The Evanescence (Fallen Soul Series) - By Jessica Sorensen Page 0,61
meant? Do I belong here? The idea is ludicrous, yet deep down, I feel a burn in my heart and a need to help them.
His eyes are full of expectation. “We need your help.”
I glance around at the trees. “Where’s Luna now?”
“She’s up in your world with her followers,” he replies with a frown. “Doing damage, wreaking havoc, I’m sure.” He steps forward and the sunlight leaves me. “But if you’re our ruler… you can stop her.”
I don’t know what to do. I want to help them. They all look so sad. However, I have my own problems, so I do something I’m sure I’ll probably feel very bad for later. I lie. “I’ll help you,” I say and he starts to smile so I hurry and add, “but I have to go back to my world first. I have… I have some friends that are in danger and I need to help them first.” I swallow hard, thinking of Alex. “But if you let me go, I promise, I’ll come back as soon as I can.” When I say it, I realize I’m lying. Well, maybe. Honestly, I don’t know what I mean—what I want to do. Actually I do. I want to go back to school, learn, live, love, breathe. Be free.
He bows his head and takes a long backwards stride. “I know what you say is the truth, Gemma. I can see it in your eyes.”
I try not to furrow my brows because even I don’t know if I’m being truthful. “So I can go?”
“You’re free to go anytime you wish. That’s the power you have now,” he says. “And if you are ever in need, I’ll be there to help you. It’s my job now. We’re your loyal followers.” Then, his head whips up and he stares out at the sky, shouting, “Long live, Empress Gemma!”
The crowd joins in, shouting, laughing, hugging, and throwing things. I feel bad, yet, I don’t. I turn towards Aislin, ready to get out of this place before more stuff happens and I end up turning into a Sprite or something.
“Ready?” I ask, trying not to sound too eager.
She smiles and then winks at me with a cheery look on her face. “Yes, Empress.”
I shake my head, suppressing a smile. Then, shutting my eyes, I picture the grey stone castle, its peaking towers, the green grass, the sand beside the rippling lake. I let out a sigh of relief as I feel us being pulled away, whisked back to my world. However, a part of me feels guilty for leaving them. Even though the Fey have never been my favorite creatures, they still don’t deserve to suffer and I wonder if maybe I’ll end up going back and helping them.
As I land on the ground, I shake the thought from my head, relieved to be back in the real world again.
Chapter 31
Alex
It’s dark, murky, the air smells pungent, but that could be from the mummified corpses surrounding me. Water drips from the stone ceiling and rivers down the walls. I scrape my knife across the rocks as I watch the Lost Souls cower, terrified out of their rotting minds. The fear flowing off them invigorates me, but, for a brief second, it feels wrong.
“See? It’s not so bad,” Draven says, walking the length of the room with a massive grin on his face. The Banshee watches us from the corner of the room, perched on a rock, occasionally joining us.
I nod, cutting a piece off the stone wall. I watch the fragment fall to the ground, already forgetting what I was thinking about. “It’s not too bad.”
We’re in the basement of his place. Apparently, he’s been working on his army for quite some time because he’s already got a whole stash of Lost Souls on hand. He brought me down here to train me and to add Stasha’s body—soul—to the collection.
He carries a long, black whip, laced with silver, as he struts around the room, carrying confidence, even though decaying bodies surround him.
“What you must always understand, Alex, is that strong discipline is the key to their behavior. You give them a chance to disobey,” he cracks his whip as one of them shifts towards him, “they will have no respect for you.”
The willful soul returns to its corner, hunkering back down with the others. Draven rolls up his whip and connects it to his hip. He turns in my direction and gestures for me to follow him as he opens