The Curse of the Soulless Page 7

  What is happening to me!

  “I’m not sure you should do that.” His gaze is welded to mine. “I don’t want your mom thinking I don’t like her daughter.”

  I pop a piece of gum into my mouth and chew so roughly my jaw aches. “So you’d just feel better lying to her?”

  He shakes his head. “I don’t not like you, Willa. I just…”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “Don’t do that.”

  He blinks at me, his eyes flashing blue again. “Do what?”

  “Try to play off the last six years.” For a moment, I breathe easier, my head a bit clearer. “Don’t try to make excuses for why you tormented me and Brecken and probably half of our class.”

  “I’m not trying to make excuses. I’m…” He pauses. “I’m sorry.”

  With the trance broken, I speak freely for the first time since I got in the truck “For what exactly? The time you and your friends painted lesbian on my locker. Or when Gabe,” I make air quotes, “ ‘accidentally’ cut off some of my hair in art class sophomore year. Or how about the time you guys told the entire school that I was bulimic. That one of your stupid little girlfriends saw me making myself throw up in the bathroom.” I direct my attention to the window, my hands shaking. “You know, I had to go to the counselor because of that. With my mom. Thankfully, my mom trusted me and didn’t believe the counselor or else I probably would’ve been sent away to a treatment facility.” I shut my eyes as tears begin to burn. “And that’s just the stuff they’ve done to me. Brecken had to deal with twice as much shit.”

  He doesn’t say anything at first, and I don’t want him to. What I want is for this ride to be over.

  “I didn’t have anything to do with that stuff,” he says. “The locker, the hair thing, the rumor—I swear I didn’t do any of that.”

  "Really?" My voice feels like an echo.

  When I turn my head back toward him, his eyes have darkened again.

  He slowly shakes his head. “I didn’t.”

  I study him, the way he holds my gaze, and a sea of confusion funnels inside me, so potent I can barely tell what’s up and what’s down.

  “You didn’t?” I whisper, then lean over and press my lips to his.

  I feel the brush of lips caressing mine. I moan, opening my mouth and allowing his tongue to slip inside. But as quickly as the kiss starts, his lips are leaving mine.

  I open my eyes, dazed and confused. Did I… Did I just kiss Gaige Irvins?

  I stare at him, waiting for him to change into a skeleton. Wait for the hallucination to end. But even when I blink, I remain sitting in Gaige’s truck, staring at him as he gapes at me in horror.

  Any hope that this morning isn’t real gradually fizzles and reality bitch slaps me.

  I kissed Gaige Irvins and now he’s going to tell everyone what I freak I really am.

  This is really happening.

  Chapter 9

  Willa

  “Oh God, please don’t tell anyone I did that.” I reach for the door handle and stumble outside.

  “Willa, wait,” Gaige calls after me.

  I slam the door and run like hell, not toward the school but the house. I run for miles, not slowing down until I can barely breathe. Then I power walk the rest of the distance back to my house, throwing the occasional glance over my shoulder. I don't know why, but part of me hoped Gaige would chase me down and tell me everything will be okay. But he probably drove straight to the school to tell everyone that I kissed him. That I'm a freak. And maybe I am.

  By the time I make it to my house, I’m on the verge of tears. But I don’t let the waterworks spring free until I lock myself in my room. Then I lie down on my bed, take out the map Brecken gave me, and cry freely as I sketch my finger over the heart.

  “Brecken,” I sob, my chest heaving. “Brecken, where are you?” Hot tears spring from my eyes and stream down my cheeks. “Please answer me… I did something terrible today and think I might be losing my mind.”

  The silence only makes me cry harder.

  “You said you’d be here when I needed you,” I whisper. “Well, I need you now, more than I’ve ever needed you.”

  Upon uttering the words, my bed begins to tilt forward. At first I think maybe an earthquake is happening, but then I realize I’m tilting forward, not my bed.

  “What the—” My words die on my tongue as I tumble forward and head dive straight toward the map. But instead of hitting paper, I fall through it and land in a pile of ashes.

  Scampering to my feet, I dust the ash off my clothes and peer up at the cloudy grey sky then at the acres of ash stretching before me.

  Just like in the hallucination I use to have. The only thing missing is the skeleton.

  A chill runs up my spine as a figure appears before me. I start to trip back, but then they turn toward me.

  I freeze. “Brecken?”

  He smiles at me. “Took you long enough.”

  I don’t know what to do or what to say as I stand there gaping at my dead best friend. He looks the same with long eyelashes, full lips, and dark hair. The only difference is he’s wearing all black, something he rarely did while he was alive.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything soon.” He extends his hand to me. “But first I need you to come with me. We don’t have a lot of time.”

  “Before what?” I ask, nervously taking his hand.

  His skin is warm. Alive. Strange, but familiar.

  “Before you have to go back,” he says, giving my hand a squeeze.

  “But what if I don’t want to go back,” I reply, gripping onto his hand.

  He just offers me a sad smile then guides me further into the field of ash. I easily follow, having no clue where I’m going, or if this is even real. But still wishing I never had to go back.

  About the Author

  About the Author

  Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

  Coming Soon!

  Other books by Jessica Sorensen:

  The Soulless:

  The Curse of the Soulless

  The Curse of the Soulless 2 (coming soon)

  The Unveiling:

  Unveiled

  Unveiled 2 (coming soon)

  Shadow Cove Series:

  What Lies in the Darkness

  A Deadly Little Game (coming soon)

  Standalones:

  Rules of a Rebel and a Shy Girl

  The Opposite of Ordinary

  Confessions of a Kleptomaniac

  The Illusion of Annabella

  The Forgotten Girl

  Broken City Series:

  Nameless

  Forsaken

  Oblivion

  Forbidden (coming soon)

  Guardian Academy Series:

  Entranced

  Entangled

  Enchanted

  Guardian Academy, Dash’s Series:

  The Forest of Shadow and Bones

  The Forest of Shadow and Bones 2 (coming soon)

  Sunnyvale Series:

  The Year I Became Isabella Anders

  The Year of Falling in Love

  The Year of Second Chances

  The Year of Kai & Isa (coming soon)

  Unraveling You Series:

  Unraveling You

  Raveling You

  Awakening You

  Inspiring You (coming soon)

  The Coincidence Series:

  The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden

  The Redemption of Callie and Kayden

  The Destiny of Violet and Luke

  The Probability of Violet and Luke

  The Certainty of Violet and Luke

  The Resolution of Callie and Kayden

  Seth & Greyson

  The Secret Series:

  The Prelude of Ella and Micha

  The Secret of Ella and Micha

  The F
orever of Ella and Micha

  The Temptation of Lila and Ethan

  The Ever After of Ella and Micha

  Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always

  Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always

  The Shattered Promises Series:

  Shattered Promises

  Fractured Souls

  Unbroken

  Broken Visions

  Scattered Ashes

  Breaking Nova Series:

  Breaking Nova

  Saving Quinton

  Delilah: The Making of Red

  Nova and Quinton: No Regrets

  Tristan: Finding Hope

  Wreck Me

  Ruin Me

  The Fallen Star Series:

  The Fallen Star

  The Underworld

  The Vision

  The Promise

  The Fallen Souls Series (spin-off from The Fallen Star):

  The Lost Soul

  The Evanescence

  The Darkness Falls Series:

  Darkness Falls

  Darkness Breaks

  Darkness Fades

  The Death Collectors Series (NA and YA):

  Ember X and Ember

  Cinder X and Cinder

  Spark X and Spark

  Unbeautiful Series:

  Unbeautiful

  Untamed