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Soul Betrayed
Katlyn Duncan
A Life for a LifeThe battle between Shadowed and Guard has brought destruction and terror to Gate Seven and now Maggie wants revenge. As the only after-life being who can save the souls from ultimate death Maggie comes face to face with her own human body, preserved for a century, waiting for just this moment to arrive.Yet, how far will Maggie go to exact her revenge on the Shadowed? And when she comes face to face with her past, how will she survive the onslaught of memories she thought long gone?For when the truth comes out all is not what it seems and Maggie has finally run out of time… She must choose her destiny or watch all she has perish in the fight for her life!Praise for Katlyn Duncan'absolutely epic conclusion to this series… Katlyn Duncan has a fan in me and I can't wait to see what she has planned next!' - The Best Books Ever'Soul Betrayed was a perfect ending to the series. … I was lost in the story, from the first page to the last. I only wish that maybe there will be more from this world that Duncan created so magically.' - Polished Readers' a wonderful conclusion to The Life After series. Fans of the series, you won't be disappointed. And, YA lovers, this is a series worth checking out.' - Imagine a World'a great conclusion' - Moonlight Gleam ReviewsThe Life After series:1. Soul Taken2. Soul Possessed3. Soul Betrayed
A Life for a Life
The battle between Shadowed and Guard has brought destruction and terror to Gate Seven and now Maggie wants revenge. As the only after-life being who can save the souls from ultimate death, Maggie comes face to face with her own human body, preserved for a century, waiting for just this moment to arrive.
Yet, how far will Maggie go to exact her revenge on the Shadowed? And when she comes face to face with her past, how will she survive the onslaught of memories she thought long gone?
For when the truth comes out, all is not what it seems and Maggie has finally run out of time… She must choose her destiny or watch all she has perish in the fight for her life!
Soul Betrayed
Katlyn Duncan
Copyright (#ulink_fa4cf093-12e8-5ca0-a0e5-1c1bfb62be0b)
HQ
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2014
Copyright © Katlyn Duncan 2014
Katlyn Duncan asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
E-book Edition © February 2014 ISBN: 9781472074249
Version date: 2018-10-30
Praise for KATLYN DUNCAN
‘Katlyn Duncan’s YA debut, Soul Taken, is a thrilling ride that will leave you breathless for the next page, and curious to find the true soul we nurture within.’ Jennifer Murgia, author of the Angel Star series and Between These Lines
‘Wow! Talk about a completely unique concept with tons of new ideas, roles, and characters that took me on an exhilarating adventure.’ 4.5 stars from I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews on Soul Taken
‘I really loved this book. From the first page I was totally hooked and couldn’t put it down until I was finished.’ Dark Faerie Tales on Soul Taken
‘Soul Taken is a BRILLIANT read! …This is one of those books to look out for.’ 5 stars from A Diary of a Book Addict
‘It is a quick read and leaves you excited for the next installment of the series…Can’t wait to read more from this debut author!’ 5 stars from Allie Kacmar* on Soul Taken
‘I loved the book, such a fast read. I felt like I knew each character personally…Then mix in the excitement of the souls being taken, it really makes you think.’ 5 stars from Joanne* on Soul Taken
‘Soul Taken is a tasty morsel indeed.’ 5 stars from Nicky Peacock*
‘Wow! What a story. While I enjoyed the first book Soul Taken, Soul Possessed takes this story to a whole new level. In this book, the stakes have been raised, extra layers have been added to a story that will keep you glued to its pages till you get to the cliff hanger conclusion.’ 4 stars from Realm of the Shappired Dragon
‘Soul Taken and Soul Possessed were super good! The main character was spunky and fun, and utterly different from other main characters. The plot was original and I did not see some things coming. The writing was spectacular, and I read both books in a matter of days. There was the perfect amount of angst, tension, and passion all blended together.’ 4.5 stars from Tween 2 Teen Books
‘ONE of the best I’ve read this year! I dare someone to read this series and tell me I am wrong! DARE! This is a very promising series that I have no doubt will leave everyone who reads it with intense desire for the next chapter!’ from Dark Novella
*Amazon reader reviews
Also by Katlyn Duncan
Soul Taken
Soul Possessed
KATLYN DUNCAN
has been reading and writing since before she can remember; her earliest memories involve dragging her mom to the store to get the latest Goosebumps book. She earned two science degrees and currently works in the medical field. She spends her free time writing, reading, and renovating her Victorian “fixer upper” in southern New England with her husband.
The journey to writing my first series has been an amazing one. I’d like to thank Victoria, my brilliant editor who took a chance on a first-time author, and the rest of the HQ Digital team who supported me along the way, I am so happy Maggie’s story finally found its home.
Going back, I’d like to thank my first readers: Angela, Jessica, Lynsey, and Meaghan. Your support is invaluable to me and I love you all to bits. And Jennifer M., thanks for being there for my debut!
