My Soul to Steal
Page 86
His brows arched in surprise. I figured Nash would tell you.
Well, he didnt, I snapped.
Tod slid the phone back into his pocket. Soyoure still mad about the other day?
Wouldnt you be mad if I told you to give up on someone you care about? Justhand her over to someone who doesnt even deserve her?
Tod gave me a strange, sad look I couldnt interpret, and the blues in his irises shifted subtly for a moment before he got control of them. Yeah. I guess I would.
And obviously that was as much of an apology as I was going to get.
Anyway, if you didnt come to rescue me from the Netherworld, what are you doing here?
Tod blinked, and I could almost see him refocusing on the crisis at hand. Nash just called to tell me that Sabine sensed someone sleeping in the hallyou know maras can feel slumber, like wed feel heat from a fire, right?
I nodded, creeped out by the comparison. So what?
So there was no one sleeping in the hall. Everyone was up and moving, on the way to class.
So maybe her spidey senses are all messed up. I shrugged. Karmic payback for sending me to the Netherworld in my sleep.
I doubt its that simple. Or that satisfying, he said. So did I. The only way I know of for a sleeping person to function like hes awake is if hes
Possessed, I finished for him, as the implication began to sink in and dread settled through me like lead, pinning me in place. Avari had taken control of his host. Or maybe Invidia had taken control of hers. Did Sabine mention the lucky victims name?
Tod shrugged. She said the hall was too crowded and no one was snoring.
Great. Shes always so much help. I closed my eyes, trying to gather my thoughts, then looked up at him. But before I could tell him what Id overheard in the Netherworld, the sixth period bell rang, and I nearly jumped out of my shoes.
You gonna be in trouble? Tod asked, glancing at the ceiling like he could actually see the bell.
I reached for the door and gripped the handle. Nowhere near as much trouble as well all be in if Avari gets his way. Hes playing with a friend this time, and theyre up to something big.
You mean the blitz?
The blitz is just a means to an end. He and his partner are trying to drag me and Sabine into the Netherworld, and theyve each picked out a body here in the human world to give them hands-on involvement in the process. We have to find out who theyve possessed before they can make their move.
There werent many possibilities to choose from. A person had to have some connection to the Netherworld to even qualify forhellion possession, and I couldnt think of a single eligible party, other than me, Nash, and Emma.
And Sophie
Shit!
Tods blue eyes went hard and angry on my behalfand probably on Sabines. What can I do? He followed me into the hall, where I lowered my voice to avoid notice by the stragglers still making their way to class.
Find Sophie and make her talk. If she doesnt sound like herself, knock her out. Then meet me in the quad.
Tods lips turned up in a grim smile. You know I never pass up an opportunity to smack your cousin.
25
TOD DISAPPEARED, and I headed straight for the gym, where Nash hung out during last period, now that football season was over.
I scanned the bleachers, glancing over several groups of students talking and watching the basketball team practice, but Nash found me before I spotted him. Hey, he called, and I turned to see him walking toward me from the boys locker room. What happened? he asked, falling into step with me when I gestured for him to follow me toward the gym doors, where we wouldnt be overheard. Emma said you disappeared during French. Like, literally disappeared.
Unscheduled trip to the Netherworld, courtesy of everyones least favorite mara.
Damn it, Kaylee, Im so sorry. He ran one hand through his hair in frustration. Are you okay?
I shrugged, trying not to show how pissed off I was, or how scared Id been. Like it was no big deal that his ex had nearly gotten me killed. A lot.
A little sticky I plucked at the drying gunk stuck to the back of my shirt. But still in one piece. And I did accuse her of trying to incite a school-wide riot. Though for the record, I think the interdimensional field trip constitutes gross overkill.
Ill talk to her he said, shrugging his backpack higher on his shoulders, and suddenly it felt weird for me to be whispering to Nash in the middle of class, carrying nothing but the weight of my own guilt and fear. Id left my stuff in French class, after my involuntary departure from the human world.
Dont bother. We have bigger hellions to fry, before one of them drops me into the hot oil. Or Sabine.
What?
Ill explain when we find Sabine, I said, leaning back against the side of the bleachers. For now, please tell me you found the sleepwalker.
Not even close.
Great. I shoved a flyaway strand of hair back from my face. Well, now were looking for two puppets. One will sound like Avari, the other like this demon chick named Invidia. I heard them plotting when I crossed over. Im guessing shes a hellion of envy.
