“My apologies, Autumn. Please forgive me,” she whispers.
Without warning, she enters my body, somehow managing to shove my consciousness aside. It’s like being locked in a glass room—able to see everything that’s going on but not able to interact with my surroundings.
Abigail uses me to push up to a kneel. With my pointer finger, she draws a symbol in the ground. It looks like three interconnecting triangles.
Though I want to fight back from the intrusion, despite myself, I can’t help but wonder what she has planned next.
The Fetch shoves Wade’s grandpa aside, crawling her way to the grimoire.
Abigail ignores it. Instead, she contorts my hands into various symbols, like some sort of magical sign language. Then, she uses my voice to say, “Hail all gods, goddesses, and protectors of the Temple of the Soul—each who weigh heaven and earth in delicate balance, and in honor of the Fates’ grand plan. Oh mighty Death, taker of life, I deliver unto you the body of William Hoffman. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, bless his body so it may slumber in eternal rest.”
As her final words are spoken, the cord tying the revenant’s body to mine disintegrates. When the last remnants of it fade from around his torso, every corner of his body turns to ash and blows away like glitter being blown into the breeze. It flits away, sparkling as it spirals into the depths of the tunnel behind us.
My body lurches forward as Abigail’s energy is expelled, unable to hold onto my body. She’s thrust outside, and once again, I’m in the driver’s seat of my own body. Worse than before, her energy signature is weak, and her form is barely visible. Without a word, she vanishes completely.
Wade’s body stands up, the grimoire clutched in his hands, as a monstrous smile bursts over his ordinarily handsome features. “Finally,” the Fetch says, running a hand along the ancient cover.
“I—I don’t know what to do? I don’t know how to help,” Wade’s spirit says, distressed. “Autumn, what do I do?”
Racing forward, I spring at the grimoire, determined to wrestle it away from the Fetch. She steps aside at the last moment and I narrowly miss. My shoulder hits the side of the catacombs wall and pain shoots down my arm.
“I could really get used to this,” the Fetch says, chuckling, and running her hands up and down Wade’s form. “I can see why you like this…creature. He feels good. Strong… There’s a lot of power behind a male’s body. Who knew?”
“Yeah, well, it’s already spoken for—so get out,” I say, twisting around and lunging for the book again.
This time, I make contact, grabbing hold of either side of the grimoire and tugging with all my might. Wade’s strong hands hold steady, though, clutching at the grimoire as if my actions are nothing more than the feeble attempts of a toddler.
An ominous chuckle erupts from deep inside Wade’s chest as the Fetch snatches the grimoire back. “You don’t stand a chance. This was always my destiny. Don’t you get that? You can take away the revenants, but I’ll still find a way to become immortal.”
“That’s what you want? Immortality?” I sputter. “Why?”
Wade’s silver eyes narrow. “See, this is why you shouldn’t be in possession of this. How long have you known Cat was a Gemini Twin and you never even bothered to look it up… Typical.”
“Then why don’t you enlighten me,” I fire back.
“Let’s just say Colton shouldn’t get all the fun.” Pushing me aside, she tucks the grimoire under her arm and walks toward the tunnel exit. She doesn’t even bother with me, as if she’s realized just how irrelevant I am.
Feeling depleted and utterly defeated, desperation floods my system.
The walls are closing in and I can’t breathe. If she walks out—how will I ever get Wade’s soul back in his body? What if we can’t? I realize now I’m fighting a battle I was sorely unprepared to fight.
One thing I know for sure—I can’t let her take the book... and I can’t let her take Wade’s body…
But how can I possibly stop her?
Chapter 27
Sudden Death
Wade’s soul reaches for me. “Autumn—did she hurt you? Are you okay?” His eyes are deep pools of concern as he places his ethereal hand against my cheek. The coolness of it seeps into my skin, making me shiver.
I shake my head. “No, I’m all right.”
“Good,” he exhales softly, lowering his eyebrows. “How do we stop her? There has to be a way…”
“I don’t know…” I whisper, blinking back tears as I watch his body walk away without him.
Despair washes over me and tears brim in my lids.
Suddenly, dark clouds billow into the circular room, drawing all the energy from the torches and dimming the space. Wade’s dad steps out of the black, billowy vortex, getting right between his son’s hijacked body and the way out.
“Oh, shit,” Wade’s spirit curses.
His father doesn’t say a word to the Fetch, but the impact is immediate. Without a doubt, Cat’s doppelgänger knows this means trouble.
Wade’s body screeches to a halt, cowering and stumbling a few steps back with the book pulled in tightly. “No—no, no, no…”
As if somehow able to grow in size, Wade’s dad towers over his son’s body as he steps forward, extending a hand out in front of him, still in utter silence. His silver eyes flash and his nostrils flare as he waits for the Fetch to do as his suggestion requires.
Instead, the Fetch backs away, clutching the grimoire tighter. “No, no, I need it.”
“Do not defy me, child,” Wade’s father says, his voice thundering through the space with an air of authority that makes my blood run cold.
“You don’t understand, though.”
Wade’s dad rolls his eyes, and with the flick of his wrist, the book flies out of Wade’s grip, landing softly in his father’s arms. Wade’s shoulders drop and the Fetch immediately drops to the floor, kneeling.
“I’m sorry, so, so sorry… Please,” the Fetch murmurs,
