I refused to let it bother me though, forcing myself to relish my running nose and tingling toes. Who knew how long I’d get to enjoy these sensations? But to ease my discomfort, I threw another log on the fire—the remnants of someone else’s fun on the beach.
“Okay. So you dragged us here,” Katelyn said. “Now what?”
I took a deep breath, tamping down the anxiety that had been building inside me all the way here. This was going to be harder than I thought. What would they think? Why did I care? “Okay. This is going to sound crazy, but—”
“No crazier than any of your other schemes,” Kaden said, laughing and throwing a twig in the flames. It exploded in the heat, sending sparks into the sky.
“Right,” Jamie answered. He was smiling at me with those eyes. Eyes full of love for Claire. I still hadn’t spoken to her about this boy, and I hoped she gave him a chance after I was gone. If I’d learned one thing, it was to never say no to love. Everyone had something to offer, and Jamie seemed like a really great guy.
I smiled back and began. “I’m not Claire. My name is Alisa Callahan. My soul got trapped in Claire’s body when she did some sort of séance in her basement. I used to go to your school, but I died a year ago. I don’t think she meant for this to happen, and I need your help to get out.” I watched each person’s reaction, studying their expressions. Katelyn gaped at me as though she was about to burst out laughing. Kaden shook his head and Wade frowned. Jamie had the best reaction.
“I knew it,” he whispered. “I knew something was wrong. You’ve been too weird lately. Too different.”
Kaden scowled and stood up, brushing sand off his pants. “You actually believe her?” he said to Jamie. “It’s bull crap, and you know it. She’s just trying to get attention, like always.” He turned and pointed at me, his body towering over all of us. He loomed like a giant, ready to squash me like a bug.
“And you,” he said. “You are the biggest douche of all. Constantly lying to us… for years now. Stringing Jamie along, like you couldn’t care less about him. We’re not stupid, Claire. We know you’re into some weird crap, but I’m done. I think we’re all done. I want no part of it anymore. You don’t care about us. You haven’t for a long time. You only care about yourself.”
He stared me down, and I had no idea what to say. His sheer size overwhelmed me. I glanced at Jamie, who watched with uncertainty. I needed these kids to back me up, to help me do an exorcism or something. I couldn’t do it by myself. I had to make them listen.
“I’m so sorry, Kaden, but I’m not lying. I am Alisa. Claire is inside this body too, but I haven’t heard from her all day. I usually hear her yapping or yelling at me. I don’t know where she is right now.” I turned pleading eyes on Katelyn and Wade. “Ask me anything. I’m telling the truth.”
Katelyn gave me a sly smile. “If you’re telling the truth, what exactly do you want from us?” she asked. “I’ll play your game for a minute, but only because I’m intrigued.”
I tried to read her expression, to get into her head, but I found it impossible. I had no understanding of Katelyn’s motives. My gaze shifted to the others. They watched me, waiting, and I felt the pressure of their stares, knowing I needed to explain it just right.
“I don’t know how to say this. Honestly. I wouldn’t believe me if I were in your shoes.” Shaking my head, I plowed ahead. “I need to get out of Claire’s body. I don’t belong here, but I’m stuck. I don’t know anything about Elementalism and I thought you all might. If Claire could get me here, maybe you guys could help me get out. Something is about to happen, something really big, really bad, and… um… there are some bad people trying to… um, I’m not sure what they’re trying to do, but I can’t do anything to help if I’m stuck here in her body. “
“What people?” Wade asked, shifting position, his slender legs folded beneath him. He was by far the quietest, and I found myself drawn to him. He was kind and accepting, and he didn’t seem to judge people. It was easy to lean toward that, hoping he would influence the others, but I wasn’t sure he’d be strong enough to go up against his twin or Katelyn.
“Well,” I hedged, not wanting to scare them with ghost stories and devils. “They’re actually spirits, or rather, demons. Bad ones. And if I’m stuck in Claire’s body, I can’t fight them or find out what’s going on. I have to get back to Idir Shoal.”
Jamie’s frown deepened. “Huh?”
