Читать книгу The Life After Trilogy: Soul Taken / Soul Possessed / Soul Betrayed - Katlyn Duncan - Страница 26

“You wanted to see me?” I said, stepping into Father’s library.

He stood at the far window, looking out onto the estate. Even though it was late, he still insisted on a constant watch of our home. I sometimes wondered if he ever slept. “Close the door behind you,” he said without turning.

I did as he asked. Father was never one for many words but the ones he did use were powerful and commanded obedience and respect. I moved closer to him, my skirts rustling against my legs. The heat from the fireplace warmed my skin and cast dancing shadows across the dim room.

His expression was guarded, his eyes not quite meeting mine as I neared.

“Is there something wrong?” I asked.

He turned his gaze on mine. Those same blue eyes I saw in the mirror every day stared back at me. One hand scratched at his dark beard, and the other was shoved into a pocket. A gesture that I’d known over the past fifteen years of my life to be one of nervousness. An emotion he rarely showed to anyone, including me.

“I’ve chosen a husband for you,” he said quietly.

My heart leapt. Please let it be Tristan. Tristan had called for me over the past few months and even though I had several callers, he’d been my top choice. He was handsome and one of the wealthiest men in the country. Even though he was almost a decade older we connected as if we were two halves of the same whole. I knew he loved me just as much as I loved him. And I silently prayed for him to be the choice.

“Who is it?” I said, wringing my hands together.

Father sniffed. “Tristan Thomas. You are to be married two weeks after your sixteenth birthday.”

I squealed, jumping up and down. Father’s hands reached out and he pulled me into a hug.

“I only wish for your happiness, daughter,” he said into my hair.

I squeezed him back, pressing my cheek to his chest. “I am the happiest girl in the world. No, the universe!” Me and Tristan. Margaret Thomas. It had the most beautiful ring to it. And now I’d only have to wait two months until we could start our lives together.

A thump sounded behind me. I turned to see a leather-bound book lying on the floor. Father pushed past me and picked it up from the floor. His nostrils flared as he inhaled quickly, his eyes trained on the space next to me. I looked over at the windows, confused.

“What is that?” I asked.

Father slipped the book back onto the shelf and licked his lips, his mouth quirking up into a smile. “Shall we go tell your mother and sister?”

I giggled. “Can we?”

Father chuckled, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side as we started toward the door.

“What are you doing?” Cooper’s voice shattered the memory.

The book fell from my fingertips, landing hard on the floor. Cooper stood in the doorway, his face no longer pale, his arms crossed against his chest, scowling.

“I got in!” I said, spreading Ally’s arms out next to me.

“How?”

I reached down to pick up the book. “It was a little uncomfortable but maybe because Ally’s body hasn’t transformed yet she’s not entirely protected against the wards? I did find a bunch of—” My words disintegrated off Ally’s tongue as I glanced down at the book.

The upward facing page displayed stray lines across it. Upon a closer inspection, the lines looked like tree branches artfully etched into the paper. I traced Ally’s fingers over the lines and their color brightened with my touch.

One of the branches morphed before my eyes, revealing a black and white photo of a girl. Her dark hair was pulled up into a tight bun at the top of her head and her hands rested delicately in her lap. I leaned in to get a better look. Her eyes looked far away and her mouth was closed and tight-lipped.

A name formed under the photo.

Thomas.

Margaret Thomas. Maggie Thomas. I shoved the book away from me, yet a substantial part of me wanted to grab it and never let go.

“Why is my name in here?” I pointed to the book, struggling to calm Ally’s racing heart.

I looked up at Cooper, his fury disappeared into pity. I didn’t know which was worse.

“Come out of there,” he said. “I think you should talk to Felix.”

I gathered the logs and the leather-bound book before painfully passing through the ward barrier once again. Shutting the door I tucked the key safely into my pocket.

“Feeling better?” I asked as we walked to Ally’s room.

“It takes a lot out of a Guard to influence like that,” he said.

We stepped into Ally’s room. Cooper shut the door behind us. Calliope was standing in the center, her arms crossed against her chest.

“Are you here to accuse me of anything else?” I said, placing the other books down on Ally’s bed. I still held the leather-bound one against my chest.

Calliope’s mouth twitched. “No. I’m taking you to Felix.”

