“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—which I hate—but 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—my father—who 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—out-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—that 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.
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—the 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—she’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—I 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—evil things about her—that 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—work 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—they’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—understand me—Gemma,” 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—we’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—all 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.”