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—which I’m the best at—is 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—or Alexander’s—power 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—your great-great-granddaughter or whatever—removed 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.”
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.