Free Protect Her: Part 10 by Ivy Sinclair

dug out a small candle from the bag. “I don’t give two shits about what Eva thinks is hers or not. Paige was manipulated into giving over her body under false pretenses. I’m going to fix that.”
    Viho backed away even as I set the candle on the floor in front of me as the flame sprang to life. I didn’t really need it to do what I was about to do, but I found that in tense moments focusing on the flame kept me centered. I bowed my head and began to recite the words that had been blazoned on my brain.
    Hear me, the one whose essence and soul I seek. Obey my command, and come to me. Do not hold back for I will find you. Do not shy away because you are the one I seek. Come to me now.
    Nothing happened. I knew the sensations I was looking for. It would feel as if threads of string reached out from me and connected to the essence of the one I wanted to summon. It didn’t matter how near or far away in time and space they were from me. My spell always found them and brought them to me.
    “What the hell?” I murmured.
    “This is one thing that you can’t undo, and you can’t fix,” Viho said flatly. “You will only do more damage.”
    “Shut up, old man,” I growled. I closed my eyes and said the words again. I should have felt the connection almost instantly. But again, I felt nothing. It was strangely empty on the other side of the void I tried to breach.
    “This isn’t as interesting as I hoped,” Adam said from across the room.
    “You’re welcome to come over here and give me a little boost of that magical dark junkie juice,” I said.
    “I am here only to ensure that my sister never sees the light of day when she arises. If I were you, I’d take your father’s advice and leave before it’s too late.”
    It was as if the words were said at just the right moment. Paige’s eyes opened, but I knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. It went beyond the fact that Paige’s eyes were blue, and the eyes that stared up at me were so dark they were almost black. As she sat up, I saw her hair darken even as I watched. It wasn’t the raven black that I knew was Eva’s hair color, but an odd hue of silver gray that seemed to be a hybrid blend between Paige’s blonde locks and Eva’s dark tones.
    “Hello, Riley.” It was Paige’s voice, but I knew this wasn’t Paige.
    “Eva,” I said evenly.
    I heard Klein’s heavy gulp. I was amazed the kid had made it this long without finding the nearest exit or passing out. Viho stood a few feet behind me. Eva’s gaze swept around the room before coming to rest on Adam’s still form. He said nothing when her eyes found him.
    She sprang to her feet in a catlike flip that would put a gymnast to shame. “Brother. How?”
    How? Why was that the first question she’d have for him?
    Viho tugged on my arm. I shifted up onto my heels and got to my feet as quietly as I could. I felt a keening sense of loss. Eva was transforming my love before my eyes. I had missed my opportunity to find her and convince her she had made a mistake. Now there was Eva to get through to get to her. I flexed my fists and steeled my mind. I would have to keep Adam from destroying her. If he did that, he’d kill Paige’s essence that was locked away in her body in the process. I couldn’t have that.
    “You let go of my memory so easily that I’m surprised you even recognize me. I am disappointed that you didn’t think I could be as resourceful as you. But then again, you always did underestimate me. That is why you were the favored one.”
    “I was the favored one because I didn’t murder all my siblings,” she said.
    Holy shit. I realized that I might have just stumbled into a family that was more fucked up than mine.
    “They were weak,” Adam said with a shrug. “You weren’t though.”
    “No, I was strong,” Eva said. “You were too cowardly to come after me to my face, so I see now that you constructed this whole elaborate plan to get rid of me once and for