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

lead by a ghost.
     
    When I open my eyes again, I’m standing in front of the curio table. It hits me, like a brick over my head. Her locket and the Cornu Lepore are gone. I crouch down on my hands and knees and feel underneath it, searching the floor to see if they were knocked down. However, deep down, I know I’m not going to find them because I know she picked them up on her way out to where ever she went, just like, deep down, I know she’s hurting and angry about something. I can almost see it happening, the way she walked down the stairs, sad, yet determined, and when she passed them, she scooped up her locket because deep down, a tiny part of her wants to live.
     
    Evan and Laylen walk in. “Are you okay, man?” Laylen asks, leaning against the doorway, eyeing me as I crawl around on the floor.
     
    “Evan, did you move the necklaces we took from Gemma?” I ask, pushing to my feet.
     
    “No, they were on the table earlier today.” He points a finger at the curio.
     
    “Gemma must have taken them,” I speculate, brushing the dirt off the knees of my jeans. “I think I might know where she is…” I glance at the front door, picturing her opening it. “To Nalina’s with the Cornu Lepore.”
     
    “How do you know that?” Laylen wonders. “Just because she took the necklaces?”
     
    “It’s a feeling,” I reply, knowing I’m sounding like a freaking weirdo.
     
    “Okay…” Laylen considers this and then, standing up straight, he heads for the door. “Let’s go get her.”
     
     “Why would she do that, though?” Evan questions, perplexed, as he zips his jacket up. “The Cornu Lepore isn’t supposed to be anything special. At least, that’s what I’ve always been told.”
     
    “It was special to Helena,” Laylen interrupts, turning the doorknob, then holds up his hand when I start to open my mouth. “Don’t ask me why because I’m not sure. All I know is that it was important to her. That’s why she took it from Nalina in the first place.”
     
    “Maybe Gemma’s going to try and go after Helena on her own.” Evan shuffles toward the door.
     
    “Yeah, I already thought of that,” I mutter.
     
    The three of us grow quiet and I feel like I’m going to explode. I’ve always been taught to keep my cool and deal with whatever’s thrown at me, but it’s becoming too much. I just wish that, for like a month—Hell, I’d take a day—that we could live our lives in a normal way, without any crazy Faeries, Keepers, Witches, or anything else trying to take over the world.
     
    “I think she’s gone to Nalina’s to find out why Helena wanted the pendant.” I pat my pockets for my knife. “And I think she is going after Helena if we don’t make it to her first.”
     
    Evan withdraws a small, ruby-filled Crystal Ball from his pocket and holds it in the air. I’d almost forgotten that he has the power of a Foreseer as well. “I can’t use this in here with the Praesidium .” He glances at the lavender marble lining the floor. “So, we’ll have to go outside.”
     
    We nod and Evan leads the way. It’s pitch black and I can barely see as we make our way down the grassy hill and away from the castle. I can hear the pitter-patter of footsteps and the fluttering of Sprite wings. I take out my knife because it makes me feel content and Evan lights up his hand so we can see where we’re going. Where are we going exactly? To Gemma? I really don’t know. All I’m basing it on is a feeling I have that I can read the things she does. That’s it. Other than that, I’ve got nothing.
     
    All I can do is hope that I’m right. And I’ve never really been a fan of hope.
     

Chapter 10
     

Gemma
     
     
     
    I think I’ve officially lost my mind, but I don’t think I care. I have Nalina trapped in the corner of the living room, cowering and crying as she rocks back and forth, banging her head against the wall. I used the Serpent’s mark to invade her mind; made her