by CC Solomon
“Chelsea, do you know how long you were in this dark place with Rima?” I tried my best to prevent my voice from shaking.
She squeezed my hand, looking unsure and frustrated. “No. It felt like a long time. She would come and go. She would leave me alone in the darkness.”
“When did you come back?”
My undead friend frowned. “Now.”
“Chelsea, I don’t understand. You weren’t gone. Do you remember getting out of the prison run by those humans?”
“Yes, and then I came to Hagerstown, but I wasn’t there long before she took me to the dark place.”
“And then what happened?”
“And then I woke up here. Back where I belong. But I can’t see well. Is it because I was in the dark for so long?”
I glanced over to Shayla, who slowly shook her head.
I swallowed a lump in my throat. “Yeah, Chels, that’s why,” I lied. “So, you don’t remember you telling me we were never really friends or you dating Phillip?”
Her face turned horrified, which looked more gruesome with the cloudy eyes, bullet hole, and blood. “I would never date that asshole and you are my friend. I would never say that to you.”
“What’s going on?” Faith asked. “Think she didn’t come back … all the way?”
“What’s she talking about?” Chelsea questioned me.
“She was possessed,” Ahmed appeared in front of us as if he were always there. He stood with perfect posture, hands behind his back as he gazed down at Chelsea with pity. “Rima can possess bodies.”
“You didn’t think to tell us that before?” Phillip asked with indignation.
“If I had known, I would have told you. I recently came into some information by colleagues of mine that would suggest that body possession was but one of Rima’s talents back during her reign. She can even take on that person’s powers, but she’s weaker in the possessed body. It would explain much, would it not?”
“It would,” Phillip stated. “If she can body hop, she’d have access to anyone. She could have possessed someone back in Silver Spring and then put a curse on me with that person’s magic. She could possess Blake in order to hide the lamp.”
“But why didn’t she kill you before then?”
“You spoke to Gedeyon, Amina. He clearly stated he did not want you dead. Joo-won confirmed that,” Ahmed explained.
“But Rima was never behind that idea, so she had her own plans, and now she was ready to put them into action by killing me to start,” Phillip surmised.
“It appears that way. Perhaps she wanted to kill you and siphon Amina’s power, thinking she’d be stronger by having the power of Six behind her.”
“Well, it’s a good thing she’s dead.”
“Really?” I cried.
“Shit,” Phillip cringed. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Who’s dead?” Chelsea asked.
“Don’t worry about that, honey,” I answered, squeezing her stiff hand.
“I doubt she’s … gone,” Ahmed stated.
“What do you mean? Charles … disposed of her,” Faith whispered. “And then Shayla did this.”
“Yes, she did. But she brought Chelsea to us. Not Rima.”
“What are you trying to say, Ahmed?” I asked.
“He’s saying that bitch body hopped before Charles shot her,” Phillip answered.
Ahmed nodded his head.
“That means I killed Chelsea, not Rima? And she was innocent the whole time?” Charles asked, his voice cracking. “I think I’m going to be sick. I’m so sorry, Chelsea. I’m so sorry.”
“What’s he mean, killed me?” Chelsea questioned, her voice becoming more hysterical.
“I think it’s time we send her back to … wherever she ended up,” Phillip stated, giving a nod to Shayla.
Shayla sighed. “I think it’s best.”
“Wait.” I cried. I squeezed Chelsea’s hand and attempted to suck back any sobs that were threatening to escape. “Chelsea, I’m so sorry this happened to you. You didn’t deserve it. I know you weren’t behind what happened to us. You were just a pawn, and we will get revenge for what happened to you. Believe that.”
“I don’t understand, Amina. What happened to me?” Black tears sprang from her eye like a thick, runny mascara.
“It’s okay, Chels. Everything is going to be okay. You’re going to go to sleep again and when you wake up, everything is going to be so much better,” I said, my voice shaking.
I felt like shit lying to her. Chelsea didn’t deserve this. She’d been locked up in the prison, saw the man she loved killed, and then just when she got freedom, a monster possessed her. This was so unfair. I hoped there was an after-life and that she would be in a better place far from this hell. She deserved so much more than this.
Shayla lowered her head and touched Chelsea’s arm, again muttering words we could not hear.
And as quickly as Chelsea had awakened, she was gone. She closed her eyes and let out a final sigh.
I held on to her cold hand, not wanting to let it go and face the reality of her leaving.
“Where is Rima now? Are we sure she left Chelsea’s body before she was killed?” Felix asked.
“She’d be too smart to stay,” Ahmed replied.
“Then, where did the bitch go?” Faith inquired, looking around.
“The only people in the room were me, Charles, Erik and Phillip,” I stated. I gently placed Chelsea’s hand on her stomach and stood up.
“She can’t get in your body or Phillip’s. If she could, she would have by now,” Ahmed explained. “In fact, she would have done that long ago instead of outright killing the new soulmates.”
We all looked to Charles and Erik.
Erik frowned and looked down at his hands.
Charles looked down at himself as well. “Maybe she’s in me. Maybe that’s why I killed Chelsea the way that I did,” he said more to himself than anyone else.
