Soul Betrayed
Authors: Katlyn Duncan
A Life
for
a Life
The battle between Shadowed and Guard has brought destruction and terror to Gate Seven and now Maggie wants revenge. As the only after-life being who can save the souls from ultimate death, Maggie comes face to face with her own human body, preserved for a century, waiting for just this moment to arrive.
Yet, how far will Maggie go to exact her revenge on the Shadowed? And when she comes face to face with her past, how will she survive the onslaught of memories she thought long gone?
For when the truth comes out, all is not what it seems and Maggie has finally run out of time… She must choose her destiny or watch all she has perish in the fight for her life!
Soul Betrayed
Katlyn Duncan
Praise for KATLYN DUNCAN
‘Katlyn Duncan’s YA debut,
Soul Taken
, is a thrilling ride that will leave you breathless for the next page, and curious to find the true soul we nurture within.’ Jennifer Murgia, author of the
Angel Star
series and
Between These Lines
‘Wow! Talk about a completely unique concept with tons of new ideas, roles, and characters that took me on an exhilarating adventure.’ 4.5 stars from
I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
on
Soul Taken
‘I really loved this book. From the first page I was totally hooked and couldn’t put it down until I was finished.’
Dark Faerie Tales
on
Soul Taken
‘
Soul Taken
is a BRILLIANT read! …This is one of those books to look out for.’ 5 stars from
A Diary of a Book Addict
‘It is a quick read and leaves you excited for the next installment of the series…Can’t wait to read more from this debut author!’ 5 stars from Allie Kacmar* on
Soul Taken
‘I loved the book, such a fast read. I felt like I knew each character personally…Then mix in the excitement of the souls being taken, it really makes you think.’ 5 stars from Joanne* on
Soul Taken
‘
Soul Taken
is a tasty morsel indeed.’ 5 stars from Nicky Peacock*
‘Wow! What a story. While I enjoyed the first book
Soul Taken
,
Soul Possessed
takes this story to a whole new level. In this book, the stakes have been raised, extra layers have been added to a story that will keep you glued to its pages till you get to the cliff hanger conclusion.’ 4 stars from
Realm of the Shappired Dragon
‘
Soul Taken
and
Soul Possessed
were super good! The main character was spunky and fun, and utterly different from other main characters. The plot was
original
and I did not see some things coming. The writing was
spectacular
, and I read both books in a matter of days. There was the perfect amount of angst, tension, and passion all blended together.’ 4.5 stars from
Tween 2 Teen Books
‘ONE of the best I’ve read this year! I dare someone to read this series and tell me I am wrong! DARE! This is a very promising series that I have no doubt will leave everyone who reads it with intense desire for the next chapter!’ from
Dark Novella
*Amazon reader reviews
Also by Katlyn Duncan
Soul Taken
Soul Possessed
Contents
KATLYN DUNCAN
has been reading and writing since before she can remember; her earliest memories involve dragging her mom to the store to get the latest
Goosebumps
book. She earned two science degrees and currently works in the medical field. She spends her free time writing, reading, and renovating her Victorian “fixer upper” in southern New England with her husband.
The journey to writing my first series has been an amazing one. I’d like to thank Victoria, my brilliant editor who took a chance on a first-time author, and the rest of the Carina UK team who supported me along the way, I am so happy Maggie’s story finally found its home.
Going back, I’d like to thank my first readers: Angela, Jessica, Lynsey, and Meaghan. Your support is invaluable to me and I love you all to bits. And Jennifer M., thanks for being there for my debut!
To my family, thank you for your support and caring about my stories just as much as I do.
To ‘the hubs’, now you can read the books. (I told you I’d do it!). Thanks for dealing with dust and unwashed dishes while I shut myself away and spend time with my other family.
To my readers, thanks for being so supportive, I wouldn’t be able to get through any of this without you. I love hearing about your experience with my characters and it brings me great joy to hear how you are just as passionate about them as I am. (Liz & Amaris especially!)
And finally, thanks to an author that I adore who told me to stop talking about being a writer and just “do it.”
To Mom, my biggest fan. Thanks for always saying yes to a trip to the book store.
Jamie Blackhorn nearly jumped out of her skin as a hand appeared next to her. She ripped the headphones from her ears and stumbled back, nearly crashing into her easel.
Her dad, Robert, grinned, his eyes on the pill bottle he placed on the table next to her where she mixed her paints.
“God, Dad.” Jamie knelt down, picking up the brush she had dropped. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“I called for you when I arrived home,” he said in an amused tone and rubbed his eyes wearily. “I picked up your refill.” He indicated the pill bottle and headed for the hallway. “I’m going to take a shower.”
Jamie stood in her spot, her toes curled in her sneakers, still recovering from the fright. The ache in her arm, the one only a week away from being released from the cast, brought her back to reality. Soon enough she would be able to put that horrible night in the caves behind her along with burying the annoying plaster arm prison.
