Free Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey Page A

You were amazing.”
    I pulled my hand away. Amazing. I had been amazing. And now I was just . . . funny.
    “Show me. Show me what I was like.”
    He stood and faced me. “I obey my master Speaker, to whom I am subordinate, because I have no will of my own under the natural law of subjugation and oppression.” He bowed low, chuckling.
    “Okay. I’m the one who’s supposed to be funny. Cut that out. What do we do to accomplish this with as little pain as possible? Laughter is good. Pain isn’t.”
    “Both are good,” he said. “You should stand up and put your arms around me.”
    “You’re only making that up.”
    He smiled. “Sort of. Contact really does help. Here, just take my hands.”
    Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad this time because I knew what to expect. I placed my trembling hands in his. He squeezed my fingers, transmitting warmth through the contact.
    “It’ll be okay. You get used to it.”
    I closed my eyes. “Let’s get this over with.”
    He enveloped both of my hands in his and pressed them to his chest. I could feel his heart beating. Come on. Do it before I chicken out.
    “Out,” he whispered.
    I didn’t open my eyes; I was too frightened. But this time I didn’t scream as his soul poured into my body like scalding water. I controlled myself to the point that I only squeaked.
    In a matter of seconds, the pain stopped. His heart still beat under my palms. What happened? Why didn’t it work? I opened my lids and stared up at his empty, hollow, silver-gray eyes.
    “Alden?”
    Right here.
    I flinched. The voice was in my head.
    Are you okay?
    “Um. Yeah. It’s weird. It’s like I’m thinking in your voice.” My hands remained over his heart, the rhythm of life still beating in his chest. I dropped my hands, backed up several steps, and pointed at his body. “Alden, if you’re not there, are you dead?”
    No. The autonomic nervous system still operates. Everything is intact. Only part of the soul is missing.
    “Part of the soul?”
    Yeah, I split my soul. A tendril remains behind to keep my body closed. Protectors are closed vessels and can’t be possessed by another spirit as long as part of the soul remains. Unlike Speakers, Protectors’ bodies can only accommodate one soul at a time.
    It still freaked me out when he talked or communicated or whatever it would be called in this situation. “That makes no sense whatsoever.”
    It will.
    “So, will you just stand there forever like that?”
    I can only do this where my body is safe. If I know I’m going to be gone for a while, I’m particularly careful. I usually leave my body sitting or lying down so that it doesn’t get knocked over or damaged. We’ll be here next to it the whole time, so it’s okay.
    I sat down and stared at his empty body. Even lifeless, he was hot.
    Thank you.
    “Oh, great. You can hear what I’m thinking.”
    No, I can only feel your soul respond to your emotions.
    “Watch it, minion, or you’ll be banished from my kingdom.”
    Yes, master.
    I laughed. “Okay. What’s it like? Are we really sharing my body?”
    I can’t feel anything at all in a tactile sense. No physical sensation whatsoever after the pain of entering. Because my soul isn’t complete, I don’t have enough power to control your body, but I can get some of your emotions, and I hear exactly what you hear. I also see through your eyes. I can’t access any of your memories, but I can give you mine. Are you ready?
    “Are you in a hurry?”
    Well, sort of. I don’t like leaving my body soulless for long. There’s a risk of discovery. It would be awkward if your mom came home or something. A Protector is not allowed to let his soulless body be discovered. It’s one of the rules.
    There seemed to be a lot of rules, but that one made sense. “Okay, go for it.”
    The transfer of memories was like a high-def slide show in my brain. I could hear and feel Alden’s memories as if they were my own, but I was limited to the memories he