“She’s not in either of you,” Phillip stated, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I would know. She compelled me to fall for her. And the spell’s still over me. If she were dead, I wouldn’t feel this … longing. I’d feel free, but I don’t. I still feel like there’s a vice grip in my head.”
“Well ,thank God for small blessings,” Felix began. “Otherwise, we’d be trying to pull you off of Erik.”
“No one needed that image right now,” Faith exclaimed. “Even if it would have been kind of hot.”
Phillip and Erik glared at the pair, and Faith gave a nonchalant shrug.
“Bigger issue people. Can Rima control you, Phillip?” I asked not feeling the least bit amused.
Phillip deepened his frown. “I don’t think so. At least not fully. But I don’t think I can kill her. The spell won’t let me. That’s how I got bound,” he replied.
“We might be able to make some use of that,” Ahmed cut in. “You can act as a sort of metal detector to find Rima.”
Phillip shook his head as if clearing it of bad thoughts. “What are you saying? Whoever I get the hots for, that’s not Amina of course, is actually Rima?”
Ahmed gave a curt nod. “Yes. You may not be able to know exactly where she is, but you’ll know if she’s around you. I wouldn’t think Rima thought of that bit of a side effect.”
“Well, we have some things going for us then,” I stated. “We know Rima’s game, and we can’t be deceived by her again if Phillip’s around, we know her and Gedeyon aren’t on the same page which we can try to exploit and with Seth gone, we can get the town behind us for more support. We also have inside support with Joo-won’s top elves, and maybe Lisa can convince him to join us. Maybe we can win this.”
Slow nods from the group met my words, but I wasn’t sure anyone really believed me.
Epilogue
I walked to the local diner to meet with some of the others; strolling down the street, shivering as the cold breeze of winter air hit my face. Three weeks had passed si
nce burying Chelsea. Most days, I functioned in a state of disconnect, constantly thinking of Chelsea and the original soulmates. Chelsea never got her win in life, and every time I thought of her I collapsed in tears.
I was tempted to try my peace of mind spell on myself, but I didn’t want to be comfortable. I needed my sadness and anger to push me into training that much harder. If I got too comfortable, that would be when they would strike. Until then, I remained vigilant and strategic, preparing for any showdown with the originals I could imagine.
Erik, who was back to speaking full sentences again, was now the alpha of the pack. We were keeping his secret he was infected, and he remained out of town at night. We still weren’t certain if the infection was a sickness or drug reaction, but as time passed, it seemed more likely it was an illness. By now, we were convinced if it were a drug, it’d have to be out of Mae’s and Erik’s systems by now and yet they still tested positive for the infection, as Seth implied. There was something more going on with this drug than we understood.
When Erik was in town, he implemented new rules which included no more fighting to the death for rank. Erik tried to turn down the role, still feeling shaky since he was technically infected by the regression disease. However, we talked him into staying and promised to keep an eye on him at all times.
For now, I focused my attention on preparing for the impending fight and being a pseudo mother to Brandon. He was still very much scared of Erik. It would take time for him to relax completely around him. I was hopeful things would one day return to where they used to be, but life would change with Brandon around. His mother was gone, and there was no better place for him than with me. We’d become attached to each other.
With Seth gone, it also meant a vacancy in the town leadership. Phillip was able to get back into power with me as part of the town council. There was now a cadre of leaders to hold everyone accountable. Phillip, Erik, Blake, a gargoyle named Janet, and me.
Everyone now knew of the impending threat of the first soulmates and with Carter and Raya as witnesses to Joo-won, it wasn’t hard to get people to our side. We’d also convinced Hagerstown of the threat. Our following was growing, and we’d prepared several plans for when the soulmates and their cohorts came to attack. We were now all soldiers, and everyone had a mission.
However, not everything was better. Lisa was still gone. Still with Joo-won. We wanted her back, but she was the only thing holding him from attacking us in retribution for Erik killing his people. We kept the two Elven swords. Sure, we figured Joo-won had other magical swords, but we weren’t going to deliver a weapon to him.
As long as Lisa kept in constant contact with us, I had hopes she’d be safe. I didn’t think Joo-won would hurt her, but having her so close to any of those in the inner circle of the first soulmates made me extremely uneasy.
Charles wasn’t doing so well either. He’d had enough hardship with being dead, then coming back as a vampire, then having me and Lisa go M.I.A. and finally having to kill a close friend. That wasn’t counting the death of our parents to the sickness and his girlfriend, Jalisa, to suicide.
I thought he was getting back to normal but killing Chelsea had sent him backwards. I wasn’t seeing as much of him as I wanted. I asked him to move in with us, but he refused. He kept saying he didn’t want to ‘bring the kid down’ with his bad mood.
I entered the diner Saturday afternoon and found the booth where Erik, Faith, Felix, Phillip, and Blake sat. I wouldn’t say that Blake was my new best friend, but after the whole Seth/Joo-won/Rima ordeal, we had a new trust for each other. Blake wasn’t really the female soulmate and would not try to kill me, even if it meant getting killed herself. Plus, she too had expressed concern about Charles’ current state, so I knew she cared about him.
