Authors: Katlyn Duncan
The man looked back and forth between me and Hannah.
The power surged from within and my essence reached forward without my consent. It flowed through Hannah, making her hand rise to touch his face. His mouth opened wide, just like I remembered Robert’s had and a dull feeling pulsed through my fingers. Hannah’s jaw clenched as we worked together releasing the soul from the man. I tried to hold back but it had a mind of its own and it didn’t listen to me anymore now that it had been freed.
That wasn’t good.
The essence worked quickly and efficiently taking the sustenance it needed. I didn’t experience the thrill and sensations I had in the past but it still invigorated me, the need for more slowly and involuntarily building within me. I took Abidan’s advice and accepted my body and soul together. It helped as I was able to concentrate a little better.
The man collapsed seconds later. The essence wasn’t as strong and it was more uncomfortable than I remembered but the energy outweighed the negative. I remembered how alive I’d felt when I took David. This was almost the same but inexplicably different. Was this what it was going to feel like when I was transformed?
I loosened my grip on Hannah but she clamped a hand on mine, keeping me in place. “Wait.” She lifted her hand and reached for Abidan.
I glanced at Jackson and his eyes held mine. I had to hold back something from them or else our plan wasn’t going to work. The one I had already ruined.
When Abidan took her hand, nothing happened.
I knew why before he said anything. Hannah still couldn’t give the energy directly to Abidan. He was still crippled by staying close to this location where she was able to deposit the energy.
I smiled inwardly. My concentration was working, but for how long? I clenched my jaw so tight I thought I was going to grind my teeth to nothing. But none of them knew that I was holding back the transfer. I didn’t know how I was doing it, but Jackson’s fixed stare grounded me.
Abidan slid his golden gaze to me and I attempted to look as confused as he did, but the energy from the man wanted release. I didn’t want to show Abidan my capability so I slowly started to let the energy come inside of me. The searing pain that had come from the Prognatum soul when I touched it returned with a vengeance. I couldn’t help the cry that burst from my lips, catching Hannah’s attention.
The essence glowed intensely and I found my resolve slipping, but not enough to let go of the man’s soul. I allowed the crippling pain to work its way through me. It started to fill me and I dropped to the ground, unable to hold myself up.
Hannah lost her grip on me and when our connection was severed her essence returned to a hazy black.
Abidan grabbed my arms and Jackson shouted behind him, but Abidan thrust his hand back, nailing Jackson in the chest. Jackson stumbled backwards. “Where is the life force? You have it inside of you.”
My body couldn’t handle two souls inside of it. My insides burned until I couldn’t hold it back any longer. Something primal awoke inside of me and my chin dropped to my chest. I trembled in Abidan’s arms. I needed it out. Now.
“Hannah,” I gasped. She was the only way.
She dropped to my side and took one of my hands. Relief spread through me. Hannah and I were able to release the soul from my body and into Abidan’s. He let out a euphoric cry as he accepted the soul inside of him. When the soul had retreated from my body, I let go of Hannah and stumbled toward the wall. Jackson came to me and held my face in his hands.
I pushed him away, not wanting to take him too. Those terrifying visions that I’d had after taking David came back with a vengeance. I wasn’t sure of the strength of my powers and I wasn’t going to test them around Jackson.
Even though the pain had subsided, I had unlocked something within me. My hands rested on the walls and I could feel the energy inside of them. They didn’t cripple me anymore. They did the opposite. The room invigorated me and the walls vibrated around me with the amount of life force inside of them. My essence hovered on the surface again as it continued its search for more. I could feel the unused energy in the walls. The essence tried to take more from the rock but I fought back, keeping it down. I shuffled across the room, my legs like lead, until I found the door to the hidden room. The energy was strong there. That’s where I needed to go.
Hannah shouted something, but I didn’t stop. I pushed open the door and sprinted into another room. Cages lined the walls just like the one we had entered from. But this is where they had been keeping the Feeders. There were at least two people in each. I went to the closest one and touched the bars. Fire ripped through me and I jumped back. There was a woman on the other side. She was nearly skin and bones and had deep scars on her arms. When she saw me she scrambled back to the corner of the cage and started to scream.
