The Evanescence (Fallen Soul Series) - By Jessica Sorensen Page 0,31

gives me a quick recap of everything that went on and how our love not only saved him, but Annabella and Laylen, too. “It was the loophole that sent Helena back to the Afterlife,” he tells me with a look in his eyes that makes my skin feel like it’s melting.

Despite that, there are still Lost Souls and Fey roaming free, like the ones I saw on Nalina’s street. Aislin and Aleesa are trapped in the Faerie Realm. Two huge problems. Also, Nicholas is still prisoner in the City of Crystal.

“So where do we start?” Evan asks, checking the time on his leather-band watch.

“Late for a date or something?” Laylen questions with an arch of his brow.

Evan sweeps his black hair out of his face and stretches his hands above his head, yawning. “No, I’m just tired. It takes a lot of energy to use my powers and I’ve been using them a lot over the last few days.”

Laylen nods and then glances at Alex. “We should save Aislin first.”

“Yeah,” Alex concurs. “As much as I love my sister, she’s probably having a meltdown by now with all those Faeries and their insanity.” He dithers. “Then again, she might be fitting right in.”

I pinch him right above the kneecap. “Be nice,” I say and he leans over and kisses me for no reason. It makes me smile stupidly, despite the heaviness of the conversation. “And yes, we should save Aislin first… it’s my fault she’s down there.” I frown. “I can’t believe I did that.”

“You weren’t you.” Alex massages my shoulder. “It’s not your fault.” He pauses. “But we do need to get her out of there. If Luna returns to the Faerie Realm, she might be able to force Aislin to use magic and that’s the last thing we need on top of everything else.”

“I don’t think that Aislin is our biggest concern,” Evan interrupts. “I think we need to get the damn Faeries,” he hitches his finger over his shoulder at the window where a pair of blue, beady eyes are peeking in, “and the Sprites the hell out of our world.”

“Yeah, but what do they really do?” I ask. “I mean, I thought I saw one while I was standing in the street at Nalina’s, but it didn’t do anything except watch me like a creeper.”

Alex chuckles under his breath as he starts brushing his fingers through my hair. “A Faerie creeper?”

I shrug. “That’s what it was acting like.”

“Creeper or not, Faeries can be dangerous,” Evan says, sliding his cell phone out from his pocket. He swipes his finger across it and starts scrolling through something, dragging his finger down the edge of the screen.

“Do you really think now’s the time to be surfing the Internet?” Alex asks.

Evan holds up a finger with his free hand as he continues to scroll. “Just a second. I’m proving my point.” He mulls over the screen as he lowers his hand. “There it is.” He looks up and then pitches the phone across the room to Alex.

Alex catches it effortlessly; careful not to bump the screen and lose whatever Evan’s trying to show us. I lean over and read, with Alex, the article on the screen.

Early this morning, there was an accident at the City Center when a massive, moving structure crushed through Town Hall, destroying the entire building. At least three people are dead and twenty-three have been injured.

The various reports of what the structure was ranged from a large purple airplane to a giant purple woman. The latter has been linked to severe head trauma in many of the victims. The official cause is still being determined.

I glance up at Alex as he shuts down the screen. “Why would she do that?”

Alex shakes his head and tosses Evan’s phone back to him. “I’m not sure, but we need to find out.”

“We need to get Aislin out of the realm first,” Laylen says. “Then we can chase down crazy, purple, Faerie woman. Aislin can help us, too.” He looks at Alex for help. “You know her, magic is always needed whenever we’re about to do something dangerous.”

“Yeah…” Alex is torn.

“What about the Lost Souls?” I ask. “I saw one of them on the street, too, but they don’t seem to be doing anything.”

Evan stuffs his phone into his pocket. “Besides taking over innocent bodies?”

“Shit,” I mutter under my breath. “This is such a huge mess.”

“A huge mess that needs to be fixed.” Evan rises to his feet. “Which is