Soul Possessed. Katlyn Duncan

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      Jamie rushed to our side, panting for breath. “I. Saw. Him. In. The. Parking. Lot.” Then the chattering began. It had been warm enough in the gym that she didn’t get the chills as she did around any After being, but with three of them around her, I knew she wouldn’t be able to subdue her ‘tell’.

      Ally barely hid her eye roll. “It must have been someone else.”

      “I know what I saw,” Jamie retorted fiercely.

      “You also saw me slam him against a rock wall,” I said.

      “Merely a bump,” a familiar voice called from behind us.

      My soul stiffened. I lifted my sword from behind me as I turned around. “Aaron.”

      “Did you miss me?”

      I wanted to slap that stupid grin from his face. He looked the same as I remembered. Not that I expected any different. Although I hadn’t anticipated he’d still be wearing the Guard uniform, even though it looked tattered around the edges.

      “I got rid of you,” I spat, reaching for Jamie. She skittered behind me, and I blocked her from his slimy gaze.

      Aaron reached up and touched the back of his head. “You should know the only way to properly dispose of a soul is with your sword. Or—”His grin widened, showing all of his teeth. “Or you can suck the life out of them.”

      My soul prickled at the thought of Aaron’s soul anywhere near me, just as two Shadowed appeared at his side towering over him with matching scythes strapped to their backs.

      One stepped forward, his silvery blond hair cascaded the length of his back. His eyes fell on mine. “We’ve come to collect you. We wish your friends no harm.”

      Ally snorted, “Yeah right.” She readied her sword in front of her.

      Cooper and Jackson moved in front of Ally and me. The one time they agreed on anything. If we weren’t in imminent danger I might have taken a picture.

      “You aren’t collecting anything,” Jackson growled.

      Aaron stepped back, allowing the leader to take his place. Typical. Aaron could talk but he never delivered. Why hadn’t Felix listened to me from the start and Recycled Aaron instead of making him a Guard?

      The blond tilted his head to the side as if Jackson was an insect. “Our mission is clear. We collect and leave. No harm done.”

      No harm except them taking me to who knows where. No way.

      “Not a chance,” Cooper said.

      The leader narrowed his gaze. “I don’t want to use force but I will if necessary.” He lifted his scythe and displayed it in front of him, nodding at the third Shadowed, a skinny man whose face resembled a rodent. He grinned wickedly, displaying a mouth with gaping holes where his teeth should have been, and disappeared from sight.

      I turned just as he appeared at my side, his unkempt fingers reaching for me. Jamie squealed and I thrust my sword in front of me, but before I could strike, Jackson shoved us back against the lockers.

      He kicked Rat Face in the gut. Rat Face scowled and reached for his weapon, detaching the blade from the sheath and swinging it in quick strikes at Jackson, missing him by inches. I found myself entranced by Jackson. I knew he was a strong fighter but he was right, he had been gentle with me. His graceful form weaved back and forth between the arcs of the scythe, landing a few more kicks of his own.

      Jamie whimpered and I knew I had to get her out of there before she got hurt again, or worse.

      “Maggie,” she said fearfully, her teeth chattering harder.

      I grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the fray. “I’m getting you out of here.”

      Ally and Cooper were defending themselves against Aaron and the blond Shadowed, both of them moving as a unit. The sides were evenly matched and I should have been the tipping point. A hint of my power surged deep within me, but I shoved it down. Jamie was my priority, and I would only be able to help once she was safe.

      “Come on.”

      Jamie shuffled in front of me, back the way we’d come. The sounds of crashing swords against scythes rang behind me but I couldn’t lose focus. We were almost to the stairs when something shoved me from behind.

       Chapter Six

      My knees went from under me. The floor rocketed up to my face but before I slammed into the ground a hand wrapped around my arm, pulling me up. Jackson’s face was twisted with rage as Rat Face took his stance for another attack.

      Jamie was halfway down the stairs before she realized she was alone. She looked back towards me with wide eyes.

      “Go!” I called, pulling my sword out.

      Even though we were two against one, Rat Face didn’t seem concerned. But he did attack Jackson first. If their mission was to get me on their side, I doubt they would hurt me, but as for my friends? I didn’t want to take any chances.

      “Now it’s your turn to get out of here,” Jackson grunted, taking another blow from Rat Face.

      I circled around Rat Face. “Absolutely not.”

      “Get back to the After,” Jackson snapped through gritted teeth as he avoided a scythe to his face.

      Rat Face moved, keeping the two of us in front of him.

      “I’m not leaving.”

      “We’re not going to hurt you. But we have been instructed to hurt your friends if necessary,” Rat Face confided with a smile.

      Suddenly I was filled with purpose, Jamie had a broken arm because of me. Ally didn’t have a father because of me and I wasn’t risking anything else happening to any one of them.

      Shoving my sword forward, I blocked a blow meant for Jackson. Rat Face’s eyes narrowed as he pushed my weapon away with his, but he didn’t counterattack, instead he slid back a few steps. I lunged forward, but Jackson took over again, shoving me to one side.

      Rat Face slipped under Jackson’s arm and reached for me again, and this time he touched me. A searing heat sluiced through me. Jackson’s eyes went wide and his face disappeared. Rat Face had transported us to the other end of the hall, behind the blond and Aaron.

      “Got her.”

      But I wasn’t going anywhere with them. As much as I wanted information, Rat Face wasn’t going to stop unless someone made him do so and this was what I was trained to do. Focusing on his chest I raised my sword and sliced it across his front. His soul stiffened and I pulled the blade out, watching as his soul disintegrated.

      The heat from Rat Face’s touch was nothing compared to the heat coursing through me as my power crept up from its hidden place. I tried to shove it back down, but it had had a taste of a soul and wanted more.

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