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Chapter 1

I’d always thought life was co other than the human world But it was a piece of cake compared to the mayhem I live in now Vampires Demons Evil Possession I’ve experienced it all I barely remember my possession, honestly Bits and pieces, Alex desperate to savemore than to kill him Which I did I killed him…

It happens so quickly that I don’t have time to process it One minute le thought--kill Alex--and then suddenly I’ Need Sadness I see soin a field Blood Pro I’ve ever felt in h to me and jus "Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop It’s s as he pulls the needle out of his heart Gasping for air, his skin pallid, eyes wide Seconds later, he cru scream rips from my lips "Aislin! Untie me! Please He can’t die now!" I did this This is all my fault No! Help! Stop Please God, it hurts so much

Aislin buckles over Alex’s body with her head tucked down as she utters a chant under her breath, over and over again Her hand glows red as she presses it to his heart I realize she’s doing a spell, hopefully one that will bring hioes on, the ets quiet, tears still falling from her eyes as she looks up at me

"He’s dead, Gelow from her hand fizzles away

"No, he’s not!" I cry as I tug on the ties around s "Aislin, please untie et up, then shedown her cheeks She unfastens the ties around ets the last one undone, I spring upright and scra on the floor His eyes are open, though distant and vacant; his ar I check his pulse withI feel nothing

I vaguely hear Aislin say so to me, but I can’t make out her words There’s so er every second his heart isn’t beating I feel like I’

There’s a frozen lake before le fro the water The dark sky casts a shadow over the icy land and the air is as chilly as death Alex’s are of the frozen water, holding onto one another as if our lives depend on it

"We’ll be all right, won’t we?" I ask hih my hair and the silence around us makes the world feel desolate Yet somehow at the moment, I feel whole; at peace, calm

I tip my head back and look up at him to tell him my how I feel, but he shushes me as he brushes ht," he whispers, but his voice is unsteady

My lips part to disagree, because I can feel the oh the air and steals the words froures with skin of the dead and soulless glowing eyes ee from the trees and surround us

"Death Walkers" I look at Alex in terror "What do we do?"

He pulls ain, his body heat the only drop of warmth we have left "Just trust ony Then suddenly I’ht Yet for so onto hiulfand I can feel Alex slipping away I let out a screaht

"Gemma," a voice calls out to ht encircles me "Who’s there?"

"Come toward me," the voice echoes

I lift my hand to ht, but I still can’t see a thing "Whoever you are, I can’t see you… The light’s too bright"

"Yes, you can," the voice assures h it see he would say to fk with my head The voice is much deeper, and sounds older and wiser "You just have to look harder"

I blink a few tiins to dim Slowly at first, and then low orbing around et s are ripped out from under me

I tumble down a rabbit hole for what seems like forever until, finally, I land on a hard surface on my back My vision comes into focus and I’ht-bluepainted with intricate art, and tile walls of sapphire blue and shi silver It’s beautiful--too beautiful

"I have to be dead," Ito my feet I examine myself My skin is pale, but that’s nors,in my chest I have to be alive, but where the hell a in a circle between rows of columns that lead to a colossal statue

I head for the statue, taking each step carefully, afraid that any second so--will jump out from behind one of the colu Alex will appear from somewhere Surpriseagain as I reach the end, thinking about where Alex could be and if he’s alive My heart feels shattered Broken I’m broken Just like the statue with a crack down the center, although it’s still intact Made of flawless, white ure that looks like a tall les of the face that look familiar, and there’s a crystal ball chiseled in his hand

"What in the hell?" I lean closer, squinting at the plaque mounted on the statue’s feet As soon as I read it, my pulse quickens to the point that it knocks the breath out of me "Julian Lucas Lucas? No There is no way" I cover my mouth with my hand and back away Where am I? What is this place?

"Don’t worry, it’s just a statue," soht behind me

I spin around and jump back when I co rese He has shoulder length, brown hair and violet eyes

"Oh,mouth and shake lad you finally found me"

"But you’re… hohy…" I can’t form sentences