Well, he didnt, I snapped.
Tod slid the phone back into his pocket. Soyoure still mad about the other day?
Wouldnt you be mad if I told you to give up on someone you care about? Justhand her over to someone who doesnt even deserve her?
Tod gave me a strange, sad look I couldnt interpret, and the blues in his irises shifted subtly for a moment before he got control of them. Yeah. I guess I would.
And obviously that was as much of an apology as I was going to get.
Anyway, if you didnt come to rescue me from the Netherworld, what are you doing here?
Tod blinked, and I could almost see him refocusing on the crisis at hand. Nash just called to tell me that Sabine sensed someone sleeping in the hallyou know maras can feel slumber, like wed feel heat from a fire, right?
I nodded, creeped out by the comparison. So what?
So there was no one sleeping in the hall. Everyone was up and moving, on the way to class.
So maybe her spidey senses are all messed up. I shrugged. Karmic payback for sending me to the Netherworld in my sleep.
I doubt its that simple. Or that satisfying, he said. So did I. The only way I know of for a sleeping person to function like hes awake is if hes
Possessed, I finished for him, as the implication began to sink in and dread settled through me like lead, pinning me in place. Avari had taken control of his host. Or maybe Invidia had taken control of hers. Did Sabine mention the lucky victims name?
Tod shrugged. She said the hall was too crowded and no one was snoring.
Great. Shes always so much help. I closed my eyes, trying to gather my thoughts, then looked up at him. But before I could tell him what Id overheard in the Netherworld, the sixth period bell rang, and I nearly jumped out of my shoes.
You gonna be in trouble? Tod asked, glancing at the ceiling like he could actually see the bell.
I reached for the door and gripped the handle. Nowhere near as much trouble as well all be in if Avari gets his way. Hes playing with a friend this time, and theyre up to something big.
You mean the blitz?
The blitz is just a means to an end. He and his partner are trying to drag me and Sabine into the Netherworld, and theyve each picked out a body here in the human world to give them hands-on involvement in the process. We have to find out who theyve possessed before they can make their move.
There werent many possibilities to choose from. A person had to have some connection to the Netherworld to even qualify forhellion possession, and I couldnt think of a single eligible party, other than me, Nash, and Emma.
And Sophie
Shit!
Tods blue eyes went hard and angry on my behalfand probably on Sabines. What can I do? He followed me into the hall, where I lowered my voice to avoid notice by the stragglers still making their way to class.
Find Sophie and make her talk. If she doesnt sound like herself, knock her out. Then meet me in the quad.
Tods lips turned up in a grim smile. You know I never pass up an opportunity to smack your cousin.
25
TOD DISAPPEARED, and I headed straight for the gym, where Nash hung out during last period, now that football season was over.
I scanned the bleachers, glancing over several groups of students talking and watching the basketball team practice, but Nash found me before I spotted him. Hey, he called, and I turned to see him walking toward me from the boys locker room. What happened? he asked, falling into step with me when I gestured for him to follow me toward the gym doors, where we wouldnt be overheard. Emma said you disappeared during French. Like, literally disappeared.
Unscheduled trip to the Netherworld, courtesy of everyones least favorite mara.
Damn it, Kaylee, Im so sorry. He ran one hand through his hair in frustration. Are you okay?
I shrugged, trying not to show how pissed off I was, or how scared Id been. Like it was no big deal that his ex had nearly gotten me killed. A lot.
A little sticky I plucked at the drying gunk stuck to the back of my shirt. But still in one piece. And I did accuse her of trying to incite a school-wide riot. Though for the record, I think the interdimensional field trip constitutes gross overkill.
Ill talk to her he said, shrugging his backpack higher on his shoulders, and suddenly it felt weird for me to be whispering to Nash in the middle of class, carrying nothing but the weight of my own guilt and fear. Id left my stuff in French class, after my involuntary departure from the human world.
Dont bother. We have bigger hellions to fry, before one of them drops me into the hot oil. Or Sabine.
What?
Ill explain when we find Sabine, I said, leaning back against the side of the bleachers. For now, please tell me you found the sleepwalker.
Not even close.
Great. I shoved a flyaway strand of hair back from my face. Well, now were looking for two puppets. One will sound like Avari, the other like this demon chick named Invidia. I heard them plotting when I crossed over. Im guessing shes a hellion of envy.
