The Evanescence (Fallen Soul Series) - By Jessica Sorensen Page 0,11

Facing Evan, he squares his shoulders and shakes out any sadness in his body. “Okay…” He inhales and then exhales. “I’m ready.”

The sight of him, willing and ready to sacrifice his life, causes something to flicker inside my mind. Something I’ve heard before and an overwhelming feeling stirs inside me, hot and fiery and consuming.

“Gemma, don’t waste your time trying to fight me,” Helena’s voice snaps at me. “You’ll never win. I’m too strong.”

I shut my mind down from her and struggle to control my body again. I need to tell Alex to let me go, release me, just let it be me for once. I attempt to find my voice, forcing my neck muscles to move up and down. Please, please, please. For a second, I feel it, the ability to swallow on my own, but then Helena’s laughter floods my concentration and my efforts shatter as my control slips away.

Alex bows his head as Evan reaches up and places a hand on Alex’s head. Then Evan places his other hand on my forehead. “This will probably hurt,” he tells me.

And it does. The pain’s not from him, though. I’m being beaten from the inside, there are knocks and blows to my body as Helena thrashes, trying to get out of my body and dodge the transfer and I want her to. I want her to leave me and let me die so Alex can go on living. At that moment, I hate Helena more than I’ve ever hated anything. More than the Death Walkers. Stephan. More than any evil creature in the world. She is taking from me and I hate her. I want her to die. I want her to suffer in the most painful ways. I want so many evil things to happen to her that, for a moment, I feel like I’m being controlled by evil.

“It’s okay, Gemma. Let go of Helena.” Annabella’s voice flows softly inside my head.

“No,” I sob. “I have to save Alex. I can’t let him die.”

“Gemma,” Annabella pleads, “Please let go of us. We have to send Helena back to the Afterlife.”

“No… I can’t…” Tears stream down my cheeks as I feel Helena’s possession over my body lift and weaken, like a heavy blanket being removed from my body. Her spirit and voice dissipate as she swishes from me and begins to transfer to Alex. It feels like a part of me is being lifted with it, the good part, the one that belongs to him. The last thing I hear is Helena’s fading voice.

“Don’t think you’ve won,” she says. “I’ll get my evanescence.”

Then she’s gone.

“Alex, no!” My lips part under my own accord and my body arches upward, the ropes ripping at my skin. “Stop!”

Evan’s eyes char like fragments of hot ash and the ropes around my wrist and ankles flame and singe apart. Suddenly I’m falling off the bed and onto the floor and Alex crumples to the ground beside me.

“Alex,” I gasp for air as hot tears spill down my cheeks and soak my hair. Angling my heavy head to the side, I reach my hand towards him, needing to touch him, needing to feel him.

He slowly slants his head towards me and extends his fingers to me, but there’s no life in his eyes, no movement, no light. “Gemma,” he whispers. “I lo...” His eyes slip shut and he rolls to his back as his arms fall to his side. The world stops moving, breathing—I stop breathing. I hold onto his hand, crying with every ounce of sadness I have in me, as the world begins to erratically spin. There’s a loud crack and I see Evan get up from the bed and start running. I feel the inside of my heart crumble to dust. I’m hollow. Then, everything goes black.

Chapter 4

Gemma

I remain on the cold floor, lying on my back with my eyes shut for what seems like days. I hear Evan leave and then eventually return, but I don’t move. My head is pounding and my body feels beaten, bruised, useless, dead—numb—just like my heart. Because he’s gone. Alex is gone. I never got to fully be with him because I was scared of how I felt and now I can’t. My chance is gone. He’s gone, just like my heart and will to live.

“Gemma,” Evan says from above me. “You need to open your eyes. Don’t let Alex’s sacrifice be for nothing.”

I know he’s right, but at the same time, I don’t want