duct tape covers her mouth.
“I’m guessing there’s no need for introductions,” the Banshee says as she shoves Stasha towards the wall. Stasha trips over her feet and her shoulder slams into one of the shelves, causing books to fall to the floor.
“Why is she here?” I ask. “You know I don’t care about her, right?”
Stasha starts to cry and I feel like kind of a douche, but then I remember how she tried to kill Gemma and I really stop caring.
“I’ve been doing some research.” Draven nods at the book on his desk. “With some trial and error I’ve found a way to… How shall I put this?” he taps his chin thoughtfully. “Create my own Lost Souls.”
“Create?” I cock an eyebrow. “Huh?”
“A Lost Soul is created when someone has a death before their time,” he explained with an amused expression “They become lost and are easily manipulated.”
I consider what he’s saying and cringe. “So you’re telling me that you’re killing people in order to create Lost Souls?”
“Yes, well, it’s a bit more complicated and complex than that,” he says, leaning back in his chair and swiveling it from side-to-side. “If I were to just kill them they’d cross over to Helena—not me. And that’s not what we want.”
“We?” I question. “You mean, you?”
He shakes his head. “Nope, it’s you and I now. You’re going to want this eventually, just wait and see. You’ll get there.”
“You can’t just go around killing random people,” I say, knowing he can. “Just so you can add more Lost Souls to the world.”
He gets to his feet and walks over to Stasha, sketching his finger along her glove-covered hand, looking at her with his hungry, needy, soulless eyes and it’s creepy because, for a second, I feel the hungry, soulless, creepiness. “Don’t worry, Alex.” His eyes glint as he smells Stasha’s hair and grins when she trembles. “The people I choose are very special. They have extraordinary gifts, like your friend Stasha.”
Stasha cringes away from him.
I’m torn between letting him hurt her and stopping him from taking a soul and obviously getting what he wants. “Leave her alone,” I say.
“It doesn’t really sound like you mean it,” he says, sweeping Stasha’s hair to the side as he walks behind her. “In fact, I think you’re kind of glad I’m going to do it. In fact, maybe you’d like to take her soul yourself.
Shaking my head, I get to my feet. “I said, let her go.”
His dark eyes pierce into me. “Don’t ever defy me.” And just like that I drop helplessly to the floor, like a stiff board, my arms to my sides, my knees locked. “You’re forgetting your place with me,” he tells me, and I feel something inside my skull explode.
Seconds later, I feel sedated and my mouth moves on its own. “You’re right. I was totally out of line.”
“Much better.” Draven turns back to Stasha. “Let’s add another soldier to our army.”
“Gladly.” The Banshee smiles and struts up to him, handing him a knife. It has an ash-black handle and is embellished with fancy gold lettering. Draven holds the knife up in the air and then aims the sharp tip towards Stasha. I want to move, yet, I don’t want to. I’m conflicted. Let it happen. Don’t let it happen.
I end up watching as Draven plunges the knife into Stasha’s chest and her body goes limp, slipping to the floor. At first I’m pissed, but something changes inside of me, as if a light has been switched off and, then, all I feel is numbness.
Draven glances over at me with a satisfied expression on his face and, seconds later, I regain control of my body. Rolling to my stomach, I push myself up and walk over next to him. As I stare down at Stasha, lying on the ground, with her eyes open and her arms sprawled to the side of her, a grin spreads across my face. I’m ready to repay my debt. Ready to start my training.
I’m ready to be the next Lord of the Afterlife.
Chapter 29
Gemma
Aislin wasn’t lying when she told me there was no way to escape except for walking out. Not only are we blocked from using our powers, but the entrance to the tunnel is also protected by some shield that we can’t get through.
There’s a small cottage located just behind the tree that Aislin and Aleesa have been sleeping in. Other than that, there’s a bunch of rocks, the sky, and the ground, which