“Where—” Cooper started.

“Just us,” she said. “His instructions.”

I drove into town; neither of us spoke unless it was Calliope giving me sharp instructions. I pulled into an empty lot behind a church.

“We’re here,” she said, transporting herself out of the car.

Calliope walked with me across the deserted parking lot next to the church and I struggled to keep up with her long stride. She pointed to a door at the back and I pulled the heavy door open, ushering Calliope in first. The door led to the back of the nave. Our footfalls echoed in the cavernous room. The sun shone through the stained glass, casting colorful mosaics across the floor and walls.

I looked around the empty church. “Where is he?”

“I’m here,” Calliope said in a deep voice.

“What do you mean?” I whirled around, staring into her now golden eyes.

She stepped closer to me.

I swallowed hard and looked into my boss’ eyes but definitely not his body. “What is going on?”

Calliope’s head tilted to the side, a movement I’d seen Felix do a million times. I backed up quickly and slammed against a pew.

“Relax,” she—he said. “A calm mind reflects level thoughts.” She—he walked toward the bank of candles at the front of the church.

Yup, definitely Felix. When I got over the creepy factor, I walked over to Calliope. She lifted a match and a small flame appeared on the tip.

“I take it you found out about your past,” Calliope/Felix said, his voice softer.

“I wanted to find—”

“Ally,” he interrupted. “I know, but deep down you did this for yourself.” He moved the flame to the wick of a candle.

“I thought it was her,” I said. “I’ve been able to access her memories, well, some of them. I assumed there was something in the office to help find her.”

“Did you think there was a reason she, or any other soul, wasn’t allowed in there?” His golden gaze flicked over to mine.

“Yes, but—”

“Yes, but.” Calliope’s head tilted.

Ally’s body flamed. I had a million questions for Felix but I prioritized to the most recent. “I found a book in David’s office. It looked old and worn. The pages filled in as I read it and there was a picture of me in there. I’d like to know why.”

“That is the Book of Records for Ally’s family,” he said. “Only those who are blood related can read it.”

A lightness fluttered around in Ally’s chest. “I’m related to Ally?”

“Yes,” he said.

Then that meant I was… no, not possible.

Remember what you keep telling Cooper. Nothing surrounding this situation is impossible.

“I’m a Prognatum?”

Calliope nodded slightly. “You were. You never underwent the transformation.”

“Why not?”

“You died before your eighteenth birthday,” he said.

“How?” I asked.

“You were influenced by a Shadowed when you were a human,” he started. “Most Prognatum are approached by at least one before they are changed. This particular Shadowed used to be your Guard.”

I stood up. “A Guard—my Guard was a Shadowed? How did that happen? What kind of screening process do you people have?” Ally’s skin prickled with sweat. I twisted her hair off her neck, attempting to cool off. I was supposed to be protected. It was a Guard’s job to have protected me. Instead they had a secret agent for the Shadowed watching over me at all times.

“He never expressed any change until his job was secured,” Felix said. “He was a Guard for your family for decades. In the past we have only chosen seasoned Guard for the task, but that was our mistake. He became scorned, selfish and had long stopped caring for humans. That is why we chose Cooper for Ally; he is relatively new and still holds humans at a higher level. His memories are still fresh—” He stopped abruptly.

I cocked my head. “His memories of what exactly are fresh?”

Calliope stood. Even though she was a few inches shorter than Ally, with Felix’s presence inside of her she towered over me in spirit. “His human memories are still present in his soul.”

“Cooper has his human memories?” Ally’s cheeks burned. “Guard and Collectors are to remain unbiased and impassive—” I stopped reciting the principles that have been repeated to me over the years. My mind automatically jumped to Dylan. He died from a car crash but consistently flinched when he saw a car.

How could I have been so stupid?

“Why am I so special?” I asked. “Everyone else can keep their human memories except me.”

I didn’t dare tell him I’d experienced a few of my own. He’d probably take those away too.

“Those memories will only confuse you more. You have to realize I did it for your own good. You needed to experience goodness in the world before you could attempt to reconcile with what you did.”

“What did I do?” I asked, my voice echoing throughout the room.

He hesitated then said, “Let’s finish this assignment and I’ll consider filling you in.”