Fate's Revenge (Twisted Fate, Book 4)

Chapter Three

The vial of the potion had survived my journey back to Glory Academy unharmed.

Unlike when it had burst on the way down to Hell's Fire, I'd placed a drop on my finger and stashed the vial in my pocket for my journey back to my body. There was no smashing, though I had no idea how it transferred from my astral form to my physical one, or how it went from what I was wearing to what I had been changed into.

I guess something made from magic to do the impossible didn't conform to reality's limitations.

With everything I could do—read thoughts, open locked doors, kill Darkness—it wasn't a stretch to imagine that a vial of potion that separated your soul from your body could make the transfer with me from Hell to Heaven, even if I would never understand it. Maybe it was a part of me, going where I went in whatever form I traveled?

Right now, none of that mattered.

All I cared about was the fact that the vial was intact.

Before giving myself the chance to think about being caught, I swung my legs over the side of the bed to find a pair of jeans—no way was I going to risk going back to Hell's Fire in a gown without pockets to hide the vial in. It was my way back to my body, and Marcus would never let me go if he realized I was there. Heck, he'd probably raid my pockets if he was given half the chance—the mental image of him ordering Dark Souls to hold me down while he frisked my pockets made me cringe.

No, the only way to survive going back to Hell's Fire for any period of time was to secure my escape before arriving, but I'd have to chance it with protecting the vial in my jeans. It beat the image of him digging into my bra. Given Marcus's predilection for caring more for the good of a few Dark Souls than my well-being despite the fact that they lived through my soul, it was definitely something that he was capable of.

I tugged the jeans on under my gown and crawled back under the covers. My skin had nearly returned to normal and I felt strong. A quick trip without helping to heal the Darkness that affected some of the Dark Souls—those that were left to be healed after my last journey—should be fine. In and out, just long enough to find Tyler, the first Dark Soul I had helped, and demand that he tell me what he had learned while possessed by Darkness.

What did it want? How was it doubling my friends? What did it really know about me and the things that I was capable of? Did it know that I could do more than exorcise it from someone? Did Darkness—the mind that controlled all Darkness—know that I could kill it?

If I was lucky, I wouldn't have to see Marcus at all, and I could get back to my body to figure out how to escape fully intact.

The door of my dorm slammed open and I shoved my hands under the covers, placing the vial beneath my thigh. I squeezed my eyes shut before I could identify my visitor, and then tried to look natural so that I wouldn't give myself away—nobody shut their eyes so tight they crinkled at the corners while they were supposed to be sleeping, never mind while they were in a supposed coma. No sooner did the door close before hesitant footsteps begin crossing the room, stopping at my bedside. The chair legs scraped against the floor and whoever had come inside sighed as they sat, shifting in their seat. I couldn't tell if they were just trying to get comfortable or if they felt ill-at-ease.

Another sigh sounded. "Hey, Aly. Uh, how are you feeling?"

Young but eager, Sera was the Pure Soul who had initiated the groups who'd come together to find the answers we were all dying to know, like who we were and what our purpose was. It was a funny description, considering I was the only one alive. Still, the Pure Souls helped with everything from angels to magic to Fate, all of which they reported back to me. Or, I guess, Suzie now. I couldn't help but wonder what they'd learned since I'd been gone. Had Suzie encouraged them?