Phillip was on a mission to seek out Rima and ensure she wasn’t in the town. He took being a people person to a whole new level and did surprise visits everywhere. He didn’t assume anyone was safe, including children. Anyone in our inner circle were the most common check-ins.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you, your plan’s not realistic,” I said to Phillip, picking up a glass of wine Erik had kindly ordered for me. “You forcing everyone to stay in town after you clear them and not leave is not practical.”
“I don’t know, mi corazon. It’s the best way to keep Rima out, assuming she’s not already in town. This is a time of war. We all have to make sacrifices,” Phillip took a swig of dark liquid I assumed was whisky.
Erik slammed a hand on the table, and I jumped slightly. He looked at me with remorseful eyes. “Sorry. But can you not keep calling her that pet name,” Erik said, clenching his jaw.
“I’m sorry, buddy. Old habit,” Phillip apologized, eyes wide and apologetic.
Don’t poke the bear. I said to Phillip in my head.
But it’s fun. Although, I really wasn’t thinking this time. He replied back.
“Stop with the psychic chatter,” Erik grumbled.
“I’m sorry.” I winced, the last thing I wanted to do was annoy him.
I missed Erik. Missed his kisses, his grumpy face and his arms around me at night. I was lonely without him. However, he remained at a careful distance from me ever since Phillip made his confession of love in front of him. I blamed myself. I was so emotional at the time, perhaps there was a look in my eyes that showed something I didn’t want to admit. However, I was certain that my love was not equal to Phillip’s. My love for Erik was organic, and easy and I just felt safe with him.
Phillip had become my loyal friend, and I was beginning to care for him because I wanted him to be safe and happy. Yet, I was jealous when I thought he was in love with Chelsea. I knew this was just me being selfish and not knowing how to handle attention from multiple men. I wasn’t in love with Phillip but I also didn’t want to lose my bond with Phillip if I completely shut him out.
“How long do you plan to keep people stuck in town?” Faith asked. “Does everyone on the council agree with this?”
“No, because it’s not practical, like Amina said,” Blake stated, crossing her arms. “We have to be able to hunt, barter, and continue to grow followers. Phillip here is just going to have to do regular walk ab- who is that?”
Phillip stiffened and looked around. “What the hell? How did someone new get into town? This is just the bullshit I’m talking about,” he growled.
We all shifted and looked in the direction Blake was gazing. A person, I wasn’t exactly sure if they were a he or a she, stood at the entrance of the diner craning their neck as they looked around. The person had olive colored skin and light green, almond shaped eyes rimmed in black liner. They had slightly wavy hair the color of wheat. One side was shaved, and the other stopped at the chin. The person’s features were a mixture of masculine and feminine with a strong nose, thick dark eyebrows, high cheekbones and small, full lips. They were thin, just shy of six foot, wearing black slacks, and black ankle boots under a long puffy black coat.
They looked like a beautiful, androgynous model and I could not stop staring. The person looked over to our table and began to walk towards us.
“I don’t know who that is, but they are freaking hot,” Faith said in a muffled voice. “I’m calling dibs.”
“I thought you were with Grace,” Felix stated.
“I keep saying we aren’t exclusive.”
“I just don’t think it’s fair for you to call dibs when you have someone,” Blake stated, brushing a strand of platinum blonde hair behind her ear.
“Do you feel anything, Phillip?” I asked in a whisper, still gawking at the beautiful person.
“Not in the way that would make me think she’s Rima,” Phillip answered.
“You keep saying ‘she.’ I’m seeing a very sexy guy,” Blake stated before biting her lower lip.
The beautiful person stopped in front of us and smiled. “This is exciting,” they said in a voice that still did not clue us in on their gender. It was both deep and soft, not b
ase heavy. “I know you all so well, but I realize you don’t know me.”
“But we’d like to,” Faith said with a smirk.
The person held her gaze for a beat and smiled back. “Faith, thank you for being so kind to my Felix all this time.”
My Felix? Now, what was this about?
“Do I know you?” Felix’s face was a mask of confusion.
Still smiling, the person turned to Felix. “I’d hope so. I’m Azrael. I’m here to help you in the fight and finally give you all the answers you’ve been looking for.” The smile vanished. “Both soulmates are mobile now. Time’s running out.”
What is Felix and how did he lose his memories? Find out in Mystic Memories: A Paranormal World Novella, Summer 2020.
For the final book in the soulmates saga, look for Mystic Souls, Fall 2020.
If you enjoyed these books please leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads!
About the Author
A B O U T T H E A U T H O R
C.C. is originally from Baltimore, Maryland and has actively written fiction since the age of eleven. She’s an avid “chick lit” reader and urban fantasy fan. During her days, she works in Civil Rights for the federal government. In her free time, she sings karaoke, travels the globe and watches too much TV… when she’s not writing of course.
For more information on C.C. Solomon, her books, and her lifestyle and travel blog, check out www.ccsolomon.com.
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