ¡°I¡¯m going to use the pendant to control the Fey,¡± I decide. ¡°I¡¯m going to get us home.¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s a good idea? I mean, do you really know anything about how the pendant works?¡± I get to my feet. ¡°No, but I don¡¯t care. All I care about is getting us out of here and getting us back to the castle.¡± And saving Alex, but I don¡¯t tell her that part. Not yet. Not after she just lost her half-sister. ¡°I want to argue with you,¡± she says. ¡°But I really want to get out of here, too.¡± I nod my head in agreement. ¡°Now I just need to figure out how to work this thing¡­ I mean, do I just show it to them? And what about Luna?¡± Aislin stands up and I notice a slight shake to her body, the aftermath of shock probably. ¡°What about Luna?¡± ¡°I never expected her to be here.¡± I pause, mulling it over. ¡°I mean, what if there¡¯s a problem with the Fey responding because she¡¯s here. Crap.¡± I start pacing, beginning to panic as I think of Alex, back with Draven, shifting and changing into a soul snatcher. ¡°I have to come up with something. Quickly.¡± Aislin watches me pace in front of her. ¡°Gemma, stop pacing. You¡¯re making me nervous.¡± I keep pacing, shaking my head, and my pulse starts to rise. ¡°What do I do? I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t deal with this anymore.¡± It¡¯s like every single thing hits me at once. All the feelings I¡¯ve ever felt¡ªalong with new ones¡ªand it sends me to my knees as something slams inside my skull¡ªan image. Alex is kissing the Banshee, tongues tangled as they hold onto one another in the middle of a group of headstones. The moon, an orb against the night sky, and a light fog covers the damp grass. They keep kissing each other fiercely and when they finally pull away, Alex grins. ¡°That was fun,¡± he says, staring at the spot on the ground in front of his feet where a body rests. The blond Banshee steps beside him, running her lips together. ¡°It really was.¡± They both laugh as they stare at the body, and then walk around it, heading to the gate. They pass body after body and I recognize four out of six of them, one blond-haired vampire, a golden-haired witch, a tattooed Omnia, and a violet-eyed girl, whose heart has been broken. When Alex passes my body, he pauses. ¡°I really do kind of feel bad about this one.¡± The Banshee grabs his arm and tugs him towards the gate. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll forget soon enough.¡± He nods, walking away, leaving our bodies in the fog, in the dark, soulless. I suck in a sharp breath as my body trembles. ¡°We have to get out of here.¡± I push to my knees. ¡°Now.¡± Aislin chases after me. ¡°Gemma, calm down. You have to think rationally.¡± She seizes my elbow, but I jerk it away. ¡°Gemma, you¡¯re acting insane.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I pause at the boulders, shoulders slumping as the pressure builds. ¡°Aislin, there¡¯s something I need to tell you¡ªsomething bad.¡± She stops beside me, swallowing hard. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about Alex,¡± I say softly, staring at my feet. ¡°H-he made a deal with Draven¡ªthe Lord of the Afterlife.¡± I take a deep breath and turn to look at her. ¡°He made it back when we were trying to stop the portal. He said that he¡¯d be in debt to him in exchange for some information.¡± She starts shaking her head, over and over again. ¡°That idiot. For how long?¡± ¡°A year,¡± I say quietly. ¡°A year!¡± She starts cursing as she turns in a circle. ¡°That jackass. How could he do this to me¡­ leave me here all alone?¡± I frown. ¡°You¡¯re not alone¡­ you have Laylen¡­ and you have me.¡± And I guess if I look at it that way I¡¯m not really alone, either. ¡°Besides, we¡¯ll save him.¡± She keeps shaking her head, like she doesn¡¯t believe it. I know exactly how she feels because, deep down in the bottom of my soul, I can feel something breaking off, like his soul is trying to disconnect from me. Chapter 28 Alex I blink my eyes at the ceiling above my head. It seems like I have been here forever and it has only been a couple of days. I stretch my arms above my head and throw the blanket off me. Swinging my feet over the side of the bed, I step onto the rug. I open the closet door and view the clothing inside. Draven has made sure that there is plenty for me to wear, all black, though, ¡°fitting for a Lord¡± as he put it. I throw on a pair of black jeans and a black shirt. After I lace my boots, I make my way to the dining area at the end of the tunnel. I was hesitant to eat anything after my first experience dining with Draven, but there hasn¡¯t been a maggot incident since. I decided that I¡¯d cooperate with him, at least for the time being, because I don¡¯t really have an alternative and it seems like the longer I stay down here, the less I want an alternative. It¡¯s freaking strange, but I¡¯m starting to see why I should be here. Besides, I might be able to gain some insight on what Helena and the Lost Souls are up to since Draven hates her about as much as I do. The table is fully stocked, like usual, and I sit down, picking up a piece of toast and spreading some butter on it. For a second, my minds drifts back to the real world¡ªback to Gemma¡ªbut everything seems so hazy and disconnected. I take a bite of the toast and my thoughts are interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. The Banshee enters, wearing a long, velvet, maroon dress, her hair done up, and loop earrings dangle from her ears. ¡°What do you want?¡± I ask, reaching for the sausage. ¡°Now, Alex, is that any way to greet me?¡± She walks to the side of the table, grabs the back of a chair, and leans over. ¡°You better be nice to me or I won¡¯t be nice to you.¡± ¡°Now there¡¯s a bonus.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you think until we get so deep into this that I¡¯m all you have.¡± She pulls her hands back from the chair, and her heels click as she circles to the other side of the table where she stops beside me. She places one hand on the table and uses her other to trace a line down my cheek. ¡°Your innocence is so alluring¡­¡± Her finger hitches under my chin. ¡°I just want to keep you for myself.¡± Frowning, I look at her. ¡°Innocent? Seriously?¡± Her lips twist to a grin. ¡°Innocent compared to me, but if you let me, I can change that for you.¡± For a split second, I actually consider saying yes, which makes no sense. Snapping back to my senses, I shove her hand away from me and swiftly stand up from the table. ¡°Don¡¯t ever touch me again,¡± I growl, shoving her. Her lips curl upward as she hisses, leaning in. ¡°Eventually, you¡¯ll be begging me to touch you.¡± I laugh. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll be the day.¡± She leans back, smoothing her hands down her arms. ¡°Just wait. After you start taking souls,¡± she starts to circle me, ¡°and your mind goes to the darkest place.¡± She walks around, sweeping her finger on the back of my neck. ¡°When you do things you can never erase and you can never go back, you¡¯ll be begging me to comfort you.¡± Page 22 Smiling, she turns away from me and walks out of the room, her high heels clicking against the floor. ¡°Oh, and Alex, Draven wants you in his quarters.¡± She lets out a spiteful laugh. ¡°I think you might be in trouble.¡± She ducks her head as she steps out the doorway. Placing my hands on the chair, I heave out a frustrated sigh. Goddamn Banshee thinks she knows me¡ªthinks I¡¯ll go over into the darkness¡ªbut she¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m stronger than that. I have too much to lose, like my love for Gemma. However, as I walk out of the room, I have to wonder why my heart feels so empty. Draven¡¯s quarters are in the opposite direction of my room. I¡¯m supposed to go there daily, after I eat. He tells me it¡¯s because he wants to get to know me on a personal level. Yeah, right. He just wants to keep close tabs on me and remind me of who¡¯s in charge. His door is closed, which is interesting. Usually it¡¯s open. Before I knock on it, I inch closer, listening. I hear the sound of muffled voices and I wonder who else is there because, as far as I can tell, the only people here are Draven, the Banshee, and me, and the Banshee took off in the other direction. I let my hand fall against the door, knocking with hesitancy. The voices quiet and Draven says, ¡°Come in.¡± When I open the door, I¡¯m confused because Draven is sitting at his desk and there¡¯s no one else in the room. There¡¯s a thick book opened in front of him and he barely raises his head when I enter and shut the door behind me. I glance around at the bookshelves, the fireplace and the two empty chairs in the corner. Who was he talking to? Knowing the drill, I grab one of the chairs and drag it over in front of the desk. I take a seat and wait for him to acknowledge me, picking a pen up from the desk and tapping it on my knee to channel my nervous energy. Draven elevates his head to me and glares at the pen. ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± I shrug and toss the pen on the desk. ¡°Maybe.¡± I eye the page of the book, catching the words ¡°soul,¡± which appears numerous times, along with the word ¡°evanescence¡±. Draven slams the book shut and shoves it to the side. Overlapping his hands, he places them on his desk and leans forward in his chair. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to see you are showing an interest in what I am doing,¡± he says with an arrogant smirk. He wears that smirk a lot, just like he always wears black, and always has cigars nearby. ¡°Just trying to understand why you brought me here,¡± I say, crossing my arms. ¡°Enough time¡¯s been wasted since you¡¯ve come here,¡± he says simply. ¡°You¡¯ve been moping around, doing nothing, and it¡¯s time for you to fulfill your debt to me, or at least, start it.¡± Before I have time to say anything he snaps his fingers. One of the shelves on the wall shifts to the side and reveals a hidden doorway. The Banshee emerges and she¡¯s not alone. Out of the thousands of people that could have walked out of a hidden door, it had to be this one. ¡°Stasha?¡± I gape at her with my jaw hanging open. Her blonde hair is a tangled mess, her hands are covered with gloves, her dress is ripped at the bottom, and a strip of duct tape covers her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m guessing there¡¯s no need for introductions,¡± the Banshee says as she shoves Stasha towards the wall. Stasha trips over her feet and her shoulder slams into one of the shelves, causing books to fall to the floor. ¡°Why is she here?¡± I ask. ¡°You know I don¡¯t care about her, right?¡± Stasha starts to cry and I feel like kind of a douche, but then I remember how she tried to kill Gemma and I really stop caring. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing some research.¡± Draven nods at the book on his desk. ¡°With some trial and error I¡¯ve found a way to¡­ How shall I put this?¡± he taps his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Create my own Lost Souls.¡± ¡°Create?¡± I cock an eyebrow. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°A Lost Soul is created when someone has a death before their time,¡± he explained with an amused expression ¡°They become lost and are easily manipulated.¡± I consider what he¡¯s saying and cringe. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re killing people in order to create Lost Souls?¡± ¡°Yes, well, it¡¯s a bit more complicated and complex than that,¡± he says, leaning back in his chair and swiveling it from side-to-side. ¡°If I were to just kill them they¡¯d cross over to Helena¡ªnot me. And that¡¯s not what we want.¡± ¡°We?¡± I question. ¡°You mean, you?¡± He shakes his head. ¡°Nope, it¡¯s you and I now. You¡¯re going to want this eventually, just wait and see. You¡¯ll get there.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just go around killing random people,¡± I say, knowing he can. ¡°Just so you can add more Lost Souls to the world.¡± He gets to his feet and walks over to Stasha, sketching his finger along her glove-covered hand, looking at her with his hungry, needy, soulless eyes and it¡¯s creepy because, for a second, I feel the hungry, soulless, creepiness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Alex.¡± His eyes glint as he smells Stasha¡¯s hair and grins when she trembles. ¡°The people I choose are very special. They have extraordinary gifts, like your friend Stasha.¡± Stasha cringes away from him. I¡¯m torn between letting him hurt her and stopping him from taking a soul and obviously getting what he wants. ¡°Leave her alone,¡± I say. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really sound like you mean it,¡± he says, sweeping Stasha¡¯s hair to the side as he walks behind her. ¡°In fact, I think you¡¯re kind of glad I¡¯m going to do it. In fact, maybe you¡¯d like to take her soul yourself. Shaking my head, I get to my feet. ¡°I said, let her go.¡± His dark eyes pierce into me. ¡°Don¡¯t ever defy me.