Free The Evanescence (Fallen Soul Series) by Jessica Sorensen Page A

to cry.
     
    I’m about to ask him what’s up, when Evan walks into the room with his jacket zipped up and the hood pulled over his head. He immediately slams to a stop when he sees me talking to Laylen and the awkwardness, thankfully, vanishes.
     
    He stares at us incredulously. “What the hell is going on? I mean—no offense or anything, but aren’t you both supposed to be dead?”
     
    I shake my head and can’t help smiling. Leave it to Evan to be straightforward. “I take it you didn’t have any luck finding Gemma.”
     
    He shakes his head in response as he draws his hood down. “No, and apparently you didn’t find her either.”
     
    “No,” I say. “And as much as I hate to admit it, she probably used her Foreseer power and left.” I let out a breath as Evan sits down on the sofa beside Laylen and I drag my fingers through my hair. “This is turning into such a mess.”
     
    “It always does,” Laylen mutters. “And not only do we have to find Gemma, but I don’t think anyone has even begun to figure out how to get Aislin out of the Fey Kingdom.”
     
    Evan holds up his hand. “Before you two start making plans, can someone please give me a rundown of what the heck is going on? I mean for all I know you two could be zombies.”
     
    I roll my eyes. “Zombies don’t exist. Everyone knows that.”
     
    Evan elevates his eyebrows and gives an exaggerated eye-widening. “Yeah, everyone knows that, yet a few hours ago, you two were lying on the floor without a pulse and now look at you.”
     
    I shrug. “It’s been known to happen.”
     
    He sighs, shaking his head. “I don’t get what you’re saying.”
     
     “I know,” I say and then give them both a quick rundown of what happened.
     
     “There’s one thing I don’t get,” Evan says, fiddling with the chain on his belt loop. “Why weren’t we able to tell that you were still alive? We couldn’t see you breathing or find a pulse.”
     
    I shrug. “Maybe it was because I was on the brink of death. Or maybe because I was possessed. I really don’t know.”
     
    “Or maybe it’s because you were dead and now you’re a zombie,” he says.
     
    “Oh, would you get off the zombie kick, dude.” Laylen looks at me with disbelief as he hitches his thumb at Evan. “Seriously, what’s up with him?”
     
    Laylen doesn’t know Evan very well, but I do, and I know he’s seen a lot of strange things in his life, which is why he questions a lot of things.
     
    Evan narrows his eyes at Laylen and I catch his skin flickering. It’s time for a subject change before one of them steps too far on the other one’s toes.
     
    “Any ideas of where she would have gone?” I ask Laylen.
     
    “Gemma?” he questions. “Why are you asking me?”
     
    I stare him down. “Because she seems to tell you everything? Do you remember her saying anything when she found your body?”
     
    He shrugs. “I couldn’t really hear anything.”
     
     “You know the possibilities of where she could have gone are endless, right?” Evan chimes in. “With her gift she can basically go anywhere.”
     
    “I know that,” I tell him, thinking about the last thing she whispered to me. She said she’d make her pay. Helena. It has to be Helena. I tap my fingers on the armrest, wondering if she’d really do it. Throw herself into danger without any protection. Sure she’s Immortal—one of the protected one’s—but she could get trapped down there, amongst many other things. Maybe that’s what she wants. Maybe she wants to die. I shut my eyes. It’s like I can almost feel her pain, feel what she’s doing, see how she’s thinking. It’s strange, but for some reason, I can almost retrace her steps.
     
    Without saying a word, I get up from the chair and leave the room. With my eyes still shut and ignoring Evan and Laylen’s shouts about where I’m going, I walk down the hallway; not of my own accord, but with something else, as if I’m getting