I shook my head in frustration. I was saying too much. “It’s hard to explain, but I need your help. Will you help me?” I gazed into the eyes of each individual, one at a time, pleading with all the mental strength I had.
“I’m not convinced you’re this Alisa girl,” Kaden said, finally sitting back down. “It’s all too woo woo for me. I’m not into that. I’ve always thought your black magic was a stupid hobby.”
“You talk like I’m Claire,” I said. “I’m not. I’m Alisa.”
“Alisa,” he said.
“Yes.”
“Fine. If that’s true, then what was your last name?” he asked. “Gallagher or something, right?”
“Callahan,” Katelyn said, a smile forming on her lips. “I knew her… or you… kind of.”
She was playing along, whether she believed me or not. That was a step forward at least. I didn’t think Kaden had bought it yet, and Wade… who knew what he was thinking? I glanced over at him. He was playing with a stick in the sand, ignoring the rest of us, lost in his own little world as far as I could tell.
“You remember me?” I asked, turning to Katelyn, my attention drawn back to her prom-queen smile. “I don’t really remember you.”
“Of course you don’t,” she said. “You were always in your own weird, little world. You certainly weren’t friendly. Definitely not popular… at least, for the right reasons.”
Nice. The cheerleader was coming out to play. Not that there was anything technically wrong with being a cheerleader. “Whatever.”
“Okay. Here’s a question for you,” she asked. “What classes did we have together?”
My eyes narrowed. “How should I remember? It was a long time ago, and I already said I don’t remember you.” I felt heat rise up my neck, the sting of embarrassment for the upcoming ridicule. I knew how it was going to go; she wanted to pick apart my story, to humiliate me in front of everyone, to make me feel small. But she didn’t realize who I’d become. She had no idea who I was now, what I’d been through, what I’d learned.
“Well, I remember you.” Katelyn got to her knees and leaned forward. “We were in PE together.”
Great. My least favorite class. The one class where my lack of coordination was on display for everyone.
“You were terrible at everything.”
“I was depressed. It wasn’t my fault.”
“You always hung around with that short, blonde girl,” she said. “The one who died of cancer. Natalie or something.”
“Natasha.”
“Right.” She nodded, her smile growing slowly. “Natasha.” The name rolled slowly off her tongue.
The boys just sat there and watched us. None of them said anything. I glanced around, feeling desperately alone. I wished someone would speak up for me, but Katelyn was on a roll, and I couldn’t picture her posse wanting to step on her toes.
“I want to talk to Claire,” Jamie said suddenly, interrupting Katelyn. “Right now.”
“You believe her? You believe this crap?” Kaden asked.
Jamie threw him a look of irritation.
Kaden mumbled, “Idiot,” under his breath.
Jamie scowled, but brought his gaze back to me.
“Who was I with the other night in Claire’s bedroom?”
“You were alone with Claire in her bedroom?” Katelyn asked, her eyebrows rising in interest. “Oh my. Things are heating up!”
“Shut up, Katelyn,” Jamie said.
Hmm. He had cojones after all. That was what my brother, Derek, would say if he were here. Suddenly,
I wanted to be home with my brothers, eating popcorn and watching movies. I wanted to hate these kids for making me feel insignificant. I wanted to lash out at them and hurt them back, but something kept me from doing that. Maybe it was the guardian in me, or my experiences in Elysium. I had grown too much to go back to the petty teenager I used to be.
Unfortunately, this line of thinking didn’t make the sting hurt any less. I glanced away, not wanting to answer Jamie’s question, because he wouldn’t like what I had to say.
“It was you, wasn’t it?”
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t admit it out loud in front of these people who seemed exceptionally threatening. How could I tell him I’d hid inside Claire’s body while he professed his love?
“Answer me!”
I jumped at the harshness in his voice, nodding. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do. I had no idea if you were her boyfriend or not. I didn’t want to ruin it.”
Jamie growled and turned away, rubbing his face in frustration. He mumbled a few choice words and stomped off toward the surf. The roar of the ocean filled my ears. Suddenly our little campfire didn’t seem all that inviting, just cold, withholding its heat from me. Claire’s friends were pulling away.