“Maggie!” someone called but I continued through the room, trying to get into other cages but Hannah appeared next to me. I sprinted again, being pulled along by my core and the pain became a dull sensation as I neared the end of the room. A bright light illuminated another. I tentatively reached up, touching the glass wall before me and peered into the room, my stable mind able to take over again, trying to understand what I was seeing.
My chest heaved. “Jamie.”
The appearance of Jamie had called to my Rodas nature, but unlike before I was able to turn it off. My human side chided the Rodas one. She was my friend and this was half the reason I was there. Relief spread through me at the sight of her. A cool sensation flowed down to my fingertips and I pressed my hands against the glass just as Hannah arrived by my side.
Jamie was sitting in a chair, her hands draped behind her. Her hair was mussed as if there had been a struggle.
“What are you doing with her?” I asked Hannah, suddenly calm. “How do you expect her to work with us if you tie her up?”
“She isn’t cooperating. We are trying a new tactic.”
“Cooperating with what?”
The door behind the glass opened and Robert stepped into the room.
Jamie looked at her father, her voice hostile. “You won’t fool me again. What have you done with my father?”
I couldn’t see the black eyes, but I knew she could. The Possessed Robert grinned, an expression that stretched oddly across his mouth. He pulled a second chair out from the table and sat down. His movements were stiff, delicate even, almost as if this Shadowed hadn’t occupied a body in some time. “The fact that you understand what I am is just a part of the plan we have in store. How about you tell me what you know of us and we can go from there.”
Jamie turned her head toward the glass. “I’ve watched a lot of movies. I know there is someone on the other side of that glass. So let’s not pretend we are friends. I’m not going to speak to you unless I know that my father is okay.”
The Shadowed tilted his head, looking straight through the glass at Hannah. The effect was eerie but I kept my eyes on Jamie. None of this had been her fault. I had brought Robert’s attention to Ally and in turn brought Jamie under the Shadowed radar. I had to keep her safe.
The Shadowed seemed to get his answer because he stood up from the chair, the legs scraping against the cement floor. He left the room, leaving the door open behind him. Jamie’s hands started to move behind her and I snuck a peek at Hannah to see if she noticed, but her gaze was on the open door on the other side of the glass. Her smirk was unmistakable.
Jamie’s body stiffened and her eyes widened, nearly bugging out of her head. What had spooked her?
“Corporeal,” Hannah said.
A Shadowed manifested in the room. He was about Robert’s height but his olive skin and black hair were a stark contrast. I assumed that was the one in the Robert suit, but where had Robert gone? As much as I didn’t like the man he was still Jamie’s father and my concern for her had risen above everything for me at that moment.
“Human,” the Shadowed bellowed, startling Jamie enough for her to stop trying to wrestle free from the ropes tying her hands.
I waited with bated breath until I saw Robert’s body appear in the room. His feet shuffled across the concrete and he rubbed his head as if he had been asleep for hours. He blinked several times and I had the urge to jump through the glass and strangle him.
Look at your daughter!
I wanted to scream.
Look what you’ve done to her.
Jackson clasped his hand with mine, centering me.
“Dad!” Jamie cried. Her shoulders wrestled against her bindings.
Robert didn’t move from his place, he only glanced up at the Shadowed then back to his daughter. “Just do what they say, Jamie.”
The passive girl I’d gotten to know had disappeared. “What did they do to you?”
Robert started toward his daughter but the Shadowed let out a grunt which halted him in his place. “Listen to me—”
“If you are telling me to trust these monsters, then—” Her voice broke but she looked at him through slitted eyes. “Then you are not my father. You told me to never give in. Now look at you. What are they going to do for you when they are done using your body?”
Her words stunned Robert to silence.
The Shadowed moved to Robert and wrapped one hand around his neck. Robert choked under the pressure of his grasp.
“Stop it!” Jamie screamed.
