Authors: Katlyn Duncan
David’s soul appeared next to me and every muscle in my body tensed. I blinked rapidly but his soul remained. He stared at me.
“Daddy?” Ally shrieked.
Hannah’s eyes bulged from her face.
David’s blank stare turned to Hannah.
“What are you doing?” Hannah’s voice trembled.
Understanding flowed through me. The Rodas were able to take souls to use them as an energy source. That’s why I had visions of him. He had stayed with me until I could find a release. The power in his soul was fueling my essence. I drank from him just like I had the night of Ally’s transformation. My essence’s color brightened to a vibrant orange.
“Take her!” Abidan called, charging forward.
Hannah took her essence from Jackson and turned it to David, but it didn’t touch him. I pushed more of his energy into the essence until mine blotted out Hannah’s completely. She let go of my arm and staggered backwards.
She wasn’t going anywhere.
Opening my hands at my sides I thrust my essence at her, blocking her on all sides. I tested the limits until the three of us were surrounded by it. I stepped toward her, no longer feeling human. I was more. So much more. And I could take anything I wanted. I couldn’t see but I felt the energy around us in all of the souls, Shadowed and Prognatum, but I
needed
to take her.
My essence reached out and wrapped itself around her. She stiffened the same way that Leha had as it crept up around her, enveloping her whole.
“Please,” Hannah said in a choked whisper. “I just wanted to survive. I can’t help what I am now.”
“Neither can I,” I said through gritted teeth pushing my essence forward until Hannah disappeared under it.
She screamed, but it was quickly cut off as my essence took her soul. An incredible surge of power shot through my essence and into my body. I fell to the ground, my orange hands taking the impact. I closed my eyes and found the scream that burned in my chest. Hannah had been powerful and now I had all of her. My essence drank her power in. Agonizing pain ripped through me over and over. My body collapsed to the ground and I curled up in a fetal position, not caring where I was. Something was wrong. My essence surrounded me until all I could see was bright orange light. I let go and allowed my scream to rip through the air. I was losing myself and I couldn’t find my way back. Then I started to seize. My teeth chattered as my body shook. It was too much. Taking Hannah was destroying me. Something touched my essence and it lashed out, taking more.
I had no idea how long I lay there, but Jackson’s voice broke through the pain.
“Mags!” he called.
I looked up, every movement slow and weighted. The essence around me had disappeared and I was staring up into the night sky. Millions of stars shone down on me. Jackson scooped me off the ground.
I blinked, taking in the scene around me. It was a chaos of battle. Guard were pitted against Shadowed, swords against scythes. But that wasn’t what caught my attention. I used Jackson to balance myself as I turned to the translucent Veil near the edge of the forest.
“I can see the Gate,” I breathed.
“That’s because you’ve transformed.”
I looked down at my hands which were essence-free. “I’ve transformed? How?” I no longer felt like a weak human. I was strong and for once in my after-life, in control of my powers.
Jackson looked down at me, smiling all the way up to his eyes. “I’m disappointed I can’t feel you anymore.”
I touched his cheek. “There are other ways.”
He hugged me and I leaned into his body. Jackson was still here even though I had taken Hannah.
“I broke the—”
Jackson’s face suddenly twisted in horror and he quickly turned us around. He stiffened against me, a moan burst from his lips. His hands were weak as he struggled to grip me. I wrapped my arms under him, able to hold his weight with my Prognatum strength.
“What’s wrong?”
Abidan stood behind Jackson, his mouth stretched into a snarl. He dropped a scythe and I realized what he had done.
“No,” I moaned, my chest tightened as if Abidan had struck me instead of Jackson.
I held Jackson up and commanded my essence to come out. It burst from my body and I no longer felt any pain from the experience. Hannah’s soul stood by my side, just as David’s had. And this time I was prepared. I pushed it at Jackson whose form was quickly fading. As my essence reached and nourished him, his eyes fluttered open and I could feel his strength returning. I shoved more of it through him until his color had returned to normal. He blinked slowly as if he were waking from a deep sleep. I forced my essence to pull every ounce of itself out of me and into Jackson. After all we’d been through, I was determined he would live.