“You always were a loser,” Katelyn said, shaking her head, gloating more than anything. You were skinny, stupid, and wore ridiculous clothes—”
“Hey!” I said.
Katelyn smiled. “You were a loser. You still are.”
I sat there, taking their emotional attack, not even trying to fight back. I really was back in high school, intimidated by the popular kids. I couldn’t do this. It felt too… pathetic. Deeper and deeper, I pulled inside, aching with rejection. I yearned for a close friend, wishing Natty were here beside me. She’d rail into them for sure. She was small, but she was a fighter.
My line of sight shifted toward the rise behind us… and that was when I noticed him. A gray man. Just like in the old days during my guardianship. He stood back, his form shifty, like smoke in the shadows of the tall grass just off the beach. I couldn’t see the details of his face, but I felt him exerting his evil thoughts, pressing them against Claire’s friends like toxic smoke, poisoning them against me. They fell prey to his influence, and seeing him stirred something inside me.
Each of Claire’s friends had stood up, but I stayed where I was on the blanket, my legs folded beneath me, staring in astonishment at the misty man. How had he escaped my notice? Normally, I was much more sensitive to negative persuasions.
With a deep breath of sadness, I watched the group walk away. I had no idea where Jamie was, but the other three passed through the parking lot, ignoring Claire’s car. Katelyn gave me one last glance, but she was laughing. The gray, demonic soul followed them with a sadistic smile.
Tears welled in my eyes, and I couldn’t hold them back. Turning away, I covered my face. I wouldn’t let anyone see me cry. My chest ached with such loneliness that I was taken back to the memory of that night in the car… the darkness of that lonely road. The thick trees… the curve…
I yearned for that moment again, to be done with this world. To be away from the ache and pain of cruel “friends” and uncaring parents. Then a thought hit me. I could be out of this body today. I could be free. The answer was so obvious. I could do what I’d already done once before.
36
~Battle to the Death~
Alisa
I needed out of this body, that much was true, but I didn’t fall for the seedy influence of the gray man who had come back to torment me. He stood only a few feet away, and I gazed into his dark, shifting eyes, noticing his jagged crack of a mouth as he tried to smile. How miserable he was. I felt it from where I sat; it was wafting off him like poison.
“You can’t hurt me,” I said finally. “Leave.”
He cocked his head, his eye-slits narrowing, but without a word, he obeyed, disappearing like a ghostly apparition. I watched the empty space where he’d stood, half expecting him to return. When he didn’t, I took a moment to ponder my situation.
My short stint in high school was over. I’d ruined Claire’s grades by skipping her classes, I’d ruined my relationship with Brecken, and I no longer felt happy and comfortable at Claire’s house.
My next job as a guardian should be to find Raphael. My gut told me he was stuck somewhere too. Something there was very wrong. I felt it at a gut level. Demons couldn’t get into Elysium, but they could get into Idir Shoal if they wanted to bad enough.
If I wanted to look for Raphael, I couldn’t do it while stuck in Claire’s body. I had to be free to act as a guardian again, and there was only one way to do that without killing myself. Hopping back into Claire’s car—the noisiest Bug ever—I headed back home. To Claire’s house, anyway. I snuck inside and tiptoed down to the dank, dark, hated basement with is cold cement walls and uninviting ambiance. I hated this room with a passion, but I had to hide from Angela. If she saw me messing around with Claire’s voodoo stuff… well, I didn’t want to go there.
In the back corner of the basement, I found Claire’s hiding spot. I moved the slat of wood that hid her crate, hefting it to the center of the room. For a moment, I gazed at the book of spells that lay on top. I didn’t touch it. Not that I was afraid, but it was evil and it felt too much like the ancient tome that Lamia—that vile demon—had used when she tried to kill Brecken a year ago.
I didn’t need a book anyway. Especially this one. I didn’t need a dark angel to guide me or tell me what to do. I only needed to follow my heart, and that was one thing I knew how to do. Breathing deeply to calm myself, I set up the room, lighting candles to push back the dark, and then I knelt on the blankets, my hands clasped together.