¡± And just like that I drop helplessly to the floor, like a stiff board, my arms to my sides, my knees locked. ¡°You¡¯re forgetting your place with me,¡± he tells me, and I feel something inside my skull explode. Seconds later, I feel sedated and my mouth moves on its own. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was totally out of line.¡± ¡°Much better.¡± Draven turns back to Stasha. ¡°Let¡¯s add another soldier to our army.¡± ¡°Gladly.¡± The Banshee smiles and struts up to him, handing him a knife. It has an ash-black handle and is embellished with fancy gold lettering. Draven holds the knife up in the air and then aims the sharp tip towards Stasha. I want to move, yet, I don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m conflicted. Let it happen. Don¡¯t let it happen. I end up watching as Draven plunges the knife into Stasha¡¯s chest and her body goes limp, slipping to the floor. At first I¡¯m pissed, but something changes inside of me, as if a light has been switched off and, then, all I feel is numbness. Draven glances over at me with a satisfied expression on his face and, seconds later, I regain control of my body. Rolling to my stomach, I push myself up and walk over next to him. As I stare down at Stasha, lying on the ground, with her eyes open and her arms sprawled to the side of her, a grin spreads across my face. I¡¯m ready to repay my debt. Ready to start my training. I¡¯m ready to be the next Lord of the Afterlife. Chapter 29 Gemma Aislin wasn¡¯t lying when she told me there was no way to escape except for walking out. Not only are we blocked from using our powers, but the entrance to the tunnel is also protected by some shield that we can¡¯t get through. There¡¯s a small cottage located just behind the tree that Aislin and Aleesa have been sleeping in. Other than that, there¡¯s a bunch of rocks, the sky, and the ground, which pretty much makes the pendant useless, until a Faerie comes along. The first day I spend here, I search high and low for a weakness in the land, a secret escape route, a hidden path. I even try to use my Foreseer power over and over again, and coax Aislin to try to use her magic, but neither works. The few days that pass, feel like years. While Aislin mourns, barely talking, I try to constantly stay awake because, every time I close my eyes, I see Alex with that stupid Banshee; stealing souls and looking happy about it. A few days into my imprisonment, I¡¯m walking with Aislin. It¡¯s early morning, the grass dewed and wet underneath our feet. The sky is painted golden as the sun peeks over the horizon and highlights the edges of the cliffs. It¡¯s a sight beautiful enough to paint, but being here, living here, is horrible. We walk along the base of the cliff, plucking at the leaves on the trees. ¡°I have a question,¡± I say. ¡°How did the guards get in?¡± ¡°Fey magic,¡± she mutters, kicking a rock. ¡°Faeries don¡¯t have magic.¡± I dodge around a tree. ¡°Do they?¡± She shakes her head, gathering her hair out of her face as she stares at the ground. ¡°They¡¯re not supposed to, yet they do¡­ I think something might be changing.¡± I think of the war, the struggle for power between the Queens, and how Luna was in the real world, but now she¡¯s not, like she was looking for something, then found it and came home. Aislin stops walking and picks up a small rock from the ground. Bending her elbow, she tosses it at the rocky ledge above us. ¡°I¡¯m so sick of this. We¡¯re always fighting something¡ªnothing changes.¡± The rock bounces off the cliff and tumbles back towards us, just like when the boulders fell. ¡°It gets old, you know?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I agree. ¡°But what else are we going to do? Give up? Because that¡¯s about the only option we have.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± she says, discouraged. I remember when I first met Aislin, how cheerful she¡¯d been, but now she seems beat, worn out, tired of fighting. We walk silently for a while, until we reach the entrance to the tunnel. ¡°Are you sure the shield is on?¡± I check, eyeing the opening over. ¡°I walked in here, you know? I mean, how do you really know¡­ because they told you or something?¡± ¡°It only works when you¡¯re trying to leave.¡± Bending her arm, she points at her elbow at a patch of skin peeling off. ¡°This is what happened the last time I checked it.¡± I stop, bending over to pick up a rock, then standing up straight, I throw the rock and it flies down it. Aislin lets out a gasp, clutching onto my arm. ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not on anymore?¡± I let my arm fall to the side. ¡°How do you know?¡± She lets go of my arm and marches up the path, winding around the tree, and then steps up to the opening. She glances up at the top of the cliff and then, taking a deep breath, she sticks her arm into the cave. I walk up behind her, squinting at the cave. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She lowers her arm to her side and gives me a sad smile. ¡°The last time I tried to do that¡ªthe last time we tried to put something in there¡ªit instantly lit on fire, but¡­¡± She rolls her shoulders back and marches forward, stepping into the darkness. ¡°Would you look at that?¡± She sticks her head back out and jumps up and down, clapping, and for a moment she seems like her old self. ¡°It¡¯s off.¡± Page 23 ¡°Yeah, but why do you think it¡¯s off?¡± I wonder skeptically because nothing is ever supposed to be this easy. It¡¯s practically a rule these days. Easy equals danger. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ª¡± before I can finish protesting, she yanks on my arm and tugs me inside. ¡°What if it¡¯s a trap?¡± I hiss as she releases her hold on my arm. ¡°A trap to what?¡± she asks with doubt. ¡°To trapping us back in here? Because, let¡¯s face it, Gemma, they already pretty much have us.¡± I nod, still doubtful. ¡°Yeah¡­ maybe¡­.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a malfunction,¡± she suggests. ¡°But whatever it is, I think we should risk our chances because staying here,¡± she gestures around the room and then glances at the cliff where Aleesa fell from, ¡°is going to get us nowhere.¡± She has a point, but still, it seems way, way too simple. Regardless, it¡¯s all we¡¯ve got, so taking a deep breath, we walk down the tunnel, hoping for once that something will be that easy. Yet, when I step through, just like that, I¡¯m heading down the tunnel with Aislin at my side. I grasp onto the rock wall and feel my way along the path. I can¡¯t see a damn thing, but I can hear Aislin breathing loudly, like she¡¯s scared to death. As we reach the exit and the tunnel opens up, a dark shadow blocks the light flowing inside. Sticking my arm out, I push Aislin back and step into the shadows. ¡°What are we going to do about him?¡± Aislin whispers. ¡°Usually I¡¯d go to magic, but I¡¯m useless right now.¡± Tiny glances over his shoulder and we jump to the side, ducking behind a large boulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I whisper, peering over. ¡°There¡¯s got to be something¡­¡± Tiny looks away and sits down on the ground, right in the center of the exit. His diamond wings fold inward and again he glances back, like he can sense us. ¡°He¡¯s huge,¡± Aislin whispers, peeking over the top of the rock. ¡°But he doesn¡¯t look mean. In fact, he almost looks sad.¡± ¡°He does, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°He does.¡± We turn around and sit down on the ground, thinking. ¡°We could try to take him down,¡± Aislin suggests, flexing her fingers at her side as she rolls her neck. ¡°It¡¯s two against one.¡± ¡°Yeah, and he¡¯s like five of us in size,¡± I mutter, raising my knees up and resting my chin on them. I close and open my eyes, wishing I could just blink us away, but I can¡¯t feel a spark, no energy. I¡¯m useless at the moment and I hate it. Suddenly, the ground begins to tremor, pebbles scattering, and pieces of the ceiling chip off and crash down around us. I¡¯m about to ask what the hell is going on, when a dark shadow capes over us. I angle my head back and look above me. Tiny¡¯s bright blue eyes stare down at us, his wings expanding like he¡¯s ready to fly away. Aislin leaps up to her feet, throwing her hands out in front of her, a habit that comes from frequently using her magic. My lips part as I start to back away. Tiny eyes us both and then places one of his huge fingers against his lips, warning us to be quiet. We both freeze and I look over to Aislin and mouth, ¡°Huh?¡± Tiny motions for us to follow him, still signaling to keep quiet with his finger placed to his lips, which is contradicting seeing as how every step he takes makes the ground rumble and shake. Tiny makes his way out into the sunlight while Aislin and I follow quietly behind him as he ducks into the trees, knocking a few over from the roots. Aislin and I rush to keep up with him as he stomps through the trees, going further into the forest until he reaches a clearing. I slam to a halt and Aislin crashes into the back of me. ¡°What the heck¡­¡± She scans the land in front of us, the tall grass, the leaves blowing in the wind, and the hundreds and hundreds of Fey, kneeling in the dirt with their heads tipped forward. Tiny bows his head at me, before joining them, setting his spear down so he can kneel to the ground. ¡°What is going on?¡± Aislin whispers from behind me. ¡°I have no idea¡­¡± I trail off as Tiny lifts his head up and looks directly at me, pulling a long saber from his belt and lifting it towards the air. ¡°All hail, Gemma, Empress of the Faerie Realm,¡± he says with his sword raised, and it¡¯s echoed by claps and hollers. I think back to my vision and how similar the scene is, except for the fact that I¡¯m not wearing a dress and Aislin wasn¡¯t standing next to me. ¡°Gemma.¡± Aislin nudges me from behind. ¡°Do something!¡± I gape at her. ¡°Like what?¡± She shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t know, like give a speech or something?¡± I look down at my neck, at the outline of the Cornu Lepore hidden beneath my shirt. I didn¡¯t do anything. I didn¡¯t even show them it, yet, somehow, I¡¯ve become their ruler. The ruler of the Fey? The Fey. I blink and shake my head, doing the only thing I can think of. I raise my hand in the air, pretending I¡¯m Empress. Chapter 30 Gemma They all keep bowing and it¡¯s starting to make me feel uncomfortable. It¡¯s like they¡¯re waiting for me to say or do something, like give a speech. But about what? How insane is this is? I look at Tiny and he cracks his eyelids open and gives me an encouraging nod. ¡°I think they want you to say something.¡± Aislin tells me, prodding me in the back, urging me to step forward. My jaw hangs to my knees as I stare at her, baffled. ¡°What the hell do I say? Hey, thanks for bowing?¡± I shake my head and huff a breath in frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t even get what¡¯s going on.¡± She shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s good, though. It¡¯ll get us out of here.¡± I turn around to the Faeries scattered across the land as Aislin gently shoves me forward. Tripping over my feet, I catch myself, and stand up straight, feeling idiotic as I cover my mouth and clear my throat. ¡°Well, this is quite a surprise,¡± I say in a nervous voice and Aislin snorts a laugh. I glare at her from over my shoulder and she shrugs, stifling more laughter. As irritated as I am, it¡¯s nice to see her smile again, even if it¡¯s at my expense. ¡°And I guess¡­ I guess I¡¯m honored to be your Empress.¡± I glance around at them all. ¡°Even if it¡¯s because of this.¡± I take the pendant out of my shirt and move it to the outside. Giggles, gasps, and whispering spread amongst the Fey and I notice that in between them are Sprites; they¡¯re the ones making all the noise. I wonder if, because I¡¯m Empress, I have the power to make them shut up. Tiny rises to his feet with his sword pointed upward to the sky ¡°May I speak with you, Empress?¡± ¡°Um... sure¡­ and you can call me Gemma.¡± Laying his spear on the ground, he weaves around the Fey, flattening the grass with his large feet as he makes a path to me. Tiny glances at another guard as he passes him. He stands up, and together, they make their way towards me. When they reach me, their large, lofty bodies block out the sunlight and the temperature descends in the shadows. ¡°My name is Wilhelm,¡± the guard introduces himself, with a solemn bow of his head. ¡°I¡¯m one of the Protectors of the Fey.¡± I extend my hand out for him to shake. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± He hesitates and then reaches out, covering my hand with his, giving it a rough shake. ¡°So, it¡¯s true¡­ you do have the Cornu Lepore?¡± He eyes the necklace with his fiery red eyes. I nod, glancing down at the necklace. ¡°I do¡­¡± I glance at Tiny. ¡°You saw it, didn¡¯t you?¡± He nods. ¡°When we were taking your friend away.¡± I suck in a breath, wondering what it means. Wondering if Luna knows. Wondering if I care. ¡°That gives you the right to become our leader¡ªour Empress.