To my family, thank you for your support and caring about my stories just as much as I do.
To ‘the hubs’, now you can read the books. (I told you I’d do it!). Thanks for dealing with dust and unwashed dishes while I shut myself away and spend time with my other family.
To my readers, thanks for being so supportive, I wouldn’t be able to get through any of this without you. I love hearing about your experience with my characters and it brings me great joy to hear how you are just as passionate about them as I am. (Liz & Amaris especially!)
And finally, thanks to an author that I adore who told me to stop talking about being a writer and just “do it.”
To Mom, my biggest fan. Thanks for always saying yes to a trip to the book store.
Contents
Cover (#u34270ce4-c94f-5ce3-ba4f-5ae521c831c7)
Blurb (#u49c2ab8c-b8fd-55b3-aa82-8b1b484435f4)
Title Page (#u8d08181c-cc66-5276-bbaf-85e1329a9a40)
Copyright (#uf77ffea8-4bbb-5251-9a4e-779600c313e2)
Praise (#ue24fcd98-71ba-5584-b80e-87e7646147af)
Book List (#ufb6e1701-95c8-597a-957c-4cbeb937eb18)
Author Bio (#u44aa4b42-6562-5ee0-b6b0-1c0c83e43814)
Acknowledgements (#u7d412b9c-4b8d-5d75-b9de-2292c9253924)
Dedication (#u89fb6aa9-e225-55d8-a3e6-015889d16eb3)
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Epilogue
Endpages (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
PROLOGUE (#u57cd428b-eebd-5107-a349-7d06ba67680e)
Jamie Blackhorn nearly jumped out of her skin as a hand appeared next to her. She ripped the headphones from her ears and stumbled back, nearly crashing into her easel.
Her dad, Robert, grinned, his eyes on the pill bottle he placed on the table next to her where she mixed her paints.
“God, Dad.” Jamie knelt down, picking up the brush she had dropped. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“I called for you when I arrived home,” he said in an amused tone and rubbed his eyes wearily. “I picked up your refill.” He indicated the pill bottle and headed for the hallway. “I’m going to take a shower.”
Jamie stood in her spot, her toes curled in her sneakers, still recovering from the fright. The ache in her arm, the one only a week away from being released from the cast, brought her back to reality. Soon enough she would be able to put that horrible night in the caves behind her along with burying the annoying plaster arm prison.
She reached for the pill bottle, plucked a tablet out, and popped it into her mouth, then sipped on her water bottle and wrapped the strewn headphone cord around her good hand a few times before placing the coiled circle onto the table. Robert hated when she wore her headphones, something about keeping her awareness of the world, but she had enough awareness of her world plus the After. She needed an escape. Music and painting were a distraction from her freaky gift that she hid from everyone. All except her father when he requested her help on some of his cases. Just recently, he had been in danger of getting laid off due to budget cuts until his unit had been given a grant. She had no idea who would fund a paranormal research agency when there were so many other problems in the world, but she didn’t think too hard on it; his job kept a roof over their head and food on the table, even if most of the time it was pizza or Thai take-out.
But not tonight.
Jamie grabbed the pill bottle and the set of brushes she had been using and left her room. She padded down the hallway and knocked lightly on the bathroom door, calling out “I’m going to heat up your dinner, Dad.”
Then she headed down the stairs and in to the kitchen. She balanced her brushes on the side of the sink and placed the pill bottle on the counter, opened the refrigerator and pulled out the casserole dish that she had prepared chicken parmesan in earlier. It was her dad’s favorite and since he had been preoccupied with work lately, she knew he would appreciate it. She’d found her mother’s recipe a few months ago and had made it at least once a week since then. This week’s batch had been the closest she remembered to the real thing. The best thing about the recipe was that she always felt as if her mother was there with her when she prepared it.
Plating a heaped pile of chicken and pasta she placed it in the microwave and turned it on. She watched the plate circle a few times until her phone rang.
Walking over to the opposite counter, where her phone had been charging, she looked down to see who was calling and recognized the number as Yera’s. Yera was a Percipio like her. She could see the After beings on the Living Realm, a gift they’d shared with each other willingly after their mutual Guard friend, Calliope, had exchanged their contact information. They had spoken only once before, but it had been nearly a four-hour conversation. Jamie had been thrilled to be able to talk to someone about her gift and Yera had been more than willing to listen. She’d even invited her to stay at her house for the summer to hone her gift. It had been a hard sell to her father but Jamie had won that battle.
“Hi!” Jamie said cheerfully.
“Ms. Blackhorn?” a male voice questioned on the other end.
Had she mistaken the number? She looked down at her phone and Yera’s name was broadcast on the screen. “Speaking.”
“Are you a relative of Yera Colehouse?” the man asked.