“What have you done?” I yelled toward Abidan.
He stepped closer and I moved my essence to block him. Jackson’s form started to shimmer again and I moved it back to him.
“I should have taken your soul long before all of this,” Abidan said, his voice dripping with venom. He abruptly started running in the direction of the Veil, a dozen Shadowed in his wake.
“Let me go,” Jackson said weakly.
“Never,” I replied, choking on the word.
His eyes squeezed shut. “If you don’t,” he said through gritted teeth, “everything I have done would be for nothing.”
“I can’t do this without you.”
He smiled tightly. “You wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for me. I’m just trying to make it right.”
Hannah’s soul faded as Jackson’s brightened. I had never used my power like that. It must have been how the Rodas were able to give the life force to another. Soon enough her form disappeared for good. My essence was no longer vibrant and something inside of me changed. My power was draining away each second I used it to keep him alive. But I didn’t care. I’d lost Leha. I couldn’t lose him too.
He groaned. “You are incredibly stubborn. Did you know that?”
“You have a thing or two to learn then.”
I couldn’t see anything through my essence but the periphery of my vision was starting to blur, so instead I focused on his blue eyes. Those blue eyes that I loved with all of my heart.
He tried to pull his hand away but I squeezed it tighter. “I don’t think so.” I shoved more of myself into the essence. His soul brightened.
“Stop it!” he cried, his voice digging deep into my core. “If you could do one thing for me, do this. Let me go.”
I pulled him closer to me. Where David’s energy had been addictive and I wanted it for myself, none of those feelings were present at the moment. I would have given Jackson my soul if it kept him alive. And I knew I was about to.
“Mags, please,” he said weakly. “You can’t keep me forever. The second you let go I’m done.”
“I just broke the bond with Hannah!” I said, tears streaming down my face. I knew the inevitable but I needed him too much. “I saved you.”
He adjusted his arms until they wrapped around my waist. He pulled me closer. I was careful to keep my hands touching his body. He moved his head down until we were face to face. “You saved me a long time ago. I’ve been living on borrowed time since I died. The decisions I made when I was human allowed me to meet you. That’s all I need. My time is up but yours is just beginning.” He started to move away from me and this time I didn’t have the strength to argue. He pressed his lips against mine and I pressed my body against his, deepening our connection. He pulled away slowly and cupped my cheek in his hand. “I will always be a part of you, just like you were a part of me from your very first breath.”
He started to back away but his words stirred something inside of me. A part of him.
“Wait,” I said. There was another way to keep him. I just didn’t know how I was going to get him back.
“Mags,” he pleaded.
I moved my hands away from him and let my essence take hold.
He smiled and tilted his head back, accepting his fate.
I shoved my essence forward before he could realize what I was doing. He closed his eyes and I took him. My essence billowed around him, swirling up his body. The color had returned. I flicked my hand and the essence took his soul.
He touched his lips to mine one more time before he backed away from me, allowing my essence to envelope his soul. I stared at him as the essence drank in his soul. His lips lifted in a wicked grin and I found my mouth doing the same.
“I love you,” I whispered as Jackson disappeared for good.
I commanded the essence to retreat and it did so obediently. My strength was magnified by Jackson’s soul. But if I was going to take Abidan, I needed a lot more.
I looked around me. A heaving mass of Shadowed and Guard surrounded me, still wrapped up in their fight.
Cooper appeared next to me. His eyes were wide, filled with relief. He shook his head as if he didn’t believe I was standing there. I should have been happier to see my friend, but all I could think about was destroying Abidan.
“Where is he?” I asked. My voice sounded funny in my ears, lower even.
Ally and Calliope appeared next to Cooper. “He has Jamie.”
I stiffened. Abidan wanted me to take her before, what was stopping him now?
I transported to the Veil, falling back into the mode of transportation I had used for a century. I fisted my hands at my sides allowing the essence to roll out of me. Cooper and Ally appeared next to me.
“Stay away!” I commanded. Abidan was mine.