¡± He steps to the side so the crowd can see me. The sunlight hits the pendant and reflects across the grass, the trees, the Feys¡¯ faces. ¡°Our ruler.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand, though,¡± I tell him as I trace my finger across the red teardrop. ¡°I thought this pendant gave me the ability to control your world, but it had to be seen first¡­ but only you saw it¡­ how does it even work? I¡¯d think you guys wouldn¡¯t be so happy about it.¡± I wait for him to respond, holding my breath. ¡°There¡¯s a large amount of Fey that are growing tired of Luna and her antics,¡± he explains. ¡°Luna wants a war. She wants to control the Fey¡ªour world¡ªhowever she wants. Things used to be different, you know. We used to have freedom, make choices together, but now it¡¯s what she wants.¡± He waves his arm at the Fey and, pushing up from their knees, they rise to their feet; some holding spears, some with their wings expanded, some even have Sprites on their shoulders. ¡°We want a change. We want out freedom back. Once I told them about you and the Cornu Lepore, we saw the opportunity to change our lives¡ªmake things better. With your help, of course. You can become our Empress and give us our freedom so we no longer have to be slaves to Luna, getting punished,¡± he winces, ¡°whenever we don¡¯t go along with her.¡± I¡¯m not sure what to say. All I ever wanted was an easy ticket out of here. I think back to my vision and how I walked to the throne like I belonged there. Is that what it meant? Do I belong here? The idea is ludicrous, yet deep down, I feel a burn in my heart and a need to help them. His eyes are full of expectation. ¡°We need your help.¡± I glance around at the trees. ¡°Where¡¯s Luna now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s up in your world with her followers,¡± he replies with a frown. ¡°Doing damage, wreaking havoc, I¡¯m sure.¡± He steps forward and the sunlight leaves me. ¡°But if you¡¯re our ruler¡­ you can stop her.¡± I don¡¯t know what to do. I want to help them. They all look so sad. However, I have my own problems, so I do something I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll probably feel very bad for later. I lie. ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± I say and he starts to smile so I hurry and add, ¡°but I have to go back to my world first. I have¡­ I have some friends that are in danger and I need to help them first.¡± I swallow hard, thinking of Alex. ¡°But if you let me go, I promise, I¡¯ll come back as soon as I can.¡± When I say it, I realize I¡¯m lying. Well, maybe. Honestly, I don¡¯t know what I mean¡ªwhat I want to do. Actually I do. I want to go back to school, learn, live, love, breathe. Be free. He bows his head and takes a long backwards stride. ¡°I know what you say is the truth, Gemma. I can see it in your eyes.¡± I try not to furrow my brows because even I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m being truthful. ¡°So I can go?¡± ¡°You¡¯re free to go anytime you wish. That¡¯s the power you have now,¡± he says. ¡°And if you are ever in need, I¡¯ll be there to help you. It¡¯s my job now. We¡¯re your loyal followers.¡± Then, his head whips up and he stares out at the sky, shouting, ¡°Long live, Empress Gemma!¡± The crowd joins in, shouting, laughing, hugging, and throwing things. I feel bad, yet, I don¡¯t. I turn towards Aislin, ready to get out of this place before more stuff happens and I end up turning into a Sprite or something. Page 24 ¡°Ready?¡± I ask, trying not to sound too eager. She smiles and then winks at me with a cheery look on her face. ¡°Yes, Empress.¡± I shake my head, suppressing a smile. Then, shutting my eyes, I picture the grey stone castle, its peaking towers, the green grass, the sand beside the rippling lake. I let out a sigh of relief as I feel us being pulled away, whisked back to my world. However, a part of me feels guilty for leaving them. Even though the Fey have never been my favorite creatures, they still don¡¯t deserve to suffer and I wonder if maybe I¡¯ll end up going back and helping them. As I land on the ground, I shake the thought from my head, relieved to be back in the real world again. Chapter 31 Alex It¡¯s dark, murky, the air smells pungent, but that could be from the mummified corpses surrounding me. Water drips from the stone ceiling and rivers down the walls. I scrape my knife across the rocks as I watch the Lost Souls cower, terrified out of their rotting minds. The fear flowing off them invigorates me, but, for a brief second, it feels wrong. ¡°See? It¡¯s not so bad,¡± Draven says, walking the length of the room with a massive grin on his face. The Banshee watches us from the corner of the room, perched on a rock, occasionally joining us. I nod, cutting a piece off the stone wall. I watch the fragment fall to the ground, already forgetting what I was thinking about. ¡°It¡¯s not too bad.¡± We¡¯re in the basement of his place. Apparently, he¡¯s been working on his army for quite some time because he¡¯s already got a whole stash of Lost Souls on hand. He brought me down here to train me and to add Stasha¡¯s body¡ªsoul¡ªto the collection. He carries a long, black whip, laced with silver, as he struts around the room, carrying confidence, even though decaying bodies surround him. ¡°What you must always understand, Alex, is that strong discipline is the key to their behavior. You give them a chance to disobey,¡± he cracks his whip as one of them shifts towards him, ¡°they will have no respect for you.¡± The willful soul returns to its corner, hunkering back down with the others. Draven rolls up his whip and connects it to his hip. He turns in my direction and gestures for me to follow him as he opens the door. ¡°We can continue this later. There are things we need to discuss.¡± Folding my knife, I put it back inside my pocket and give one last look at the tortured souls before I exit the room. Draven waits for me just outside the door and, when I am standing next to him, he removes a long key from his pocket and locks the door behind us, tucking the key back inside his pocket. He departs towards the wooden staircase that leads to the main floor and I follow behind him. The staircase is old and slightly sways under the pressure of our weight as we make our way up it. Draven opens the door at the top of the stairs and the light from the hallway greets our eyes, causing me to blink. I follow him down the long hall towards his office. He ushers me to take a seat as he strolls over to the desk and takes a seat in his large leather chair. ¡°I have no doubt that you will be able to handle the Lost Souls, Alex. You are more than capable. We need to recruit more individuals so my¡ªor should I say, our¡ªarmy will be strong enough to overtake Helena.¡± He watches me, wanting a response. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem. There are plenty of people walking down the nearby streets every day. We should be able to capture as many as we need¡ªno one would even notice.¡± Leaning back in my chair I stretch my arms behind me and lean my head back on them. ¡°Unfortunately, it is not that simple.¡± He opens a drawer on his desk and takes out a thick book. I recognize it as the book he was reading once before¡ªwhen he first brought Stasha into the room. Flipping open the book, he searches for a page. When he finds what he is looking for he shoves the book across the desk towards me. ¡°I want you to read the section on that page. It will explain in detail why your suggestion will not be a success for us.¡± Leaning forward in my chair, I reach out to pull the book towards me. I can tell by the thick pages and elegant writing inside that it is very old and is probably something that was difficult for Draven to come by. I glance down at the page that Draven wants me to view and skim through the words that are written upon the page. Everything becomes clear to me as I read the words and I understand Draven¡¯s concern about finding the right people for our army. Closing the book I slide it back across the desk. He picks it up and tucks it back inside the drawer he took it from before folding his hands in front of him as he watches me with his dark eyes. ¡°Do you understand now why it is imperative that we find the correct subjects for our army?¡± he asks me. I nod my head. ¡°I do. If we find people with powers such as Keepers and Witches, their strengths will be preserved in them as they become our Lost Souls. So the more powers they have, the stronger they will be for us.¡± He is pleased and smiles. ¡°That is exactly right, Alex. So I want to be sure that those that we¡­ convert¡­ have some kind of power. The more power they have, the more power we¡¯ll have.¡± We need power. I think I know just the person. A slow smile creeps across my face. An Omnia is one of the most powerful people I know. And I know right where to find one. Chapter 32 Gemma We land on the shore of the lake beneath the sun and are instantly blanketed by warm air. ¡°Thank God.¡± Aislin does a spin with her hands out to the sides of her, her hair blowing behind her like a cape. ¡°It¡¯s so good to be home.¡± Home? Is that where I am? I stare at the castle at the top of the hill. Is that my home? She stops spinning, letting her arms fall to the side, sadness filling her expression. ¡°I just wish Aleesa could have been with us¡­ she didn¡¯t even really get a life, you know.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I have an urge to hug her, but, being an awkward hugger, I keep my arms to my side. However, she hugs me, throwing her arms around me and gripping tight. It¡¯s awkward, but not as much as it used to be for me. When she pulls away, she¡¯s smiling and looking like her old self again. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure Laylen and Evan are going to be here¡­ they might have gone looking for me,¡± I say as we start to hike up the hill. The castle looks empty; no lights on, the curtains open, and there are no cars parked out front. ¡°God, what if they did? What if they went to the Fey Realm and are there looking for me, and Luna is there and¡ª¡± Aislin¡¯s fingers wrap around my arm. ¡°Calm down, Gemma. Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions before we see what¡¯s going on.¡± I nod and she releases my arm. ¡°We¡¯ll get everything fixed,¡± she says. ¡°No matter what it is.¡± I nod, frowning, as I think of everything that¡¯s wrong. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°And Gemma,¡± she says, looking me directly in the eye. ¡°When I say we, I mean we. You¡¯re not in this alone.¡± I have the urge to hug her again and I¡¯m actually considering it, but my thoughts are interrupted by a loud explosion as the castle windows crack, burst, and fly through the air, along with sparks. Aislin and I sprint off towards the castle, running as fast as we can, legs fighting to move, arms flailing, but we slam to a halt when Laylen and Evan come running out the front door, their eyes fixed on the castle, which is lighting up with roaring flames. Walking backwards with his back turned to us, Evan spreads his hands to the side, and his skin erupts with flames. He channels it to his palms and starts throwing them at the open front door. ¡°What the hell are they doing!?¡± I call out to Aislin as we race across the gravel driveway. ¡°Trying to burn the place down!?¡± She shrugs, panting and struggling to keep up. ¡°I have no idea!¡± Hearing our voices, Laylen and Evan turn in our direction and shock registers upon their faces. ¡°Where¡¯d you two come from?¡± Evan¡¯s flaming arms fall to his side, singeing a hole in his jeans. I stop in front of them, gasping for air and hunching over. ¡°What the heck¡¯s going on?¡± Laylen¡¯s bright blue eyes widen as he rushes towards us, grabbing each of us by the arm without slowing down. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later, but, right now, we have to get the hell out of here!¡± He jerks us backwards and we both struggle to follow as well as keep up with him. He lets go of our arms and we sprint behind him as he leads the way to the shore. Evan jogs behind us, shooting flaming balls from his hand towards the castle. He keeps cursing as explosion after explosion fills the air. Once we reach the shore, he slams to a stop. ¡°Gemma, Foresee us out of here.¡± He pants loudly as he sweeps his hair away from his sweaty forehead. ¡°We have to go! Now!¡± Evan jogs up to us, reaching inside his pocket, and he retrieves the miniature, ruby-filled Foreseer Ball. ¡°I got it¡­¡± He stumbles over a log and the ball slips from his fingers, rolling towards the lake. Evan watches it plink into the water and he starts to chase after it. Aislin grabs his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± She points to the water and Evan stops moving. There are hundreds of Water Faeries in the lake, wispy and hauntingly graceful as they dance and twirl, spinning their fabric bodies and watching us with their hollowed out eyes. ¡°Why are they¡­ Crap. I think everything in the Fey world is starting to fall apart,¡± I declare. ¡°Starting,¡± Aislin says incredulously. ¡°Try, has been for a while.