Luke rushes to help him, while Brad, Alexei, and I rushfor Cody. Even after seeing what happened to Seth, we have to do something. But before we can reach the pentagram, Cody’s propelled, like he’s been shot out of a cannon, his body flying toward me. I manage to catch him to keep him from flying into the wall like Seth, and we drop to the floor together.
As I recover from the tackle, I hurry to my knees to check on him. “Cody?”
He’s lying limp on his arm, and I fear the worst. I place my hand on him to see if he’s breathing, and my arm locks in place.
The hell?
A jolt, like a sharp burst of electricity, shoots through me, and everything goes dark. I can’t see! Am I dying? Then, somehow, I’m not in the church cellar anymore. I’m in the courtyard, next to the fountain by the St. Lawrence library. Preston’s sitting beside me. He says something, and I respond. How am I responding?
Before I can process any of this, I hear a voice in my head:Get out. Leave us alone. How did you get in? These bodies aremine.
A memory comes to me, but again, as if it’s not my own. I’m in a room—Preston’s room at the frat—illuminated by dim candlelight, surrounded by people in black cloaks. One of them pulls back their hood and reveals their face—it’s Preston, but his eyes are black. Excitement pulses through me. I’m reveling in being in this form. Experiencing pleasure and pain. Controlling these men.
I can’t be selfish. I’m on a mission. I must abide by my ruler’s commands.
Those come to me as my own thoughts, but they can’t be. What’s happening?
There’s a dresser in the room, with a mirror over it, and I see my reflection. I’m in Finnegan’s body.
Suddenly, I’m gripped with fear before hearing an ominous voice in my head—Can he see my weaknesses?—and I see a flash of…a strip of gold metal, binding around flesh.
Is this a memory? It’s not my own.
Who are you?I ask before hearing what sounds like “Syphor” echoing all around me.
I said leave!The voice booms so loudly, it rattles me out of the bizarre string of thoughts, and everything goes black again.
This time when I open my eyes, I’m back in the cellar.
This isn’t like before. I feel connected to my body as I realize Alexei and Luke are on either side of me. Cody’s on his knees, gazing at me with terror in his expression. I know that look—it’s how my biological mother looked at me that day. He stares for a few moments before blinking and looking away.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. “What did I do?”
“You didn’t do anything,” Alexei assures me. “You were trying to help Cody, and you started freaking out, and then you were wandering around. We were trying to talk to you, but it was like you couldn’t hear us.”
I glance around the room, trying to figure out how much time has passed. Seth is just now getting to his feet with Brad’s help, and they head over together.
“Codes?” Seth says.
“I’m okay,” Cody insists.
It couldn’t have been more than a few seconds, but it felt longer.
Alexei guides me to a desk—the one we made out on. I figure I don’t need assistance to sit down, but I’m not too steady on my feet. Once I manage to get settled, he says, “I’ll get you some water.”
He hurries to the tumbler Seth laid out by the blanket mattress, and there’s a bit of commotion as the guys check on Cody and Seth to make sure they’re okay.
I can’t shake that look Cody gave me—the wide eyes, his paler than usual complexion.
As he and Seth assess each other’s injuries, Seth shoots me a dirty look. Judging by his expression, you’d think I fucking attacked Cody, but if that’d been the case, Seth would already be on my ass.
Something happened, though. While I was under.
Alexei returns with the tumbler full of water, and I drink some.
“I’m gonna get some to Cody and Seth too,” he says, “but I’ll be right back.”
Alexei’s words, his consideration, calm me. Given the daze I’m still in and all that I haven’t even had a chance to process, I really fucking appreciate it.