“Maggie!” Cooper called, keeping his distance. “Control it.”
“I am.” Abidan was up ahead, holding Jamie’s arm. Her face was twisted in discomfort.
My essence spread around me but it pulled me away from Abidan. I tried to drag it back but it was persistent. I turned toward where it wanted me to go and inhaled sharply.
The Veil reached up out of sight. I could see through the barrier now that I had transformed but I wasn’t prepared for what I would see. Or feel.
Hundreds of white uniformed Collectors stood on the edge of the Veil. My essence reflected off the barrier and I could see my hungry eyes. Behind the Collectors were thousands of souls who had been trapped there with the Collectors. My lips parted. The mirroring effect was mesmerizing. I moved closer to the Veil and my essence spread around me, outlining the barrier. A few Collectors jumped back but several of them bravely stood their ground. My essence craved the souls. They were inches away, if only I could just get to the other side.
“I still have not failed!” Abidan’s voice boomed. I glanced toward him and he approached me, dragging Jamie along next to him.
I blinked, realizing the thoughts running through my head. What was I thinking? I couldn’t take those souls. But a deeper sensation urged me closer to it.
“All you have to do is use your strength to break through,” Abidan urged.
“The souls, Maggie!” Jamie said.
Abidan twisted her good arm and she howled.
I fought for control as my essence and head pulled me in different directions.
“Jackson wouldn’t want this,” my father called. I whirled around. The Guard had taken out most of the Shadowed, and now held prisoner the ones that were left. “He died for you.”
My heart lurched. They didn’t know he was somewhere inside of me. If I used my essence to break the Veil then I would be using his soul strength and I might not ever see him again. I thought of David and Hannah’s souls which had been intertwined with mine. They were shadows of themselves. Had I saved Jackson or left him in a strange limbo?
Abidan’s golden eyes found me. They looked almost red with the reflection of my essence. “You are more like us than you care to admit. I know you love the power, they will never let you have this again if you stay. Just open the Veil and you can have the after-life you deserve.”
The after-life I deserved had been destroyed the second Hannah sent Jackson to look for me. By Abidan’s orders. Everything had changed but now I held the power to change it again. I leapt at Abidan, startling him, wrapping my essence around him.
“It’s over for you.”
Reaching up with both hands I made contact with his body and gasped at the influx of strength. Hannah had been right. Taking a Caeleste was much more powerful than I’d ever experienced. Abidan struggled, releasing Jamie from his grasp. We both knew he stood no chance.
Abidan laughed uncomfortably. “You will lose yourself before you are finished taking me. Even if I can’t claim the After at least a part of me will. You will be unstoppable in the After. All thanks to me.”
“Maggie, stop!” My father commanded. I flashed back to when I was a little girl with him scolding me. I hesitated.
“You don’t need to do this.”
I turned to him. My voice shook as I held my essence in check. “It’s the only way.”
“He is weakened,” Father explained. “We can take it from here.”
I turned back to Abidan, stealing a little more of his life force, crippling him. “There is a difference between you and us,” I told him.
“What’s that?” he said, defeat weakening his voice.
“We have mercy.”
He chuckled softly. “Mercy is weakness.”
I pulled more from him, and his irises began turning a sickly yellow. “I am not weak.”
“Margaret!” Father called.
I let go of Abidan and he collapsed on the ground.
The Guard descended on Abidan. I transported away from the group, not wanting to hurt anyone else. Abidan’s energy was potent enough to make my head spin and I didn’t trust myself enough not to take the Veil. The essence ebbed and flowed over the ground around me as if sniffing out its next food source. It never seemed to be satiated.
Cooper appeared in my peripheral vision and I pulled the essence back inside. The weight of what had just happened washed over me. I dropped to the ground, completely exhausted.
“I can’t believe it’s over,” he said, kneeling next to me. “And you transformed.”
“And I transformed,” I said relieved, feeling more like myself with each passing second. “It’s all I’ve wanted for a long time, yet it doesn’t feel as I thought it would.”
Not without Jackson by my side.