¡± A loud crash booms from behind us and I tear my eyes from the lake and towards the noise. Suddenly, I understand what the panic is about. A giant-size Faerie with purple skin and flowing hair charges from the castle, taking one of the towers out with her. Her skin is singed in spots, along with her hair and dress, and her eyes are burning with rage. ¡°Luna,¡± I say, my eyes widening as I back up towards the water. And she¡¯s not alone. Surrounding her ankles are loyal groups upon groups of Fey; carrying spears and more are exiting the trees. I stop near the water, glancing down at the pendant on my neck. ¡°Does this work on her?¡± Hearing me, Luna laughs and it vibrates in the ground, sending trees from their roots. ¡°I¡¯m already an Empress, Gemma. Another Empress can¡¯t rule over the same reign.¡± I point at the Fey around her feet as she continues to charge at me. ¡°They can, though.¡± She laughs and it sends birds flying from the trees crashing to the ground. ¡°You think they¡¯d pick you over me? Try. Try and see!¡± I don¡¯t want to try. I want to get the hell out of here. I gather everyone in and we huddle together as the world around us falls apart. Closing my eyes I try to visualize someplace safe. Someplace no one will look for us. Someplace where I wish I could be instead of here. What surfaces in my mind surprises me. ¡°Stop them!¡± Luna shouts. ¡°Stop them now!¡± It¡¯s too late. We¡¯re already being pulled away. ¡°I won¡¯t let you do this!¡± she cries, but her voice is fading. ¡°You won¡¯t reign over my people and ruin my plan. I will win the war!¡± Page 25 When I open my eyes we all stand in the middle of the living room of my old house. It goes silent. I can hear Laylen, Aislin and Evan panting around me. For a moment, I don¡¯t dare open my eyes, but when I do, it¡¯s hard to take in. Because where I¡¯m standing is where all of the craziness started; the place where I was hidden, forced to live in solitude from my emotions, and where I roamed my empty life until I found Alex. I have no idea why I¡¯m here, but maybe my subconscious does. Whatever the reason, I take a deep breath and glance around at the house I grew up in, located in the snowy mountains. The place I once called home. Chapter 33 Gemma I¡¯m confused, bewildered, lost. It doesn¡¯t look like the house we left behind. The roof has caved in, the windows are boarded up, and there¡¯s garbage and broken glass everywhere. ¡°God, this place turned into a mess.¡± Aislin kicks a can out of the way as she makes a path to the window. Gazing outside, a frown forms on her mouth. ¡°It so quiet and bare out there¡­ like a ghost town. I wonder if the Fey got to this place.¡± ¡°Or the Lost Souls.¡± I sigh, glass crunching underneath my shoes as I take in the mess. Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to grow up here, raised by my mother and father, free to experience emotion. Would I have had a good life? Gone to school? Made friends? Dated? Fallen in love? Fallen in love with Alex? ¡°Gemma, I hate to interrupt your thoughts, but what the hell happened?¡± Laylen asks. ¡°What took you so long? I was getting worried.¡± My mouth drops open a little as I turn around. Really? That¡¯s the first thing he says after Aislin¡¯s been gone for much longer. I give him an exaggerated, eyes widening look, nodding my head at her. Aislin turns from the window, placing her hands on her hips as she narrows her eyes at him ¡°Really? That¡¯s the first thing you have to say after we¡¯ve both been gone?¡± She runs her hands through her hair, combing the tangles out. There are dark circles under her eyes, her top lip is split and she¡¯s missing one shoe. How? I have no idea. I don¡¯t look any better, though. There are scratches all over my arms from the branches of the trees we hiked through, my eyes feel heavy, and my jeans are torn on both knees. ¡°Maybe we should all take a breather and get cleaned up or something,¡± I say, trying to ease the tension. Laylen shifts his weight uncomfortably as Aislin continues to stare him down. Evan moves up in front of us all, blinking the tiredness from his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the most important thing now is not,¡± he rolls his eyes, ¡°girlfriend, boyfriend drama, or taking a breather, but figuring out what the hell just happened back there.¡± He points at the window, like the castle is somehow going to pop into view. Aislin stomps over to the torn sofa and plops onto it, picking up one of the throw pillows and placing it on her lap. She absentmindedly plucks at it. ¡°Fine, you have a point.¡± She glances up at Evan. ¡°Wait, who are you?¡± Evan sticks out his arm and shows her the marks on his skin. ¡°What? You don¡¯t remember me?¡± Aislin eyes him over very closely and then a grin touches her lips. ¡°Evan.¡± She jumps up and throws her arms around him, hugging him. ¡°God, it¡¯s been forever.¡± Laylen glances at me, raising his eyebrows, and I catch a ping of jealousy in his expression. They continue to hug and finally Laylen gets annoyed enough that he moves over and pulls on Aislin, breaking up their moment. I smile to myself because I know it¡¯ll make Aislin happy, knowing he¡¯s jealous. Sometimes it bothers her¡ªLaylen and my relationship¡ªeven if we¡¯re just friends. She sits down on the couch and grabs the pillow again; then Laylen sits down beside her with a territorial look in his eyes. ¡°So, what happened to you two?¡± he asks, and then looks at me. ¡°You know it¡¯s been days since you took off?¡± I nod, flopping down on the sofa opposite of theirs. ¡°Things got complicated.¡± ¡°Complicated?¡± Evan elevates his eyebrows. ¡°It looked like there was a freaking war breaking out back there.¡± He hitches his thumb over his shoulder at the window, again pretending like we¡¯re right by the castle. ¡°That¡¯s because I think there was,¡± I mutter, rubbing my tired eyes. He slips his jacket off, sighing, as he tosses it onto the cracked coffee table, then he situates himself in one of the sitting chairs just in front of the window. He kicks his feet up on the coffee table, leaning back and closing his eyes. ¡°You guys¡¯ world is freaking complicated. You know that?¡± The three of us give overly exaggerated nods. ¡°Yes,¡± we say in sync. He shakes his head, probably wishing he didn¡¯t get dragged into it. ¡°So¡­ how do we get rid of the Faeries?¡± I shrug. ¡°I have no idea.¡± Laylen says, ¡°Maybe we should try to shut the portal down.¡± He drapes his arm around Aislin¡¯s shoulder, pulling her in as she frowns with a guilty look on her face. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, sorry about that. I thought I had fixed that little problem¡­ I thought I closed the portal.¡± She examines her nails closely, pretending to be deeply fixated on them. ¡°Guess I was wrong.¡± Laylen grabs her hand and squeezes it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter... It is what it is. We just need to fix it. Besides, I know why you did it. You wanted to save your sister.¡± He looks around the room curiously. ¡°Which, by the way, where is Aleesa?¡± Tears start bubbling in Aislin¡¯s eyes and her head falls forward. ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡± Laylen¡¯s eyes widen and he looks to me for confirmation. I nod and he focuses his attention back at Aislin with a heart-warming, compassionate expression on his face as he pulls her into him and lets her bury her face against his chest and cry her heart out. Evan looks a little less compassionate. ¡°What happened to you two?¡± he asks me. Sighing I give them a quick recap about what happened over the last few days. He listens intently and when I¡¯m finished, he gapes at me, along with Laylen. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I ask. Sure I just told them a lot of crazy things, but it wasn¡¯t any crazier than everything else we have¡ªand are¡ªgoing through. ¡°You really promised the Fey you¡¯d return and help them fight against Luna?¡± Laylen stares at me with amplified eyes as he runs his hand up and down Aislin¡¯s back while she weeps into his shirt. ¡°Um¡­ yeah... Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I glance at Evan, he looks just as horrified. ¡°It was a really stupid thing to do,¡± Evan says, shaking his head. ¡°Really, really stupid.¡± ¡°Would someone please tell me what¡¯s going on.¡± I¡¯m beginning to panic because I can tell I¡¯ve done something bad¡ªsomething I¡¯m going to regret. Evan leans forward, resting his arms on his knees, his bangs hanging in his dark eyes, one of which is bruised. ¡°Challenging the Empress is really bad. When you challenge the Empress, you fight to the death. Only one of you is going to be able to walk away.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t challenge her,¡± I say in an off-pitched voice. ¡°I just said I¡¯d help them.¡± Evan shakes his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s viewed as one and the same.¡± I swallow the enormous lump wedged in my throat. ¡°Is there a way to get out of it?¡± Laylen studies me as Aislin elevates her head up, blinking at me with tear-stained eyes. ¡°There may be a way¡­¡± He considers something with his forehead creased. ¡°Like maybe a loophole or something.¡± Evan shakes his head again and reclines back in the chair. ¡°There¡¯s no way out of this. You made the promise to the Fey in their Kingdom, which means you¡¯re bound to the promise. There¡¯s no breaking it.¡± I take in what he says, feeling my body crack and fall apart, the pieces breaking and scattering across the dirty floor. ¡°So, that¡¯s it? I have to fight Luna? Like with weapons? And then what? I either kill her or be killed?¡± No one responds and I have my answer. I feel frustration bursting up inside me. I want to scream. Let it all out. I open my mouth and huff in a breath, but when I let it out, no sound comes out. Maybe that means I¡¯m done. Done with everything. Done with fighting. Maybe I¡¯m giving up. Chapter 34 Laylen I¡¯m getting sick of Faeries, chaos, and the never ending need to suck blood. Sure, I have my blood lust under control for the most part, but, every once in a while, when I get really stressed, it slips out. Like now. I have the urge to feed off all three of them, more the girls than Evan. I can see and hear their pulses beating against their necks, smell their blood. I¡¯m distracted, and maybe that¡¯s why I ask Gemma what happened first. I know Aislin¡¯s going to get upset, but it kind of just slips out of me. Then, everyone¡¯s staring at me like I¡¯m an asshole and I realize I am. The longer the conversation goes on, the worse I feel, especially when Aislin tells me Aleesa¡¯s dead. No one really knew her that well, but it still kind of hurts. Deaths always do. After we¡¯re done talking, I carry Aislin up the stairs and into one of the spare rooms. She¡¯s asleep, drained dry from all the stuff going on. When I set her on the bed, she mumbles something about me and then rolls to her side. I sweep her hair back, looking at her, and I mean really looking at her. She¡¯s beautiful, sad, and crazy, just like Gemma. I have feelings for her, just like I do Gemma. They both deserve happy lives and I really hope they¡¯ll both get to that point, where death won¡¯t be just over their shoulder. Where they can smile, laugh and do whatever makes them happy. I wish nothing except the best for them. They can grow old, have kids, start a family. That¡¯s when I realize what I need to do. I don¡¯t need to decide between them. I need to let them both go because that future isn¡¯t in the cards for me. I get up off the bed, letting out a loud breath, finally accepting what¡¯s been in front of me for the last few years. The beginning of my never-ending life. Chapter 35 Gemma It¡¯s getting late and, although I¡¯m beyond tired, I¡¯m too restless to go to bed. Laylen carried Aislin upstairs and they¡¯ve been up there for a while. I think losing Aleesa and Alex might be taking a toll on her. Evan and I go into the kitchen and I rummage through the teal cupboards, looking for some food. All I end up finding is a moldy loaf of bread, a roll of toilet paper, and a few cans of soup. I decide on the soup, heating them over the stove in the can, since the pans have been thrown outside on the back porch for some strange reason. At least the bowls and silverware are still here to eat out of. Evan quickly slurps his down, using a bent spoon, which he bent himself as a demonstration of one of his powers. It¡¯s all fun and entertaining to watch and a nice breather, but once it¡¯s over, life sits on my chest again. I stir my soup, watching the noodles go round and round, thinking about the conversation I had with my dad about resetting time. Part of me wants to do it; give up everything on the whim that it¡¯ll be better, but what if it¡¯s not. What if it¡¯s worse? What if people still end up dying, and Alex and I aren¡¯t together? Page 26 Forever. The word echoes through my head and I swear to God it¡¯s like he¡¯s whispering it to me. ¡°Wow, you really were somewhere else, weren¡¯t you?