“Raphael, if you’re out there, I’m coming,” I whispered. “And if you’re able, I could use a little help here.” I waited for an answer, but I didn’t hear or feeling anything of consequence. I wouldn’t give up though.
A moment later, I felt someone standing behind me. My first reaction was relief. Raphael had come to save me. Hallelujah! But then, instead of the comforting atmosphere of purity and peace, a distressing darkness descended around me, enveloping me in its icy-cold, slithery arms. My body grew stiff with cold, and I found it difficult to move.
I turned.
Adam.
He smiled.
“Why are you here?” Slowly, I rocked back from my knees so I was on the balls of my feet.
“I’m here to help, of course.” He stood before me, his hands clasped behind his back. He wore a dark suit with tiny pinstripes that absorbed any light that fell upon him. His face was deathly pale, and the rictus grin he held grew predatory. “You are about to perform a ceremony of sorts, I presume?”
Avoiding his question, I said, “Claire isn’t here.” I forced myself not to glance at the stairs I desperately wanted to run up. The room grew even colder, and chills prickled across my shoulders.
“Yes, she is, but you have pushed her down, kept her from control, and have dug yourself into a hole, like I knew you would. You can’t win, Alisa. You’re weak. Pathetic. Stupid. I don’t know why you thought you could go up against us.”
His words seared through me, because the truth was, there were times I felt incapable, weak, and stupid… just like he said. I withered a little beneath his glare. He felt so strong. Stronger than I felt now anyway. My fear of the man grew paralyzing, even though this shouldn’t be my reaction.
“I didn’t intend to,” I said, trying to think of a way to end the conversation. “I haven’t heard from Claire in a long time. She’s not inside me anymore… I don’t think.”
He heaved an impatient, condescending sigh. “You’re inside Claire. Not the other way around. Big difference.” His eyes narrowed, and his thin lips pulled back exposing gray, overly long teeth. How had he changed so much? How could he look so different? Why hadn’t I noticed his true form before now? His expression invited terror, and that was exactly what I felt. Surely, he wo
uldn’t do anything drastic or violent. He wouldn’t hurt Claire.
He walked toward me slowly, stalking me, and I jumped back, my hands out before me. “Stay back!”
He laughed, the sound echoing off the dense cement walls. Claire’s mom had to hear him.
“No one can hear us,” Adam said, as though reading my mind.
“Claire!” I yelled inside my mind. “If you’re in there, if you can hear me, please help. Adam isn’t who he says he is. He’s a demon! Claire?”
“By the way,” he said. “My name is not Adam.”
“Who cares?” I answered, knowing it would irk him. I refused to give in or show him any fear, even though it was roiling inside me like a turbulent ocean.
His left eyebrow rose. “You should. You can’t win against me. No one ever has. I’m not some peon, you know. I am the Master’s right hand.” His voice turned into a growl, low and sinister.
“Doing grunt work then?” I said. “Nice. You’re still a slave.”
Any amusement in his expression vanished, and his arm flashed out as he gripped me around the neck, shoving me against the wall. His body leaned heavily against mine, and he loomed larger than before. I was startled speechless… because… he had a body. Of flesh and bone! Something I hadn’t anticipated since he’d never touched me before. I’d assumed he was a soul like me.
“Not exactly.” His fingers squeezed, choking me, my oxygen intake reduced to almost nothing. My feet lifted off the floor as he raised me another inch. “You wouldn’t understand. The workings of the mind are very complex. Much too intricate for a foolish imbecile like you.”
“You’re hurting me,” I gasped, my fingers prying against his, but his vice-like grip didn’t loosen.
“I know.”
“Then stop it,” I managed to spit out, beginning to feel dizzy, dots dancing before my eyes.
He didn’t let go, just stared into my eyes with fury.
“You’ll get in trouble.” My arms and fingers began to tingle with numbness, but my comment had no affect other than to make him squeeze harder. I couldn’t draw in any air at all. I struggled desperately in his grasp, kicking his legs and scratching at his face, which had somehow shifted into a visage of horror. His eyes burned like fire, and I could see the muscle and sinew of his face and neck become transparent. His teeth grew sharp and jagged, his hands expending into claws. He truly was a demon from the pits of darkness.
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