Chapter 21
(Alex)
It was going to cost me. A lot. More than my life. More than a year working for Draven. The damn Banshee wanted my soul and she d led me out here thinking she could trick me into giving it to her. Apparently when someone sacrificed their own life, their soul was worth more. So if Gemma or I had drunk the poison she sent us to collect, our soul would belong to her and give her more power.
It was always about power
What the Banshee didn t realize was that my soul belonged to someone else. It was something Gemma still didn t understand that no one understood. My soul belonged to her. And I wasn t speaking in an I love you kind of way. I d actually given her some of my soul. When we d made the forever blood promise, cutting our hands and uttering the forever words, it had been sealed by more than our blood. It had been sealed by our souls.
The night I d wandered over to her house, the day when her emotions revived, I d had a hunch that something might happen. I was still brainwashed by my father, but all that time away from her finally took me over. And I knew I had to see her. I d made sure to keep my distance, staying in the shadows, watching her through her bedroom window. She seemed lost, like she didn t know what to do with herself, and my heart ached to go save her.
But my mind told me to leave.
As I d started to go, I felt the strangest thing, like I was leaving my body, yet I still stayed on the ground. I clutched onto the fence, gripping so tight it cut into my hands. I couldn t breathe. I couldn t move. And then I saw Gemma at the window, staring at me as my soul reconnected with hers.
It wasn t the electricity that had done it. It was my soul breathing back life into its other half. Which might be why we had to die together.
I ran home after that and never said a word to my father. He d have killed me if I did. But I heard about it. Sophia had kept this list and she would keep track of every time she performed the Unus quisnam aufero animus soul detachment on Gemma. I guess her soul had been a tough one and kept trying to revive itself. But the last and final time it was preformed was right after I d showed up.
February 8th. The very day our souls rejoined.
My father came in raging, saying Sophia had tried to detach it again, but this time it was sticking. Then he forced me, like a puppet, to go to school and poke my nose around and find out what I could. But I was warned not to get close to her.
The sucky thing was I didn t even put up a fight.
That s why I couldn t make the deal with the Banshee woman. But it didn t mean I was going to give up.
I rounded the corner of the house, heading back to check if Laylen had run off. I wasn t sure how I was going to get out of Iceland. I couldn t fly since I didn t have my passport. If all else failed, I would just have to track down a witch. I ducked behind the house and peeked underneath the tarp. He was still there, drooling all over himself.
What am I supposed to do with you?
I said to myself.
I d just leave you here, but I m pretty sure Gemma would kill me.
I can fix him.
I whirled, my knife out of my pocket before she could even work up a flinch.
Where is she?
My sister threw her hands in the air.
She s fine. I m fine.
She rolled up her sleeves and the mark was no longer on her arm.
So Gemma kicked your ass.
I grinned.
She glared, but then shook her head.
We need to go.
I nodded my head at the wood pile.
You want to take care of him first.
Oh, yeah.
She seemed a little out of it, even for her, blinking confusedly. She rushed over to Laylen, giving a sad sigh as she worked her magic on him. Moments later, there was this strange snake thing moving toward me.
Step on it!
she cried.
I stomped on it hard.
What was that thing?
That was the mark.
She stood, dusting her hands.
And apparently, it doesn t die when it s removed.
I lifted the bottom of my shoe, pulling a face at the black goo.
So that s how you guys went craz & how you got the mark.
She scowled.
Yeah, from now on, they need to be stomped on.
Laylen woke up, confused and grabbing his head.
What happened? And why does it feel like someone punched me.
No one punched you.
I helped him to his feet.
I hit you in the head with a shovel.
He blinked, dazed, and I decided not to mention he d bit Gemma because his own guilt would be more than enough.
So where are we going?
I asked Aislin.
Back to the house?
She glanced around nervously.
We re going to Adessa s.
That s where you ended up?
I cocked an eyebrow.
Why?
It was Gemma,
she replied, brushing the snow off Laylen s back.
And it s a good thing she did because it was Adessa who got the mark off me.
We huddled together, preparing to go to Vegas.
But I have to warn you,
she said.
You might want to prepare yourself.
I didn t have time to ask her why as she transported us away.