“What is wrong with you?” His chest heaves in fear as he looks straight into my eyes. “You’re possessed aren’t you? Alex was right. God, I can’t believe it.”

I lick my lips. “Your fear is fitting.”

His golden eyes smolder. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“Of course you are,” I say with assurance. My hand snaps forward and my nails dig into his wrist. “Now prepare yourself.”

His eyebrows join together. “For what?”

“For the worst pain you’re ever going to feel.” I unhinge my jaw and open my mouth. With one deep breath, I blow out a Black Widow from my mouth. It discharges through the air and lands on Nicholas’ throat. The real Gemma throws up all over the ground. I elevate my head up and Nicholas drops to the floor with bite marks on his Adam’s apple. The Black Widow scampers across the floor, disappearing in the light of the crystal.

Black Widow bites are severely painful and can be lethal to humans. But he isn’t human. He’s fey. Which is good, because I don’t want him dead. I still need his energy. I grab him by the foot and drag him over to the crystal. Finding a bare spot, I heave him to his feet and incline him against the crystal. Securing him with the chain, I pierce his skin with my fingernail. His blood trickles out and I insert the tubes into his skin. The ball flares with adrenaline and I suck Nicholas’ blood off my pinky. The crystal releases my Foreseer power and I tip my head back, high on adrenaline.

I wiggle my fingers at the unconscious Nicholas and stroll out the door. With a blink of my eyes, I foresee my way back home and move along with Helena’s plan. Ready to rain fire down on anyone who gets in my way.

Chapter 26

My skull feels like its split in two, my body aches, and there’s a strange burning on the back of my neck. My body slams into an invisible wall, over and over again. Voice flutter around me. I spasm, my mind flinching madly as I try to return to my body.

“Don’t force it. You have to gain control.” The distant voice belongs to my father.

“What’s happening?” I moan in pain.

Silence.

“Dad.” My voice switches. “Julian.”

“I want to talk to my daughter,” he says. “Or I won’t tell you how to free yourself.”

“Free me from what?” Helena asks snidely. “No one can trap me.”

“Gemma’s body’s been moved into the castle,” he answers, anger threatening his tone. “There’s praesidium there and she can’t return to her body. Not without my help. And I won’t give it to her unless I can directly talk to her.”

I consider my options, the line between Helena and myself fading fast. “You have one minute.”

My body scorches as she lets me take over. “Dad, where am I?”

“You’re stuck, Gemma.” He pauses. “Not just with Helena, but here. Your bodies back in the castle.”

“Why? What happened?”

He doesn’t answer. “I’m worried about you. You’re doing things that are going to get you trapped in the Room of Forbidden.”

“That’s not me,” I tell him. “Helena… I can’t think clearly when she’s in my head. It’s like I’m not even myself anymore.”

“I know. But you’re going to have to try harder or you’re going to end up stuck in your owned mind for eternity, just like me.”

“You won’t be stuck forever,” I promise. “I’m going to free you.”

“No!” He snaps. “You can’t let me out. I can’t change that vision for Helena. Ever. Do you understand?”

“Not really,” I admit. “I mean, we won against Stephan and I’m sure we can handle the Queen of the Lost Souls.”

“Do you remember what happened when you changed the vision back? The one I altered?”

I nod. “Vampires, Fey, and Witches took over the world.”

“Now imagine that, only with Lost Souls,” he presses, “possessing whoever they want.”

The severity clicks. “But for how long? I can’t let you stay trapped in the Room of Forbidden forever.”

He doesn’t respond.

“Dad! Don’t leave! Please.”

“I’m sorry,” he says. “But this is going to hurt.”

I crumple to the ground as my body ignites with flames. By skin chars, my blood boils. I scream. “Help me!”

***

When I open my eyes, I’m not on fire. But the pain still lingers. I’m lying in my bed, my arms entwined above my head and secured by a chain to a bar on a headrest. “What the hell?”

“Did you really think I wouldn’t know?” Alex stands at the foot of my bed, gripping the bars, knuckles white as he struggles to control his rage. My locket dangles from his fingers. The sugelite stone in the center protects me from magical harm, which makes me wonder what’s coming. “I love her more than anything and somehow you thought you could walk around in her body and go unnoticed.”

“Who do you think I am?” I writhe my arms and legs, the metal links clawing at my skin. “Alex, let me go! What’s wrong with you?!”

His eyes stay on me as he crawls over the foot of the bed. Sitting on my legs, he immobilizes them. “How did you do it? How did you get to her? I thought she was protected from your possession.”

“Alex, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Hot tears spill down my cheeks. “Please.”

He shakes his head. “That’s not going to work this time. I know who you really are. You think you’re so powerful, but how much power do you have, really? I mean, you can’t walk out of The Afterlife on your own.”

