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“Not a chance,” Cooper said.
The leader narrowed his gaze. “I don’t want to use force but I will if necessary.” He lifted his scythe and displayed it in front of him, nodding at the third Shadowed, a skinny man whose face resembled a rodent. He grinned wickedly, displaying a mouth with gaping holes where his teeth should have been, and disappeared from sight.
I turned just as he appeared at my side, his unkempt fingers reaching for me. Jamie squealed and I thrust my sword in front of me, but before I could strike, Jackson shoved us back against the lockers.
He kicked Rat Face in the gut. Rat Face scowled and reached for his weapon, detaching the blade from the sheath and swinging it in quick strikes at Jackson, missing him by inches. I found myself entranced by Jackson. I knew he was a strong fighter but he was right, he had been gentle with me. His graceful form weaved back and forth between the arcs of the scythe, landing a few more kicks of his own.
Jamie whimpered and I knew I had to get her out of there before she got hurt again, or worse.
“Maggie,” she said fearfully, her teeth chattering harder.
I grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the fray. “I’m getting you out of here.”
Ally and Cooper were defending themselves against Aaron and the blond Shadowed, both of them moving as a unit. The sides were evenly matched and I should have been the tipping point. A hint of my power surged deep within me, but I shoved it down. Jamie was my priority, and I would only be able to help once she was safe.
“Come on.”
Jamie shuffled in front of me, back the way we’d come. The sounds of crashing swords against scythes rang behind me but I couldn’t lose focus. We were almost to the stairs when something shoved me from behind.
Chapter Six (#ulink_a9e08c24-63bb-5228-825e-40ea83602ead)
My knees went from under me. The floor rocketed up to my face but before I slammed into the ground a hand wrapped around my arm, pulling me up. Jackson’s face was twisted with rage as Rat Face took his stance for another attack.
Jamie was halfway down the stairs before she realized she was alone. She looked back towards me with wide eyes.
“Go!” I called, pulling my sword out.
Even though we were two against one, Rat Face didn’t seem concerned. But he did attack Jackson first. If their mission was to get me on their side, I doubt they would hurt me, but as for my friends? I didn’t want to take any chances.
“Now it’s your turn to get out of here,” Jackson grunted, taking another blow from Rat Face.
I circled around Rat Face. “Absolutely not.”
“Get back to the After,” Jackson snapped through gritted teeth as he avoided a scythe to his face.
Rat Face moved, keeping the two of us in front of him.
“I’m not leaving.”
“We’re not going to hurt you. But we have been instructed to hurt your friends if necessary,” Rat Face confided with a smile.
Suddenly I was filled with purpose, Jamie had a broken arm because of me. Ally didn’t have a father because of me and I wasn’t risking anything else happening to any one of them.
Shoving my sword forward, I blocked a blow meant for Jackson. Rat Face’s eyes narrowed as he pushed my weapon away with his, but he didn’t counterattack, instead he slid back a few steps. I lunged forward, but Jackson took over again, shoving me to one side.
Rat Face slipped under Jackson’s arm and reached for me again, and this time he touched me. A searing heat sluiced through me. Jackson’s eyes went wide and his face disappeared. Rat Face had transported us to the other end of the hall, behind the blond and Aaron.
“Got her.”
But I wasn’t going anywhere with them. As much as I wanted information, Rat Face wasn’t going to stop unless someone made him do so and this was what I was trained to do. Focusing on his chest I raised my sword and sliced it across his front. His soul stiffened and I pulled the blade out, watching as his soul disintegrated.
The heat from Rat Face’s touch was nothing compared to the heat coursing through me as my power crept up from its hidden place. I tried to shove it back down, but it had had a taste of a soul and wanted more.
Shocked at my own reaction I let my sword clatter to the ground and I stepped back, my hands clasped behind me.
Aaron took advantage of the momentary distraction and landed a fist to Ally’s head. She faltered and fell against the lockers. Then he quickly turned and lunged at me, his scythe raised high.
The world froze around us. My power spread through me as it homed in on its new target. His scythe nearly grazed me but I ducked under its deadly edge, coming up to stand face to face with him. My sword was out of reach so I reached up and grabbed for his throat. He gasped as the orange essence effortlessly wrapped itself around his neck, feeling his life force coursing under my fingertips. The essence continued to tighten around his throat. He choked as I crushed him under my hand. I tasted a fraction of what I could take from him and as each second ticked by it became harder and harder not to give in to the power and take him the same way I took David.
Why not take him? an unsettling part of me questioned. You thought you’d already destroyed him.
My hands gripped tighter, the essence’s color deepening in response.
“Maggie, no!” Cooper shouted. “We can use him.”
Ally and Cooper held their swords up toward the blond Shadowed, his scythe no longer in his hands.
Jackson touched my hands, wincing. The essence’s color brightened.
“Don’t—” I didn’t want to risk any of them near me when my power was unleashed. Closing my eyes, I shoved it down as best as I could and was surprised to see how quickly it conceded.
I opened my eyes in time to see Jackson turn to the blond Shadowed and growl, “You’re outnumbered.”
The blond met each of the Guard’s gazes before locking a fearful stare on me. “He won’t stop looking for you,” he said, his voice wavering.
I flinched. “Who? Who won’t stop looking for me?”
