The Evanescence (Fallen Soul Series) - By Jessica Sorensen Page 0,17

began to fall apart and Gemma’s kiss made it crumble until it didn’t exist. That was the loophole. You love one another endlessly and it’s very powerful.

“Forever,” I say underneath my breath.

Annabella continues, “You’re both free from Helena and the possession of her Lost Souls and I’m free to return to my Essences.”

“So that’s it?” I wonder with doubt. “Helena’s gone for good? Just like that? Because it seems too easy.”

“I didn’t say that she was gone,” she clarifies. “I said she can’t possess you anymore. She’ll still have reign over the Lost Souls that are roaming free and possessing people. She’ll seek her vision and try to change her past so she can have more power in the future.” There is sadness in her voice. “I want to thank you, Alex, both you and Gemma. The power of your love continues to amaze me every single time I’m graced with it. It proves to me that there is hope for the world and that true love still exists, even though it’s rare and seems to be becoming extinct more and more each day.” I feel her drifting away, leaving my body.

“Wait… Annabella, what about Laylen?” I ask. “What happens to him? Gemma… Gemma loves him, too.”

“It’ll be fixed,” she says softly.

“Do you mean it will be—” I start to ask, but I’m cut off as I feel her separate from my body and I’m left feeling empty.

I’m alone in my body. There are no extra voices, no whispers of evil. Everything is just as it should be. My body gradually recovers; my arms and legs returning to my control. My eyes open and I can hear Gemma crying from the opposite end of the castle, where Laylen lies dead. I try to get up so I can go to her—tell her everything will be okay—but I’m frozen. I can’t move my mouth, my arms or my legs. I’m paralyzed.

I hear her footsteps as she walks passed the open door and then she trots down the stairs. I try to yell to her, to tell her I am okay, but I can’t get the damn words out of my mouth. When I hear the front door to the castle slam shut, fear seeps into my veins because, for some strange reason, I can feel her pain, sadness, and hate coursing through me, like it’s my own. She’s not herself and I’m afraid of what she might do, not just to someone else, but also to herself.

Chapter 7

Gemma

I use my Foreseer power to transport me to the neighborhood where Nalina’s house resides. It’s a simple trick of concentration and blinking my eyes. Simple. That’s what I need at the moment.

I plant myself down into the road in front of her ancient looking Victorian home with crooked shutters and a concaved front deck. It blends in well with the rest of the tattered neighborhood; full of barking dogs, collapsing fences, peeling siding, and a lot of shouting. Clouds are covering the sky and there’s a chilly breeze to the air, blowing brown leaves across the dry grass and the murky gutter lining the street.

I’m glad to have my Foreseer power back, but I feel like the world’s most horrible person when I think about how I manipulated Nicholas and his affection to get it back, even if I was possessed. Because of me, he’s a prisoner, chained to the giant flaming Crystal Ball that feeds off his life force to provide energy in the City of Crystal and for all the Foreseers. I remember how I stuck the needles into Nicholas’s arms and then attached him to the ball. I feel responsible and need to find a way to set him free, even if he is a perverted jerk. I’m just unsure of how to go about it without Dyvinius stripping me of my power. Right now, I need to have it, so as terrible as it is, I decide to leave Nicholas in the chains, but I’ll get to him. Eventually.

A tall man comes walking down the sidewalk, whistling a tune as he kicks at the loose rocks. His hands are tucked into his pocket and he bends his legs in a strange way, like he’s trying hard to walk. When he glances at me, a smile rises across his face and he whispers something that sounds a lot like, “Helena.” I wonder if he’s a Lost Soul or just a very strange man, and I don’t dare move until he