I stop crying, my expression blanking. “Well aren’t you clever?”

“And there you are.” He leans over me, his eyes darkening. “I knew that would get to you.”

I start to laugh. “You can’t win this one, Alex Avery. I know you won’t hurt her and as long as I control her, you can’t hurt me either.”

He looks jumbled, probably because I’m talking in different persons.

“What’s the matter?” I bite on my bottom lip, rolling my hips up. “Are you confused? Or is it that deep down, you really like that you finally have me tied down to your bed?”

He scowls. “You’re not Gemma.”

I shift my leg against his inner thigh. “How do you know?’

He tips his head down inches away from my face and his fingers track down my forearms. “Because of this thing right here.” His thumb caresses my wrist, over the star tattoo. “Love. I’m sure you know the word, right?”

I hiss. “Avery’s don’t know how to love.”

He leans back. “No, Avery’s don’t know how to love an evil queen who hangs out all day with the dead.” He sighs and jumps off the bed. “Aislin, she’s awake.”

The door creaks open. Aislin enters, appearing like her normal self, her golden hair a ringlet of curls around her pink cheeks. She wears a yellow sundress embroidered with white daisies.

“Why’s she here?” I growl, exposing my teeth like I have fangs.

“Ever heard of an exorcism?” Aislin wiggles her fingers, lighting them with a red glow. “Now I won’t do one per se, since I’m not a priest or anything, but I’m going to do the witch version of it.”

I laugh sharply. “I’m not a demon or a spirit. You’re going to have to do better than that.” I shift my leg over and take a kick at her.

She hops back, her eyes extensive. “Wow. She’s really mean.”

“She’s not Gemma, Aislin,” Alex says impatiently. “Now would you get on with it?”

Aislin mimics him with a snotty attitude. “Fine, jeez.” Her eyes goal on me. “I’m really sorry.” She shuts her eyes and thrust her hands out in front of her. “Hoc impii ire. Nisi hanc ex omnibus dolor. Veniat ad nos.” Her hands tremor and her head judders from side to side. Her voice bellows, “Hoc impii ire. Nisi hanc ex omnibus dolor. Veniat ad nos!”

An invisible needle pricks at my heart. I gasp, my shoulders rolling back as my chest arches for the ceiling.

“Hoc impii ire. Nisi hanc ex omnibus dolor. Veniat ad nos!” Aislin shouts again, her eyes snapping open. A haunting glow pierces from her hands and into my skin.

I scream, my limbs convulsing as my body rocks. From the foot of the bed, Alex watches, horrified, longing to touch me.

“Don’t do it,” Aislin warns him, sensing his need. “You’ll ruin the spell.”

He crosses his arms and tucks his hands tightly under his armpits. “Just hurry, okay?”

Whooshing her hands up, Aislin plunges a red streak of magic at me. It blankets my body, searing it with heat. I scream, ears ringing, head pounding, my body wanting to split in two.

“It’s working, I think.” Aislin’s voice is far away.

My body thrashes, my mouth salivates, my eyes clamp tight.

“Is it hurting her?”

“Probably.”

My body stills like a statue.

“Aislin, she looks… she looks dead.”

Someone shifts closer. I wait, motionless, until I feel a breath on my cheek. My eyelids fire open. Aislin hovers above me, her eyes searching for a sign of who I am.

So I give it to her, nipping my teeth at her cheek. She leaps back, shaking her head.

“It didn’t work,” she tells Alex apologetically, wiping the sweat from her forehead. “I’m so sorry Alex.”

“Then it’s on to Plan B.” He reaches in his pocket, but Aislin snatches his arm.

“No. I won’t let you do it,” she says. “It’s too dangerous.”

Alex offers her a sympathetic look. “It’s not your decision. I have to do it.”

Tears slip from her bright green eyes. “It might not work… and if it doesn’t, then you’ll be… you’ll be…”

“Dead,” Alex finishes for her. “And if that’s what it takes, then that’s what it takes. I sacrificed my life for her once, and I’ll do it again in a heartbeat.”

With a heart wrenching look, she lets his arm go. She backs into the corner, hugging her arms around herself, tears staining her cheeks. Sliding his hand out of his pocket, Alex keeps his eyes on me. Grasped in his fingers is a syringe filled with a clear liquid.

“Are you insane?” I laugh maliciously. “You think that will kill me.”

He shakes his head sadly. “No. I know it won’t.” He bites off the cap and spits it onto the floor. Taking a deep breath, he aims the needle at his chest.

Something sparks inside my heart. “You won’t do it. Humans fear death more than anything.”

He inches the needle closer. “Not this human. The only thing I fear is life without her.”

My shoulders twitch as sparks shock my chest again and this time it’s more intensified. “I’m calling your bluff,” I choke, hacking up a Black Widow. “You don’t have it in you.”