¡± Evan¡¯s voice crashes through my thoughts. He scoots back from the chair and carries his bowl over to the sink. ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologize and pick up my mostly full bowl, dropping it in the sink. As little as I¡¯ve eaten over the last few days, my stomach still feels nauseous. ¡°Did you even eat anything?¡± He leans down, examining my eyes. ¡°Are you sick? You look sick.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s just nerves.¡± I yawn, stretching my arms above my head. ¡°Maybe you should get some sleep?¡± ¡°Nah, I couldn¡¯t even if I tried¡­ my mind is too wired.¡± ¡°About the battle?¡± I shake my head. ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s the last thing on my mind.¡± I lean back against the counter, staring at the floor. ¡°Do you ever wonder¡­ nah, never mind.¡± I wave myself off and start to head for the doorway, figuring I can at least try to sleep. Evan scoots to the side, blocking my path. ¡°Finish what you were going to say.¡± I shake my head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t important.¡± He scans my expression with a perplexed look on his face. ¡°No, I think it is¡­ I¡¯m picking up a vibe.¡± ¡°A vibe?¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how many things I can do.¡± I scratch at my neck. ¡°Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you¡¯d done things differently?¡± He rests back against the counter, gripping onto the edge. ¡°Like made different decisions?¡± I mull over the best way to describe it. ¡°No¡­ like if different decisions had been made for you.¡± Now I¡¯ve really confused him. ¡°I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying. You make your own decisions.¡± ¡°Not always,¡± I say. ¡°Sometimes there are circumstances¡­ people who interfere¡­ and your life kind of ends up out of your hands.¡± ¡°Is that what happened with you?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never been told my back story?¡± He shrugs. ¡°Vaguely. I mean, I know you had the Star in you and then you and Alex saved the world from his crazy father.¡± ¡°There was a lot more to it than that,¡± I utter quietly. ¡°There were a lot of years of suffering¡­ years we can¡¯t get back.¡± He motions his hand forward. ¡°But you can move on. Make the ones ahead of you count.¡± ¡°But what if you try¡­¡± I huff a frustrated breath. ¡°What if I try so damn hard, to live a normal life, but, no matter what I do, things always fall apart? Because everything seems connected. Sure we got rid of the Star, but in doing so we let Helena know about our souls. So there¡¯s another problem. In the midst of that, we freed a bunch of Faeries, so there¡¯s another one. Then there¡¯s the fact that, because of the Star, Alex made a bargain with Draven. Because Helena possessed me, after she found out about my soul, Nicholas ended up trapped in the City of Crystal. My father¡¯s stuck in his own mind because Stephan wanted the Star¡¯s power. Laylen was turned into a vampire for the same reason.¡± I take a deep breath, sucking air in through my starved lungs. ¡°Everything seems to be connected to that damn Star. It¡¯s like a set of freaking dominoes. Knock one down and slowly they all tumble¡ªthings fall apart¡­ and what if¡­¡± The next part is hard to say. ¡°What if they continue to fall? Forever.¡± He¡¯s quiet for an eternity, biting his lip. I wonder if all my twisted thoughts and yammering have scared him off. Then, he walks over to the doorway, sticking his head out and angling his neck back, peering up at the stairs. I walk up behind him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He looks satisfied as he turns back to me, placing his fingers to his lips. ¡°There might be something you can do,¡± he says in a hushed voice as he treads back over to the table. He takes a seat and I join him. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t come without a price.¡± I scoot the chair in and lean closer. ¡°Everything comes with a price, but it¡¯s worth it sometimes. Trust me, I know.¡± A loud noise comes from upstairs and he jumps to his feet, shaking his head. ¡°Is there somewhere we can talk¡­ somewhere private¡­ I¡¯m not supposed to be telling you this.¡± I don¡¯t point out that he hasn¡¯t really told me anything. I get to my feet and take him outside, walking back to the garage and noting how silent the neighborhood is; aching with loneliness. I flip on the light and then shut the door behind us. Then, we take a seat on a couple of old patio chairs that are shoved away in the back in front of my old car. ¡°Good enough?¡± I ask, scooting the chair closer to him. He bites his lip again, jiggling his knee nervously. ¡°Who knows?¡± He lets out a deep breath and then crosses his arms over his chest. ¡°I have to ask you a question first, and then I¡¯ll decide if I¡¯m going to spill my secrets.¡± He pauses. ¡°Do you really believe that there is a way to stop all of this, put everything back¡ªthe Fey, the Lost Souls? Do you think you can find a way to save Alex from Draven, and make the world a peaceful place, or whatever the hell you want to call it?¡± I shift uncomfortably in my chair. ¡°I¡¯d love to say, yes, but after what I told you in the kitchen, I think you already know my answer.¡± He shakes his head at me. ¡°But I need to hear you say it. And really mean it, if you do.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Just trust me that it¡¯s important.¡± I¡¯m not sure I trust him. I mean, I barely know him, but he has this look in his eyes, like he¡¯s almost begging me to do it. Say the words and free him from whatever he¡¯s about to say. My thoughts drift to everything I¡¯ve been through with Alex, Laylen, and Aislin. I want to believe that we can fix everything¡ªsave the world and make it a better place¡ªbut deep down, I know that problems are piling up, and really, there¡¯s only so much four people can do. Well five, if you count Evan. ¡°The truth?¡± I ask and he nods his head once. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we can fix it. I think we can fix some of the things, but when it all comes down to it, there¡¯s just too much, and it seems like more and more problems are being added to the plate. It¡¯s going to break eventually.¡± ¡°And what do you see happening when it breaks?¡± He holds my gaze. I shrug. ¡°Mass chaos. Destruction. The usual.¡± He shakes his head. ¡°No, what do you see?¡± I sit forward in the chair, stunned. ¡°Are you asking me to use my Foreseer power to purposefully look into the future? Because, I don¡¯t do that anymore.¡± ¡°Just try it this one time, okay? I need to see¡­ I need to know if something I saw is right.¡± I gape at him. ¡°You can see visions, too?¡± He stares at me like I¡¯m a moron and then traces the ¡°S¡± wrapped by a circle marking his upper arm. ¡°I do have Foreseer power.¡± I relax back in the chair. ¡°I hate looking at things¡­ knowing how it could turn out.¡± ¡°Gemma, just listen to him,¡± my father whispers inside my head. ¡°It¡¯s important. Please.¡± I blink my eyes at the sound of my father¡¯s voice. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ please don¡¯t make me.¡± Evan gives me a funny look. ¡°I¡¯m not making you do anything.¡± I shake my head at him. ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you.¡± Things start to get a little weird between us and he avoids my gaze like he thinks I¡¯m going to flip out and stab him or something. ¡°I¡¯m not making you,¡± my father tells me. ¡°I just need you to know that you need to do it. It¡¯s important, and I know the kind of person you are¡ªif it needs to be done, you¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°But do what?¡± ¡°See. Listen. Choose. Decide.¡± I¡¯m still not sure what he means exactly, but I listen because there¡¯s not much else I can do at the moment. ¡°Okay, I will¡­¡± I whisper, and then shut my eyes, fearing what I¡¯ll see¡ªwhat I won¡¯t see. Images instantly blast inside of my skull, like shards of glass. I focus on the one I need, and then I latch onto it. I¡¯m standing on a path. No two paths. It starts as one, but halfway up, it forks out into two. It¡¯s paved with various images, reflecting in the light above my head; not the sun, but an actual light, bright and radiant. ¡°Where am I?¡± I murmur, turning in a circle. The sound of my echo is the only response I get, so I start up the path, hunting for something, but all there is to the side of me is desert land. When I reach the fork, I stop. ¡°Which way?¡± I glance to the left, which winds and curves endlessly out into the distance, then I turn my attention to the other one. It¡¯s short, no more than two steps and then it just drops, fades into nothing, just an abrupt fall. ¡°Which one do I choose!?¡± I call out and my voice echoes. ¡°Dad!¡± All I keep hearing is my own voice, so I ball my hands into fists, glancing from left to right. What do I do? I mean, it seems obvious. Keep walking along the one that continues to flow, the one I know will take me somewhere, but where? What if it¡¯s bad? Then, there¡¯s the other one, which doesn¡¯t seem that much better. It just falls. If I jump, where will I go? Somewhere? Nowhere? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to explain how I make my decision. Maybe it¡¯s the need for chance, hoping for a change? Maybe I just wanted to fall? Maybe I really did believe that walking into it blind was better than walking into the knowing? Or maybe I was just ready to for it to be over? In the end, I end up walking down the short path and, with only a second of hesitation, I jump off the ledge into the darkness. My eyes snap open and I feel eerily calm. I glance around at the garage, at the street outside the window, at the sky, the sun. ¡°What did you see?¡± Evan asks. When I don¡¯t respond, he leans forward, getting close to me. ¡°Gemma, what is it?¡± I turn my head slowly towards him, meeting his eyes. ¡°The end.¡± I thought he¡¯d question my response, but all he does is nod. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± He glances at the garage door and then back at me. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been waiting around for you to say that for a very long time.¡± ¡°What?¡± The calm lifts from my body. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He relaxes back in his chair, calm and settled, acting very different than he was five minutes ago. ¡°The Omnias are kind of a strange breed,¡± he says. ¡°Since we have a lot of power, we know a lot of things, like how the future¡¯s going to turn out¡­ Or at least, how it could turn out, depending on the choices people make.¡± ¡°People like me?¡± I question. ¡°In this case, yes,¡± he says. ¡°I just needed for you to choose to change it.¡± I shake my head. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re not talking about tampering with visions because that just ruins stuff. Trust me, I know from experience.¡± Page 27 Evan smiles amusedly ¡°I¡¯m a Foreseer, Gemma. I know better than to tamper with visions.¡± He lowers his voice again and leans forward once more, he looks me straight in the eye, like he¡¯s burrowing into my thoughts, or maybe just pressing the importance. ¡°What I¡¯m talking about is going back to where it all started.¡± ¡°You mean when Helena possessed me?¡± I ask, confused. ¡°No, back to the star.¡± He pauses, letting out a breath. ¡°Gemma, I¡¯m talking about resetting time. We¡¯re going to channel the Evanescence.¡± Chapter 36 Gemma ¡°Resetting time!¡± My eyes widen as I remember what my father said. Is it the same thing? Evan flinches at the loudness of my voice. ¡°Gemma, quiet. No one can know about this.¡± I take some calming breaths; then lower my voice. ¡°But you¡¯re talking about resetting time. Like actual time?¡± He rolls his eyes. ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve had the power of a Star trapped inside of you and you don¡¯t believe resetting time is possible?¡± Okay, he has me there. ¡°But if there¡¯s a way to reset time, why haven¡¯t I heard about it?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a secret of the Omnia,¡± he explains. ¡°Why do you think I was so weird about telling you about it?¡± I shrug. ¡°I thought maybe you were just being a weirdo.¡± His lips turn downward. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m trying to make sure this all plays out correctly.¡± ¡°Correctly?¡± ¡°Resetting time¡ªperforming the evanescence¡ªis dangerous,¡± he warns in a high, unsteady voice. ¡°It¡¯s only supposed to be done when it¡¯s supposed to be done.¡± To a normal person his words probably would sound confusing, but to me, a Foreseer, I get it. ¡°So that¡¯s what I saw? In the vision? Me, resetting time?¡± He shrugs. ¡°That¡¯s for you to interpret.¡± I think about the paths, one long, one short, one endless, one abrupt. ¡°I think I saw it resetting.