She reached for the pill bottle, plucked a tablet out, and popped it into her mouth, then sipped on her water bottle and wrapped the strewn headphone cord around her good hand a few times before placing the coiled circle onto the table. Robert hated when she wore her headphones, something about keeping her awareness of the world, but she had enough awareness of her world
plus
the After. She needed an escape. Music and painting were a distraction from her freaky gift that she hid from everyone. All except her father when he requested her help on some of his cases. Just recently, he had been in danger of getting laid off due to budget cuts until his unit had been given a grant. She had no idea who would fund a paranormal research agency when there were so many other problems in the world, but she didn’t think too hard on it; his job kept a roof over their head and food on the table, even if most of the time it was pizza or Thai take-out.
But not tonight
.
Jamie grabbed the pill bottle and the set of brushes she had been using and left her room. She padded down the hallway and knocked lightly on the bathroom door, calling out “I’m going to heat up your dinner, Dad.”
Then she headed down the stairs and in to the kitchen. She balanced her brushes on the side of the sink and placed the pill bottle on the counter, opened the refrigerator and pulled out the casserole dish that she had prepared chicken parmesan in earlier. It was her dad’s favorite and since he had been preoccupied with work lately, she knew he would appreciate it. She’d found her mother’s recipe a few months ago and had made it at least once a week since then. This week’s batch had been the closest she remembered to the real thing. The best thing about the recipe was that she always felt as if her mother was there with her when she prepared it.
Plating a heaped pile of chicken and pasta she placed it in the microwave and turned it on. She watched the plate circle a few times until her phone rang.
Walking over to the opposite counter, where her phone had been charging, she looked down to see who was calling and recognized the number as Yera’s. Yera was a Percipio like her. She could see the After beings on the Living Realm, a gift they’d shared with each other willingly after their mutual Guard friend, Calliope, had exchanged their contact information. They had spoken only once before, but it had been nearly a four-hour conversation. Jamie had been thrilled to be able to talk to someone about her gift and Yera had been more than willing to listen. She’d even invited her to stay at her house for the summer to hone her gift. It had been a hard sell to her father but Jamie had won that battle.
“Hi!” Jamie said cheerfully.
“Ms. Blackhorn?” a male voice questioned on the other end.
Had she mistaken the number? She looked down at her phone and Yera’s name was broadcast on the screen. “Speaking.”
“Are you a relative of Yera Colehouse?” the man asked.
Jamie’s arms were overrun with goosebumps and she heard her voice shake a little. “No, I’m just a friend. Who is this?”
“This is Detective Branson. Yera had your number listed as her emergency contact.”
Jamie gasped. “Is she okay?”
“Have you seen her lately?”
“No. Is she okay?” she repeated, her mind whirring.
“As this is an open investigation I can’t give too many details but according to a friend she has not been heard from in quite some time.”
The microwave suddenly dinged and Jamie pulled out the piping hot plate absently and placed it on the counter using a dish towel. “I was supposed to visit her soon.”
Suddenly a rush of air filled Jamie’s ears. She stepped back from the counter, her movements slow and clumsy, and tried to grab for the counter, but the room tilted on its axis.
“If you hear anything—“Detective Branson’s voice sounded very far away.
The phone was lifted from her grasp, her weak hands unable to hold onto it and she turned to Robert. He was still in his suit and his hair was dry.
“What’s happening?” Jamie slurred. She blinked a few times, the edge of her vision fuzzy.
Detective Branson’s voice was cut off as her eyes darted to the pill bottle. She’d never had this reaction to her medication before. Her hand shot out, knocking the bottle over. Pills spilled across the counter.
She tried to lick her dry lips, the effort proving futile as her body didn’t respond to her brain.
Her legs gave out from under her and Robert caught her just before she hit the ground. “Just close your eyes,” he whispered. “It will be over soon.”
Jamie blinked, dark spots blotting out her kitchen. She focused on her father.
No.
He wasn’t her father. He looked like him, but her father didn’t have eyes blacker than coal. The stranger with her father’s face smirked as her world went black.
My body floated before me in the large container, frozen at seventeen.
“How is this possible? My father killed me,” I said, unable to take my eyes off of her. Me, actually. I’d died over a hundred years ago, yet there I was, preserved in a strange freezer. Since meeting my great granddaughter, Ally, and spending a week in her body, I’d learned nothing was impossible. But this? Tiny wisps of hair floated around her—my—head as if my body was underwater, but I knew it had something to do with the vapor that rose up from the ground in the room. Temperature didn’t affect souls much, but I could feel the chill in the air, it was much cooler in here then it had been in the other room. A tightening in my middle broke my trance. Felix had said that this was the only way to unlock my memories and level the playing field when I was to infiltrate the Shadowed, but could I really do this?