Suddenly the weight in my hands lessened as Aaron slipped from my grasp. I lunged for him but was too late. Aaron lifted my sword from the ground, slicing it through the blond. The Shadowed’s mouth opened in a silent scream before his soul disintegrated.
Jackson and Cooper wasted no time in restraining Aaron. But he didn’t put up a fight. Instead he let out a relieved laugh, an uncharacteristic response for someone in his predicament. “If we didn’t bring you back we would have been destroyed anyway. At least in the After I can be Recycled.”
“We’ll see about that,” Jackson grunted.
“The Caeleste over there are more generous than the ones running with the Shadowed,” Aaron sneered back.
I went over to Ally who was leaning against the wall, rubbing her head. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” she said, shoving off the wall and stalking toward the guys.
“What are you—” I barely finished my question when Ally’s fist connected with Aaron’s face. His head shot back then rolled forward, falling limp on his shoulders.
Ally gave me a sidelong glance. “I’m better now.”
I shook my head, amused. “What’s the plan now?”
Jackson adjusted his grip on Aaron. “We’re all going back to the After. I’m sure the Caeleste will have some questions for the traitor.”
I picked up my sword and sheathed it. “I should check on Jamie, make sure she got home okay.”
“We can do that later,” Jackson said.
Ally opened her locker and pulled out the book. “Okay, let’s go.”
***
The After as a whole tended to be a calm place which is why I wasn’t prepared for the cacophony that rattled my soul when we arrived with Aaron. The Collections Officers, Caeleste that handled the opening and closing of Soul Collectors cases, were the first out of their seats. Then the barrage of questions began.
“What is he doing here?”
“What happened?”
“Are you insane?”
“Do you remember what he did to us?”
“He deserves what he gets from the Shadowed.”
“What if he escapes?”
Jackson and Cooper tried to speak over them but their words were drowned by yet more inquiries.
Something tugged at my shirt and I followed the arm attached to my last Collector trainee, Dylan. His bright blue eyes peered up at me. “Why’s he back?”
“He’s going to help us find the Shadowed,” I said.
“Is he on our side again? Like Jackson?”
“No. Not like Jackson. But he is going to help us.”
Then he’s off to Recycling. I hadn’t made my point firmly enough before but Felix was certainly going to get an earful this time.
A young girl came up to Dylan, leaning close to him, and he patted her on the arm. “It’s okay, Fiona. Maggie says he’s going to help us.”
“Really?” She smoothed the shirt of her white Collecting uniform, risking a glance up at me.
Dylan looked up at me and I gave him a quick nod.
“Yeah” he confirmed smiling.
I stifled a grin. It was nice to see Dylan doing well. I’d like to think I had a hand in that, even though he had fit into the community better than I ever had.
The Guard parted as two Caeleste guided Aaron’s subdued soul out of the office.
“Where are they taking him?” I asked Jackson as he came up to me.
“They’re going to the interrogation room. Hopefully we’ll get a lead soon.”
The door to Felix’s office opened and his hulking form breezed out followed by Calliope. His bright golden eyes pinned each of us as Calliope continued on her way, ignoring us.
“You captured Aaron?” Felix directed his question to me.
“We—”
“Yes,” Jackson interrupted. “And she eliminated one of the others.”
“But—”
“Good work. I’ll need to see you in my office once we get location information from Aaron.”
“Sir,” we said in unison.
Felix started to walk away, but then turned back to fix me with his eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you about him.” He nodded once and continued toward where the others had taken Aaron.
I blinked, staring at his back.
Jackson looked as stunned as I felt. “I’ve been around Felix for a long time and I’ve never heard him apologize. To anyone.”
I shrugged. “I guess there is a first for everything.”
Jackson smiled. “Let’s get out of here.”
I scanned the room that was still buzzing with excitement. “Great idea.”
When Jackson’s hand touched my lower back guiding me to the exit, his fingers sparked a fluttering sensation in my soul.
Brushing the feeling away I nudged him. “So, you weren’t kidding about being able to handle it, huh?”
He smirked and opened the door to the stairwell, signaling me to go first.
Unease churned within me. I could barely hold my own against three Shadowed, what would happen if Jackson hadn’t been there? “I need to learn to fight like that.”
“That type of fighting comes from many years of practice. Felix won’t allow trainees to go on any case alone for a while. You’ll learn in time.”
“But he took me, Jackson.” The sensation of Rat Face’s touch still lingered on my arm.
He shook his head. “That’s my fault. I shouldn’t have allowed that.”
As I pushed through the door to the outside, the sweet scent of the After enveloped my soul. “No it’s not. Stop blaming yourself for everything that happens to me.” I looked over at him, his light blue eyes staring at the ground.
Jackson smiled sadly. “You’ll understand someday.”
“Understand what?”
His lips pressed together and his eyes searched mine. “Being a Guard is one thing. But being a Guard to a Prognatum is akin to watching a part of you live a life that you don’t have control of.”
“But I thought…”
“Yes we can influence a Prognatum to keep on the right path, whatever that may be.” His voice held a hint of disdain. “But ultimately they live their own life. A mere blip in what is to be a very special life. And in all my years in service to your line, I’ve loved each and every one of them equally as if they were my family. That is until you came along.”