¡± He seems pleased by this, but I¡¯m not. I¡¯m scared to death. Scared that what waits for me in my past could be even lonelier and worse than what my future holds now. ¡°Why are you just now suggesting this?¡± I wonder, plucking at a stray piece of wicker on the arm of the chair. He moves his chair forward, the legs making a loud scraping sound against the concrete. ¡°It had to be the right time. It had to play out how it was meant to. You had to get to the point where you¡¯d understand. I knew one day we¡¯d probably be sitting here talking about this, but only if I did things the right way.¡± He pauses and I notice some of the marks on his skin are starting to glow. ¡°You needed to be ready to do this. Mentally.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± I ask. ¡°I¡¯m not a Star anymore. There¡¯s nothing that great about me. I¡¯m pretty much just a girl who magnetizes trouble to her.¡± His eyes soften a little and it looks strange on him. ¡°You saved the world once. Do you know how many people can say that? How many people can say they saved the freaking world from a portal?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it alone,¡± I point out. ¡°I had help and, if I didn¡¯t, it would have ended.¡± ¡°I realize that, but there are other things about you that can make it so this can happen,¡± he says, and I start to shake my head in protest, but he holds up his hand, silencing me. ¡°Just hear me out, okay?¡± Sighing, I nod. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m listening, but it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to agree with you.¡± He looks like he disagrees with me as he starts, ¡°When I was younger, I was told a story by my father. He told me that I¡¯d be powerful one day and that the time would come when I¡¯d need to use one of my powers to change the world. That there¡¯d be a war and the world would pretty much be falling apart.¡± He pauses, his forehead scrunched as he recollects. ¡°But I¡¯d need the help of another person, someone who¡¯s already saved the world once. Someone who was a Foreseer, but who had other abilities. They¡¯d be powerful, connected to the Fey and the Keepers, they could carry a hell of a lot more power on top of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re getting at,¡± I tell him as he eyes me over. He considers something, wavering, before he meets my gaze again. ¡°You had the Star¡¯s power inside you, right?¡± I nod warily. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Do you know how strong you have to be to carry all that energy inside you?¡± ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t by choice.¡± ¡°But you still lived through it.¡± ¡°So did Alex.¡± ¡°But Alex isn¡¯t you,¡± he points out. ¡°Alex isn¡¯t a Foreseer, Fey, and now a freaking Queen.¡± ¡°Empress,¡± I correct pointlessly. He smiles, like he thinks I¡¯m going to agree. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that you can handle it.¡± I tuck a strand of my hair out of my face with my chin tilted down. ¡°Handle what?¡± He smiles, but he looks sad. ¡°My power.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I nearly shout. ¡°Your power?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to give it to you,¡± he says simply. ¡°Every Omnia is built for a purpose. Mine¡¯s to give you my power. I¡¯ll transfer it into you and it¡¯ll give you the strength you need to travel back through time and reset it.¡± He says it like, ¡®Hey, I have a lollipop and now I¡¯m going to hand it over to you.¡¯ Like it¡¯s as simple as sharing candy. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not so sure¡­¡± I eye the door, wondering if I should run like hell. ¡°Not sure about what?¡± he asks. ¡°Making your life better?¡± I turn my head towards him. ¡°Yeah, but how do I know it¡¯s going to be better? I mean, for all I know I could never be born or something. Or I could be, but not end up with Alex. Or the same bad things could happen; I really don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Yeah, but you do know this¡­¡± He gestures at the door. ¡°You do know that Luna and the Fey are running around and that you¡¯re going to either have to kill her or be killed. There¡¯s also a battle going on between the Fey and one of them is going to have to win eventually. If the world survives through it, it might not even matter, depending on who wins in the end.¡± He pauses, leaning in. ¡°And Alex, he¡¯s trapped with Draven.¡± I swallow hard, thinking about what Alex will become. ¡°I know all of this. You don¡¯t need to remind me.¡± ¡°But I have to,¡± he says. ¡°I have to get you to make a decision. Do we continue forward or do we take a risk and start over?¡± I think about everything; good and bad. I think about the pain I¡¯ve experienced, the fear, the love, the passion, the kisses, the friendships. The way it feels when Alex touches me. I think about what it took to get there and I think about how briefly it stayed before it vanished. It¡¯s a moment in my life that I¡¯ll remember forever, yet, I won¡¯t. Because it¡¯ll never actually happen. All I do is nod, but it¡¯s enough that he understands. Getting to his feet, he heads for the door, looking happier than I¡¯ve ever seen him. I get up and follow him. ¡°Where are we going?¡± He grins as he swings the door open and the air outside gusts in. ¡°We¡¯re going to save the world.¡± Chapter 37 Gemma Evan surprises me when we go inside to only grab his jacket. Slipping his arms through the sleeves, he puts it on. ¡°We should hurry.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± I peer outside the window at a man and woman strolling up the sidewalk. They¡¯re holding hands and staring straight ahead. The way they walk looks wrong, lifting their feet up from the ground way too much. That¡¯s how I know they¡¯re probably not really human. I wonder if that¡¯s what¡¯s going on. If maybe the neighborhood is possessed by Lost Souls. Evan zips his jacket up. ¡°We¡¯re going to get my watch.¡± I point to a clock hanging crookedly on the wall. ¡°The time¡¯s right there.¡± He shakes his head, giving me a dirty look. ¡°I need it so we can reset time.¡± I tuck my hands inside of my pockets. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just tired.¡± We hear rustling coming from the stairs and Evan¡¯s head whips in that direction with panic in his eyes. ¡°We need to go,¡± he says and grabs my arm. ¡°Now. I¡¯ve seen you try to lie and you suck at it¡­ and they can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t let anyone else know. I¡¯ll be messing with the future if I did.¡± ¡°Hey, I can lie.¡± I scowl at him as I move my arm out of his hold. ¡°We can¡¯t just take off and not tell them where we¡¯re going. They¡¯ll flip.¡± He surrenders his hands in front of him. ¡°Relax, they won¡¯t even remember it in a few minutes.¡± I sigh, knowing he¡¯s right, but hating that we¡¯re bailing. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan? How does this all work?¡± He glances at the staircase and then back at me. ¡°Well, first you have to Foresee us back to the castle since I lost my crystal in the damn lake.¡± As footsteps head down the stairs, I nod and shut my eyes. ¡°Hold onto me,¡± I say and his fingers enfold around my upper arm. I realize how exhausted I am while doing this. How much I loathe constantly moving around. I just want to sit still and take a moment to breathe; I hope that one day I¡¯ll get to. We land in the grass lining the shore. I instantly scan the toppled trees, the footprints in the mud, and the nearly demolished castle. Everything is ruined, destroyed. It¡¯s all gone. Evan nods towards the castle. ¡°If you want, I can run back and grab it. You can wait here.¡± I shake my head. ¡°No, I think I¡¯d rather go with you,¡± I say, not explaining why. That I want to say a silent good-bye to a place that changed my life. Almost fifteen years ago, I sat in that castle and Sophia detached my soul. It changed my life, but in a few moments, that life isn¡¯t going to exist. We hike up the hill, a cool breeze blowing against us. The sun is starting to descend behind the mountains, the land shadowing; the day coming to an end. ¡°So, how does this whole time resetting thing work?¡± I break the silence, kicking a rock across the grass. He tips his head towards me and his hair falls into his eyes. ¡°The biggest thing is that you have to believe it¡¯ll work. If you don¡¯t then you might as well not even try,¡± he says. ¡°The rest is pretty simple. You push a button inside the watch. Once you push it, everything sets into motion, but if you¡¯re not using all of your energy and focus on the exact moment in time that needs changed, you¡¯ll blow it and nothing will happen. We¡¯ll be stuck here, facing the future and everything that comes with it.¡± ¡°Wow, way to put pressure on me,¡± I reply sarcastically. ¡°A little pressure never hurt anyone,¡± he says. ¡°In fact, it might help you get everything right.¡± We make the rest of the journey to the castle in silence. I¡¯m still not sure if I believe it. If I can do it. If I want to do it. The one thing I know is that I¡¯m going to try. Page 28 Evan walks into the foyer and steps around the shattered chandelier at the bottom of the stairway. The walls are cracked, some even knocked out, and there are massive holes in the floor. The banister has been knocked down, the paintings, lamps, furniture¡ªdemolished. Strangely, the mirror on the wall is still intact and I wonder if the violet eyes staring back at me will be the same one¡¯s I see in my next life. Will I still be the same person? Will I even remember any of this? Evan easily jumps to the second step of the stairway, the bottom one missing. Then, he extends his hand to me and I take it, letting him pull me over the hole in the floor and place me down beside him. We make our way up the stairs and, when we reach the top, I let out a quiet gasp at the missing ceiling. Evan ignores the mess and continues through it, ducking beneath the caved-in areas and stepping over the debris. He keeps going, without saying a word, until we reach where he¡¯s been sleeping over the last few weeks. He lifts a dresser lying flat on the floor and pushes it upright. He pulls the top drawer open and, reaching inside it, he retrieves a gold-plated pocket watch that hangs from a golden chain. It dawns on me how many times I¡¯ve seen him fiddling with the chain. ¡°You¡¯ve had that the whole time?¡± I ask, reaching for it. He turns to the side, moving out of my reach as he runs his thumb along an inscription in the back¡ªto keep track of time. ¡°Yeah, like I¡¯m going to leave it around for someone to get ahold of. Do you know how many people would love to get a hold of this?¡± I could name about a thousand names; including Helena, Lucinda and Stephan. I wouldn¡¯t even put it past Sophia to seek it out, in the hopes of saving Marco. I let out a breath. ¡°So that¡¯s it? That¡¯s what¡¯s going to change life as we know it?¡± He nods, looking at me warily. ¡°I think I should tell you one more thing¡ªI feel like I have to.¡± I prepare myself for the worst because it¡¯s always best to be prepared. ¡°Okay, hit me with it.¡± The corners of his lips quirk. ¡°If you manage to do this¡­ to reset time, you probably won¡¯t remember anything.¡± He gestures at the room and then touches the star on my inner wrist. It rushes through me, like razor sharp poison, jagged edges catching my skin, tearing me apart on the inside. Everything. Every blissful moment. Every promise. Every kiss. Hug. Word. Touch. Breath. Every single second I¡¯ve spent with him, will be gone. I won¡¯t know it. Tears start to fall from my eyes as I grasp the entire situation of what I¡¯m about to do. ¡°Gemma, I¡ª¡± he starts, but the sound of a voice cuts him off. ¡°I know you¡¯re in here, Evan.¡± ¡°Is that Alex?¡± I whisper and then I turn, starting to run towards the sound of his voice. ¡°Come out and play!¡± Alex yells and then lets out a cackling laugh. Evan snags the back of my shirt and yanks me back. ¡°Wait a second. That sounds like Alex, but it might not be.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s him,¡± I say, trying to pry his fingers off my shirt. I need to go to him, feel him, know that everything I thought was just a lie. ¡°It sounds just like him.¡± I pinch his fingers hard, but he refuses to release me. ¡°Would you let me go?¡± He shakes his head sharply. ¡°Stay here and I¡¯ll go check¡­ we need to make sure he¡¯s not¡­ he¡¯s not a Lord.¡± It nearly kills me to do it, the need to be near him so consuming, it¡¯s maddening. ¡°Hurry.¡± Before he leaves he grabs my hand and places the watch into my palm. ¡°Just in case.¡± I close my hand around the cold metal. ¡°But what about your power? Don¡¯t I need it?¡± Evan closes his eyes and places a hand on each of my cheeks. I don¡¯t breathe as a warm sensation spills over my body and floods through my veins like hot wax. My adrenaline surges, thudding through my body powerfully as my skin begins to crawl. Without moving my head, I look down at my arms and hands, turning them over with my mouth open in awe. My pale skin is covered in lines, shapes, intricate patterns that create mark after mark; all connected, yet, all separate at the same time. They glow in different colors; blue, purple, violet, green, even black. ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± I whisper. Evan lowers his hands from my face, rolls up his sleeves, and turns his arms over. His once marked skin is now bare, like freshly fallen snow. Sighing, he rolls his sleeves back down. ¡°It¡¯s weird, but I actually kind of miss them.¡± I trace my finger along a spirally mark on the back of my hand. ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± He nods, backing for the door. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± I step forward and grab his arm. ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t protect yourself now. If Alex is a Lord¡­¡± I think of my vision and Alex standing over our bodies. ¡°He might hurt you.¡± He shakes his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. When you reset time, I can be alive or dead and it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I mutter under my breath, gripping the watch in my hand as I watch him walk away. When he reaches the doorway, he turns and doesn¡¯t look back as he disappears into the hallway. ¡°Well, well, there you are,¡± I hear Alex say and deep down in my heart, I know it¡¯s not him. He¡¯s gone. Alex is gone. I inch around large pieces of collapsed ceiling and stop near the doorway, needing to see him one last time. I take a deep breath and, pressing my back against the wall, I peek around the corner. Over the balcony, I spot Alex in the foyer. He¡¯s dressed in black, his hair is slicked back, looking greasy, and his nails are even painted black. He looks just like the Alex from my vision, his expression equally as cold. Evan is keeping his distance, staying in the middle of the stairway with his arms tucked to his sides. ¡°Dude, what the hell happened to you?¡± Evan asks, eyeing him over. Alex stares at him blankly. ¡°I should be asking you the same thing.¡± He takes a step forward, winding around the broken chandelier. ¡°Did you seriously just give up your powers?¡± Evan¡¯s jaw drops. ¡°What? I didn¡¯t.¡± Alex¡¯s taps the back of his hand as he reaches the bottom of the stairway. ¡°Then, where did they go?¡± Evan raises his bare hand in front of him, turning it over. ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± is all he says. Alex¡¯s lips curl into a grin and his once green eyes are like coals. Raising his hands, he claps them together and I watch in horror as mummified bodies creep out from the holes in the floors, drop down from the roof, the doorways, they even barrel clumsily in through the broken windows. Dragging their legs, they enclose around Evan and the last thing I hear from him is a painful scream. I start to turn away, shaking in fear, when Alex¡¯s eyes lock on me. I expect him to shout, order them to take me out, but all he does is smile. Shaking my head, I whirl to run, holding the watch, ready to do what I have to do, but when I turn around, I slam into something rock hard. I push away, but fingers dig into my wrist, tugging me closer. ¡°Well hello, beautiful.¡± Alex tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, his head tilted as he assesses me with his chilled eyes. He breathes in deep, briefly shutting his eyes. ¡°Your scent¡­ your soul is intoxicating.¡± His eyes open and a grin curves at his lips. ¡°It¡¯s your soul, too,¡± I say, trying to wrench away. ¡°You and I share each other¡¯s, in case you can¡¯t remember.¡± His gaze rises to the ceiling as he thinks about what I said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I don¡¯t have a soul.¡± His eyes move back to me. ¡°But I can¡¯t wait to take yours.¡± ¡°Oh, pretty please, let me play with her first.¡± The Banshee, who I¡¯ve seen in my dreams¡ªvisions¡ªmany times, emerges from the end of the hallway. She¡¯s wearing a tight dress and her hair flows down her shoulders. She struts up to me and runs her nails along my cheek. ¡°Pretty please.¡± Alex sighs. ¡°Give me a minute and you can do whatever you want with her¡­ but I want to do this one alone.¡± She pouts. ¡°But you promised I could play.¡± ¡°I know, beautiful, but¡­¡± He looks at me. ¡°I really, really want this one.¡± A gagging noise escapes my throat as I dry heave. ¡°Seriously? Beautiful? Oh my God, that¡¯s disgusting.¡± She shoots me a cold, hard stare and raises her hand to slap me, but quicker than my eye can register, Alex knocks her to the ground and then his hands are back on me. The Banshee is out cold as he backs me down the hall until I hit the wall. He studies me forever with a perplexed look on his face and then he licks his lips. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to really enjoy this.¡± Shaking my head, tears start to slip from my eyes. I hate the look in his eyes¡ªhate seeing him like this. ¡°Alex, it¡¯s me, Gemma. You¡­ you don¡¯t want to do this. You love me.¡± His forehead creases and then he sputters a laugh. ¡°Love? Seriously, love¡¯s a bunch of bullshit.¡± He sighs and then leans in, presses his body against mine. ¡°It was a nice try, though. The best I¡¯ve seen.¡± He places a hand on my neck with a smile on his face. ¡°I do feel a little bad, if that makes you feel better.¡± His nails dig into my skin and I feel it rupture. Blood spills out as my bones threaten to crack. His muscles tighten as he strangles me harder, his brows furrowing when I don¡¯t fight back. I can¡¯t fight back. There¡¯s no fight left in me. I wonder if he can feel it. He said he started to feel and see the things I saw. I wonder if he feels my love and knows that all I see is him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He growls, loosening his grip, then tightening it again, like he¡¯s conflicted on whether to strangling me or not. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to try and live?¡± I don¡¯t move. In fact, I hold my own breath as my blood trails down his arms. Death consumes me, owns me, starts to drag me away, and right when I¡¯m on the verge of taking my last breath, I whisper through my tears, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I¡¯ll never know if he would have finished me off or if his confliction would have won him over. I¡¯ll never know how strong our love is because, if he did kill me, it¡¯s the end. There¡¯d be nothing. I summon a deep breath and then I let the power flow from my body, the one that kills, not wounds, because I don¡¯t want to mess it up. I let the poison slip through my skin and enter him, coat him with death, steal his air. I kill him. I take his life, sobbing, my heart dying with him. Gasping, he lets go of me, glancing at his skin and the black vines snaking across him. ¡°What did you¡­¡± His eyes roll back and he gasps, crumbling to the floor. And just like that, he¡¯s dead. My one love, my soul mate, my forever, is dead. I could crawl to him. Cry. Mourn. I don¡¯t. I open the watch and stare at the hands moving around and around. In the center of the numbers is a pin-size silver button. I keep my focus on it, and the power flowing inside my body, as every single mark lights up and the power connects. My lungs expand to the max, filling with air as I press down while shutting my eyes and everything leaves me. Alex. My parents. My friends. Everyone. They¡¯re all gone. And so is the anger, the happiness, the longing, the need, the anguish, the guilt, the pain. It dissipates, like moments in time, the kind that happen so quickly, they blow away in the wind like dandelion seeds Page 29 You¡¯regoing to do great things, but it¡¯ll be hard. You¡¯ll be tested, more than you already have. I think of the moment in time when everything changed. A moment that caused so much evil. The moment the Star fell from the sky. Then, I picture it never falling, disappearing, vanishing into thin air. I concentrate on that moment as warmth spreads throughout my body and I feel time fading, like the morning mist. Evanescence. For a second, I feel myself fade with it. There¡¯s bright light, followed by a shift. Then, it¡¯s all gone. Epilogue Gemma I wake up to the sound of my alarm blaring, firing off like a siren. Covering my head with my pillow, I feel my way across the nightstand and slam my hand onto the off button. I lie in bed for a few extra minutes before I give up on going back to sleep and climb out of bed. My room is my favorite place in the house; my walls are covered with posters and pictures of all the places I¡¯ve been. Some of them I¡¯m alone. Others I¡¯m with Aislin, Laylen, and Alex. There are even some where I¡¯m with Evan and Aleesa, but that was before they decided to get engaged and move to Australia. I¡¯ll admit my room¡¯s a little cluttered. I probably have the biggest music collection that¡¯s ever existed and I also collect guitar picks from all the band members I¡¯ve managed to meet. It¡¯s Aislin¡¯s and my thing. We¡¯ve been sneaking off to see concerts since we were sixteen and could drive; we make it our mission to come home with a guitar pick. I walk over to my dresser and pull out a pair of shorts and a tank top, but then I drop them to the floor, remembering where I¡¯m supposed to go tonight. Instead, I go to my closet and throw open the doors. I grab the dress Aislin picked out for me. ¡°It¡¯s the perfect dress,¡± she said when we were out shopping. It was perfect, for a dress anyway; violet, like my eyes, with thin straps and fabric as soft as velvet. I put it on and glance at myself in the mirror. It¡¯s a little short and I can see way more of my long legs than I want to, but that¡¯s okay. I know someone who will be glad I showed up looking like this. I leave my hair down because he says he loves it that way, then trace my eyes with black liner, put some mascara on, and then lace up my combat boots (hey, I got to keep some part of me). Then, I head down to the kitchen, breathing in the scent of freshly baked bread. My dad¡¯s leaning over the stove with his head bent as he mixes something in a pan. I sneak up behind him and give him a big hug, squeezing him tightly. ¡°Good morning.¡± He jumps, startled, and nearly spills what¡¯s in the bowl. ¡°Oh, Gemma, it¡¯s you¡­ Good God, you frightened me.¡± Shaking his head, he turns back to the bowl. ¡°And what do you mean, good morning. It¡¯s already dinner time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s morning for me.¡± I grab an apple from a basket and take a bite. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t get you kids these days,¡± he says, checking the timer on the oven. ¡°You stay up all night, so you can sleep all day.¡± ¡°More things happen at night,¡± I reply, rummaging through the fridge. He sighs, tiredly. He hates that I go out with the Keepers. I think, deep down, he hoped I¡¯d turn out to be a Foreseer like him. ¡°Well, just be careful.¡± Grinning, I give him a joking salute as I bump the fridge door shut with my hip. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He offers me a tolerant smile, and then eyes my dress warily. ¡°Are you really wearing that tonight?¡± I can¡¯t help smiling as I toss my half-eaten apple into the trash. Most kids would hate their parents being so over-protective, but I¡¯ve never cared. In fact, I actually kind of love it. It means they love me and love is a fabulous thing. It makes life complete. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m almost nineteen. Besides, where I¡¯m going tonight, I¡¯ll stand out like a sore thumb if I didn¡¯t dress like this.¡± I do a little twirl. He covers his ears, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear about it. I know you¡¯re a Keeper, but to me, you¡¯re still my little girl.¡± I smile and give him a quick hug. ¡°I love you.¡± He pats my back and smiles. ¡°I love you, too.¡± Headlights light up the driveway as I pull back. ¡°That¡¯s Aislin,¡± I say, heading for the door as she honks the car horn. ¡°I gotta go.¡± ¡°Be careful,¡± he says. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°I always am.¡± I grab my leather jacket off the coat rack. He looks like he wants to tell me to stay, but he doesn¡¯t. When I swing the door open, my mom¡¯s walking up the porch. ¡°Hey, sweetie,¡± she says, struggling to carry the grocery bags. ¡°Can you hold that open for a second.¡± I hold a finger up at Aislin, indicating I¡¯ll be a just a moment, and then step back to hold the door open for my mom. She stumbles over the threshold and then drops the bags to the floor. I think I hear a jar break, but my mom doesn¡¯t seem to care. She¡¯s pretty lenient and laid back like that. ¡°God, it smells good in here.¡± She breathes in the scent of bread as she kicks the bags out of the way. She gives my dad a quick kiss on the cheek and then places her hands on her hips as she turns to me. ¡°You look nice. Are you going out tonight?¡± ¡°Yeah, to kick some ass,¡± I joke, making some ninja moves. She laughs, but my dad scowls. ¡°Be careful, please.