The Soul Collector - By Tamela Quijas Page 0,75

was far more powerful than expected. He stifled a grunt of pain and rose to his feet, expecting the next blow.

He hit the floor harder this time, Julian's mad laughter filling his ears. His head ached, the throb accentuated by the impact of a heavy stone. Brilliant stars danced behind his closed lids, and he tasted blood.

Stubbornly, he rose again, defying his twin. He would fight this daemon of the otherworld in his human form, and knew he would die, all for Evangeline.

“You would risk all, dear brother, for this woman?” �

The words were low and strangely seductive as they flowed about him. Lucien flinched, not expecting Julian to have such insight into his private thoughts. Fear welled in his throat as his brother turned toward Eva's kneeling body, waving a dismissive hand.

“I would risk all!” His response caused his brother to pause.

“This woman,” Julian threw his head back, laughing with cruel pleasure. “Does she mean that much?” �

“Yes!” �

“Only she boasts the ability to bring you to this place of horrors?” �

“Yes!”

“You would risk your existence for this mortal?”

“Yes and, again, yes!” Lucien shouted. He approached his brother, each step slow and filled with pain.

…Evie?

“Oh, Reese,” her brother's name left her in a quivering breath. Coldness, far more intense than the chill filling the dungeon, moved close. Eva lifted pained eyes to her brother, feeling hopeless. “There must be something we can do. Lucien is human, because of me, and Julian intends to kill him.” �

…want to save him? �

“How?” She wanted to cry at the futility of his question, lacking any semblance of supernatural power.

…angel's fire, Evie�

She grunted with exasperation. “You’re speaking the same stupid riddles!”

…not riddles, not nonsense�

“This Angel’s Fire bit is absolute nonsense!” She hissed.

…love him? �

The question was not issued in the disjointed and sarcastic tones he commonly adopted. Eva closed her eyes, tears slipping free. In the silence, she heard the bone jarring impact of Lucien's body striking the floor, again.

“Yes, I love him,” she responded candidly, opening her eyes. Malicious words flowed about her, rising from the mist shrouding the floor as they spewed from Julian's contorted mouth.

“You would die for her, brother?” �

“Yes!” Lucien rose, staggering and wiping the thin line of blood from his mouth with his hand. The crimson color was apparent on the paleness of his flesh, a bright beacon that drew intense and maniacal laughter from the hovering figure.

“You’ve fallen, Lucien!” Julian’s statement was filled with awe when he spied the slow trickle. His blanched, envious, before he narrowed crimson eyes.

“She has made me human.” Lucien smiled, averting his eyes from Eva's kneeling form. “I have found my angel.” �

Julian threw his head back, his laughter increasing, causing the mist to swirl about him.

“You babble of demons and angels, brother. Only in your world do such things exist, but not in mine.” Julian’s laughter stilled. “Join me and let us be as we should, brothers eternally.” �

“You were not as a brother to me!” Lucien wiped the ever-flowing trickle from his mouth, his jaw angrily set.

“Ah, but think of the power,”� Julian cajoled silkily while he glided about his brother. “Imagine the power we could savor, if we were to join forces.” �

“Our power is evil!” �

“Not entirely,”�Julian soothed. “The world is evil. People are evil.” �

“I don't hunger for your corrupted power!” �

Lucien flew back, hit by unseen hands as soon as the statement left him. He grunted with pain as his body struck the firm stones of a supporting buttress. He wavered for a moment, before sliding to the floor.

“Imagine all we could have, brother.” Julian’s tempting words filled the dungeon, echoing from the crumbling walls, and ceiling. “I’ll allow you to keep your woman.” �

…save him�

“How, Reese?” Eva whispered. She looked toward her brother's shadowy image, her desperation clear.

…trust me�

“Do it!” She snarled fiercely.

…hurts�

“Please, Reese, for Lucien.”

Her breath escaped her in a gasping sigh as Reese melded into her living form. She felt the startling wealth of intense cold just as her thoughts vanished from her mind.

Immediately, she was filled with memories not her own. There was Reese staring down at her, his expression filled with awe while he whispered his love for his newborn sister. There was Reese with her body snuggled close to his side, regaling her with wondrous stories of knights and princes. There was Reese, wiping the tears from her eyes as she sobbed uncontrollably. He had a duffel bag strung over his shoulder and his words meant for her alone,