My heart clenched at her pain, but I knew that she was valuable enough to keep alive in this place. They wouldn’t hurt her and I needed to tell her that. Having her on my side would be half the battle, then we could escape and regroup with the Guard somehow.
“This isn’t working,” I said. “Let me try. I think I can help.”
Hannah huffed. “I don’t think so.”
“Maybe we should bring it up to Abidan.” I still didn’t know where he’d run off to but by Hannah’s expression I knew she would give in. I could tell she had something to live up to with him and maybe offering me something I wanted would prove her worthy.
“Fine,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “We need the Percipio to identify Gate Seven.”
I remembered the devastation from the last time I’d seen the Gate. “I thought you already broke through?”
“It has been moved,” Hannah said in a clipped tone. “We’ve followed it to numerous locations but have been easily blocked. They have newer wards, ones that we know she can see. The Percipio will follow our leads and find the Gate. Abidan will lead an attack to claim what is rightfully ours.”
“She’s not going to tell you anything when you have her bound to a chair. Let me help,” I said. “She trusts me. Let me talk to her privately in my room.”
Hannah narrowed her eyes, staring at the glass.
I knew Jamie well enough that I could tell she was terrified but she kept up the ruse of being strong and unwilling to compromise. It was believable but also something that could be used against her.
“My room is guarded. She won’t be able to go anywhere.” It was better to have her with me than in that cell.
Hannah hesitated but then she nodded her head in agreement. “You have one hour with her.”
Jackson met us through another exit from the cage room. Hannah instructed him to bring me to my room, but I hesitated. “You said you would break the bond if I brought out my powers.”
“And I will.”
“Hannah,” Jackson said, his jaw set. “A deal is a deal.”
“Yes,” she cried exasperated. “It’s not just a wave of the hand though. Your girlfriend wants her friend. Which would you prefer I do first?”
I was about to say something else but Jackson took my hand and pulled me away, squeezing it harder than necessary. “Let’s get her first. My freedom is the least of our problems at the moment.”
We trekked in silence to my room, the tension between us thickening with each step. When we arrived in the room, Jackson pulled me into his arms.
“I’m so sorry,” I said against his chest.
He pressed his cheek against my head. “It’s okay.”
I wasn’t a mind reader but I could feel his disappointment. “It’s not. I had one job and I failed. Abidan knows that I can express my power even in this form. There’s nothing stopping him now and we still have to find a way out of here.”
Jackson’s mouth quirked to one side. “You were amazing. For the days you held back your powers, they were distracted and I was able to find a way for us to get out of here.”
“You did?” I exclaimed, relief flooding my soul.
Suddenly his mouth was on mine and I was stunned into silence. His lips moved across mine, peppering my mouth with kisses, making my toes curl. When he pulled away, my head moved toward his. I tightened my grip on his arms, steadying myself against him.
He smirked, the gesture making my heart skip a few beats. “As much as I don’t need an excuse to kiss you, you should really control your voice.”
Someone knocked on the door.
I jumped, my body buzzing.
“It’s okay,” Jackson said, not leaving my side or my gaze. He reached up, tucking a chunk of hair behind my ear and his very touch seared me right down to my soul.
Then Hannah entered the room with Jamie in tow. Jamie had a cloth over her eyes and her hands were clearly bound. Rage surged inside of me, but I kept my emotions under control.
Hannah lifted the cloth from Jamie’s face and all the tension in my body floated away.
Jamie let out a shaky laugh. “Maggie!”
My gaze flicked to Hannah in an “I told you so” look.
“Release her,” I ordered.
Hannah did what I asked, albeit with a reluctant scowl.
Jamie shook her hands in front of her and bounced over to me, wrapping me in a hug before quickly pulling back. “You’re different.”
“Human,” I shrugged.
She shook her head in disbelief.
I laughed. “I’ll explain in a minute.” I looked over at Hannah. “A little privacy?”
Hannah paused and as if it were her own idea she disappeared from the room.
I reached for Jackson’s hand and he smiled, relieved. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.” Then he disappeared.
Pulling Jamie onto the bed so we were sitting across from each other, I touched her arms, willing her to understand everything I was about to say.