¡± My mom rolls her eyes at him and then mouths at me, have fun. Nodding, I start to head out when she catches my arm. ¡°Oh yeah, and I forgot to tell you that, that little thing we were talking about is going to happen tonight.¡± ¡°The inauguration,¡± I whisper, leaning closer to her so my dad won¡¯t hear us and get frustrated. She nods, looking excited. ¡°Yeah, so be ready to really kick some ass.¡± Smiling, I hug her and then head out. When I make it to the front of the car, blinded by the headlights of Laylen¡¯s GTO, Aislin sticks her head out the driver¡¯s side window. ¡°Would you hurry your ass up?¡± she shouts with laughter in her tone. ¡°I¡¯m growing old here.¡± I start walking slower just to tease her and then run over and hop into the passenger side. The radio is blasting, ¡®The Hand that Feeds¡¯ by Nine Inch Nails; totally Laylen¡¯s music, not hers. ¡°Damn, sexy mama, you look good,¡± she says as she shoves the shifter into reverse. ¡°You do, too,¡± I tell her, holding onto the door handle for support because Aislin drives like a mad woman. She¡¯s wearing a short, navy blue dress with black knee-high boots and her hair is pulled into a sleek ponytail. She usually doesn¡¯t wear black, but where we¡¯re going tonight, pink isn¡¯t in the dress code. When we reach the end of the driveway, she fishtails onto the road and floors the gas, spinning the tires. It¡¯s late, the sky is black and the stars are twinkling above us. I watch them as she flies down the streets, heading towards the club we¡¯re meeting the guys at. ¡°So, how did you talk him into letting you use his car?¡± I ask, changing the song on the iPod. She makes kissing faces and waggles her eyebrows at me. ¡°I can be very persuasive.¡± I snort a laugh, shaking my head, and I feel my nerves bubble inside me the closer we get to the building. It¡¯ll be the first time I¡¯ve seen him since it happened and, even though I don¡¯t regret it, I''m a little jittery, wondering how he¡¯s going to act towards me. Will he be the same? Different? ¡°So my mom called like an hour ago,¡± she says, craning the wheel to make a right turn. ¡°Oh, how is she?¡± I keep my tone light, even though the subject is heavy. Aislin and Alex¡¯s mom and dad are getting a divorce, basically because their dad¡¯s a douche and cheats on her all the time. It¡¯s a sensitive subject, one neither of them really bring up. ¡°She actually sounded happy,¡± she says, glancing at me. ¡°And she said we should go visit her in Paris and go shopping.¡± ¡°You and me?¡± ¡°Yeah, why not?¡± I shrug. ¡°Yeah, we could do that.¡± She smiles and then slams on the brakes as she makes a sharp veer down a side street, throwing me into the door. Seconds later, she¡¯s pulling behind the warehouse. There are a few lampposts lighting up the parking lot and cars parked out, along with the large quantity of people; smoking, drinking and loitering as they wait to get inside. ¡°Creeper alert,¡± she announces as she parks the GTO next to a truck that has a bunch of greasy looking guys standing around it. The tallest one, with jet-black hair and tattoos tracking every inch of his arms, eyes the car down. ¡°All right, if he tries anything, I¡¯ll hold him and you kick him in the groin,¡± Aislin says, checking her makeup in the rearview mirror. I laugh softly. ¡°Okay, sounds like a plan.¡± We¡¯re about to climb out when something¡ªor someone¡ªjumps on the hood. ¡°You got her back to me in one piece.¡± He grins, his smile lighting up the night as he pats the window and climbs off the hood, stretching his long legs. Biting his lip ring, he rearranges his blond hair back into place as Aislin climbs out. The second she steps out of the car, he grabs her and they start making out like crazy. A few guys start making catcalls and I roll my eyes, winding around the back of the car. I wait for them to catch up and then the three of us make our way towards the back entrance. I¡¯m getting more nervous the closer we get and I don¡¯t know what my problem is. I¡¯ve seen him a thousand times, pretty much every day since the day I was born, but things are different now. More complicated. More intense. Suddenly, Laylen wraps his arms around me and picks me up, lifting my feet away from the ground and spinning us around. ¡°Where¡¯s your head, Star Girl.¡± ¡°Are you ever going to stop calling me that?¡± I say, laughing as he continues to spin. ¡°I like watching the stars. So what?¡± He sets me down and brushes my hair out of my face. ¡°Which is why the name''s so fitting.¡± ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯ve been calling me it since we were like five. Don¡¯t you think you should give me like an older, more mature nickname or something?¡± He laughs, swinging his arm around me and the other around Aislin, so the three of us are huddled together. ¡°Like Super Star.¡± I roll my eyes and Aislin giggles. ¡°You¡¯re in a good mood,¡± she tells him. He kisses her forehead. ¡°That¡¯s because you got my car back to me in one piece.¡± ¡°I told you I would.¡± She leans up and kisses him. We reach the entrance door and the bouncer immediately nods at Laylen. ¡°What¡¯s up, man?¡± Laylen gives him a chin nod. ¡°Nothing much. Just trying to show these ladies a good time.¡± The bouncer eyes us over, and I know he¡¯s wondering what we are. If we¡¯re Immortal. Vampires. Fey. Witches. None of the above, but he thinks Laylen is, due to the fact that he got the Immortal mark tattooed on his arm, so he has an easy ticket into places like these whenever the Keepers send us on a mission. ¡°They¡¯re good,¡± Laylen tells the bouncer, a large, bulky man with a lot of tattoos and a really thick neck. Page 30 Stepping aside and unhooking the velvet rope, he lets us through. Once we step inside, the music instantly surrounds us, along with the scent of sweat, blood, and alcohol. Aislin instantly begins dancing, throwing her hands in the air, making her way towards the dance floor. ¡°We¡¯re here to work,¡± I remind her. ¡°To stop the thing from happening.¡± By thing, I mean the inauguration of a very important Vampire, which means a lot of sacrifices are going to happen if we don¡¯t stop it. There¡¯s a rumor going around that it¡¯s going to happen here and, if my mom¡¯s correct, it¡¯s going to happen tonight. Our job is to find him and slay him before it happens because, if it does¡­ well, things could get pretty ugly. The great thing is that we¡¯re good at kicking ass. ¡°Come on, Gemma.¡± Aislin grabs my hand and jerks on my arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go dance.¡± I hesitate, eyeing the bar, and the Vampires sitting on the barstools. I take being a Keeper seriously, so I really want to get down to business and start figuring out where this little shindig is going to take place, but then again, sometimes it doesn¡¯t hurt to have a little fun. Laughing, I start bouncing to the music as we head for the dance floor. ¡°Hey, what about me?¡± Laylen fakes a pout. ¡°What am I supposed to do? Stand here and watch.¡± ¡°Like you wouldn¡¯t enjoy it,¡± Aislin teases, shimmying her hips. Laylen shrugs. ¡°I¡¯d enjoy it more if I was dancing with you.¡± She blows him a kiss. ¡°Go find my brother and then you can dance with me.¡± Laylen smiles as he nods and then heads off towards the back, pushing through the crowd. Aislin and I are about to head for the dance floor when we hear the most annoying voice that¡¯s ever existed. ¡°Yes, please, please go get the douche bag.¡± Nicholas steps out from the shadows, carrying a martini glass. His hair is combed to the side, a little fluffed in front, and he¡¯s wearing these weird cropped skinny pants, which is his trade look. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I sigh. ¡°I thought you went on a backpack trip across Europe or something.¡± He sets the glass down on the bar and measures me with his golden eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend like you didn¡¯t miss me.¡± I glare at him. ¡°Don¡¯t be a creeper.¡± He presses his hand to his heart. ¡°Why is it that every time you¡¯re around me, you get so feisty?¡± Honestly, I have no idea. I met Nicholas when I was eight, when I went on a trip with my dad to the City of Crystal. Nicholas¡¯s parents are really nice and everything, but since the day I¡¯ve met him, he¡¯s continuously worked his way under my skin. I start to open my mouth when a tall, leggy blond wearing a backless dress comes strutting up to him. She¡¯s Fey¡ªI can see the indent of her wings on her back. Nicholas has a thing for Fey, which never made sense to me. He¡¯s not Fey and no one really likes Fey, no one sane anyway. All of his attention centers on her as they wander off, and I¡¯m glad for the easy escape. ¡°He¡¯s so creepy,¡± Aislin says, shuddering. ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I agree, knowing we don¡¯t really have a reason for disliking him, but it feels like we should. Aislin and I push our way through the sweaty bodies covered with various marks. There are so many breeds in here tonight; it¡¯s insane, and it¡¯s probably because my mom is right. The inauguration is happening tonight. When we reach the center, the lights dim and start flashing to the raving beat of the song. Aislin and I both start swinging our heads, rocking to the rhythm while we move around, laughing. The longer it goes on, the more we get into it, spinning, our skin starting to coat with sweat, but we keep going, enjoying the freedom of life, the easiness to it. I¡¯m about to tell her I need a break when long arms wrap around my waist. I flinch, lifting my leg, ready to kick them in the shin when I catch the scent of cologne and earth and everything that¡¯s wonderful in the world. ¡°Miss me?¡± Alex whispers in my ear, giving a quick suck on my earlobe, gently dragging his teeth along the skin. I shudder uncontrollably¡ªI always do when he¡¯s near me. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t even thought about you once,¡± I tease. His warm breath hits my skin as he laughs and spins me around to face him. I take a breath at the sight of him; his brown, disheveled hair, his deep green eyes, his soft lips, his firm jaw. He¡¯s wearing all black, something he only does when we go to clubs; otherwise, he always wears something with a little color. His eyes immediately take me in and darken when they arrive at my legs. He moves his gaze back up to my eyes and bites at his bottom lip. ¡°You look nice.¡± Unable to help myself, I run my hands up his lean arms and then tangle my fingers through his hair. ¡°So do you.¡± He lets out this low growl and then his lips crash against mine. My mouth opens willingly and I suck on his tongue as my arms loop around his neck. His hands glide up my back, pushing me closer, our bodies melting together as my heart hammers inside my chest. Way sooner than I want, he pulls away, panting, his lips swollen. He takes a deep breath and then starts rocking us to the low beat of the base. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I nod, my eyebrows furrowed as I line my body with his. ¡°Yeah¡­ well, I¡¯m a little tired.¡± Smiling, he shakes his head. ¡°No, I mean are you okay, okay?¡± I start to blush, biting on my lip. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m great.¡± I don¡¯t mean to sound so breathless, but I can¡¯t help it. I have such a hard time keeping my emotions under control when I¡¯m around him. He smiles, tracing a finger down my cheek. ¡°I love it when you blush.¡± He leans in, pulling me closer as he whispers in my ear, ¡°Last night was amazing.¡± I blush again, glad he can¡¯t see it. ¡°Yeah, it was.¡± I shut my eyes, breathing him in. He gives a soft suck on my neck, and then moves back to look me in the eyes. ¡°So, no regrets?¡± I shake my head. ¡°I never regret anything with you.¡± He smiles and raises his arm, showing me the outline of a black star on his wrist. ¡°Even when we decided to get these?¡± I glance down at the matching tattoo on my wrist, and then smile when I look back up at him. ¡°I think you¡¯d be more likely to regret it. It¡¯s kind of a girly tattoo.¡± He lowers his arm and starts dancing with me, spinning me until I laugh. When the song starts to slow, he pulls me into him, so my back is pressed up against his rock hard chest. ¡°I¡¯ll never ever regret anything I do with you,¡± he breathes into my ear. ¡°Besides, I like that you¡¯re branded to me.¡± My shoulder moves upwards as I shudder from the feel of his breath. ¡°Me, too.¡± He twirls me around and pulls me in for a kiss. ¡°I love you,¡± he whispers against my lips, and then slips his tongue deep inside my mouth. ¡°I love you, too,¡± I whisper back and I mean it more than anything in the world because I can feel it, through every single bone in my body, through the way my heart beats when he¡¯s near me, through the way I long to always be with him. The realness, the rawness, the undying connection that comes from loving him so completely. He traces his finger along my wrist again, touching the star. ¡°You¡¯re mine forever,¡± he says softly and then presses his lips to mine. I kiss him back, smiling, because I know he¡¯s right. And I know we¡¯ll be together. Forever.