messy, brown hair, the lines of his firm jaw, along his soft lips. I wish I could make his pain go away, but Helena takes over, smothering the feeling out with her own gratification.
“Back so soon, boys?” she singsongs in my voice as she bats her eyelashes at them It’s infuriating because I’d never, ever bat my eyelashes at a guy. “I knew you couldn’t get enough of me. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of me to go around if you don’t mind sharing.” She laughs haughtily, and looks at them both with hungry eyes.
“Hello, Helena,” Evan says as he reaches the edge of the bed.
I barely know him, but every time I look at his black hair that hangs in his dark eyes a faint memory clicks inside my head; one of when we were children, running around playing. I was fascinated by the marks on his skin and I remember one time sitting in a field with him and he explained what each one meant. Sometime in my life, I knew him.
“We just finished having a little discussion with Laylen.” Evan leans over me. “He told us some very useful information about you and your ability to possess Gemma’s body.”
She smirks at him, shaking her head, and laughing. “You really expect me to believe that Laylen broke down and told you everything? He’s my puppet—all mine. I control him. Without me, he has nothing to tell.”
“You’re right; Laylen was like a puppet for you. Was being the key word,” he says calmly and then a condescending look rises across his face. “But with a little persuasion from my mind-blowing gifts, he became a little more willing to cooperate. As a matter of fact, you could probably say he’s now a puppet for me.” Evan’s eyes light up as he makes movements with his fingers, like he’s controlling the strings of a marionette.
I try not to panic, but it’s hard, especially when Alex’s face twists in agony. Something’s wrong. I can feel it.
“So what?” She snickers. “Like I said, he doesn’t know anything so I have nothing to worry about.”
“I have to admit,” Evan continues, sinking down on the edge of the bed, the mattress concaving beneath his weight, “getting a Lost Soul to cooperate was kind of complicated and pretty painful for him, but he did cooperate and told us your little secrets.” He taps his finger against his chin with a mocking expression as he pretends to consider something deeply. “Like that one secret.” He glances over his shoulder at Alex. “What was it again?”
Alex's flourishing green eyes have been fixed on me since he entered the room. His skin has gone sheet white, which makes me wonder what I look like. “Huh?” He rips his gaze from me. “Oh, the secret.” He’s suddenly as serene and composed as he was when we first met. “The one on how to get you back to the Afterlife?”
Evan snaps his fingers and slams his hand down on the bed beside my hip. “That’s the one.”
A rushing wave crashes through my body and slams into my heart, speeding up my pulse. “You’re lying!” Helena shouts. “He would never dare!”
“Oh, we would dare,” Alex responds, his eyes searching every inch of my body. I want to shout that I’m in here, alive, but I’m bound to the darkness of my own mind and Helena’s power. “He told us that you have a loophole.”
Loopholes? God dammit. Why is it always about loopholes? They’re so unpredictable.
“We know about Annabella,” Evan adds, placing a hand on each side of my head as he leans over me.
A gasp escapes from Helena. “How… no…” Adrenaline soars through my body, fueled by her fear. She struggles to stay collected, fighting the urge to shout and divulge what she knows. “Annabella is the weaker of my sisters. Just because she saved you and Gemma once, doesn’t mean she’ll save you again.” Rage consumes her, though, and she’s losing her composure. Her voice rumbles louder, thudding against the walls and the window. “Besides, Annabella doesn’t even exist anymore. I haven’t seen her since I ate her for dinner.”
Evan pulls a disgusted face as Alex arches his eyebrow. “Okay, way too much information,” Evan says.
Helena’s grin magnifies and the fear inside her diminishes. “So tell me then, what did Laylen say the loophole is?” She’s enjoying herself now, thinking she’s won.
Evan moves so swiftly it startles Helena and myself. He grabs my face between his hands and his skin is scorching