Twisted Souls (Edited) 3rd Edition

Chapter 9

Ramone, Jazzy, and Jermoni crashed into Ian's bedroom to see his body holding down the night-terror-stricken woman. Red blotches appeared on Ian's bare skin, a burnt smell destroying the fresh air. "What's going on?" Jazzy asked during the silence in-between screams. Her brother's face was flushed. Sweat dribbled in worried eyes, skin burned in the cool air, but still he held on.

Another scream ripped through the air, and more people crowded into the bedroom. As Kaya calmed down again, Ian looked into his sisters' eyes. "I don't know." His voice faded off, "I don't . . . don't . . ." as screams filled the air again. The screamers' face twisted in agony. Sweat melded sheets and hair to her body.

Ray moved closer, stepping out of his man's arms. "Ian," but his words died as Ian shot backwards, tumbling off the bed and onto the ground. Kaya, incredibly strong with the connection, had shoved him away as her torso shot up. "Tamin." She breathed, blood red eyes glowing in the night, eerily unfocused and dazed. Then they refocused and changed colors yet again; this time from the creepy red to a more soothing lime green.

The room held its breath. For nearly an hour, the house was full of terrified screams from a terrified girl. Now, she was silent, staring at the people squished into the room of her mates. Jazzy was bent down, worrying her lip ring with her tongue as she pushed a towel into a bleeding head wound.

"Soon." The native breathed, peeling the top sheet from her body. The shirt she had donned to sleep in also clung to the sweaty skin. She carefully unpeeled it and chucked it off, still whispering to herself that solitary word.

"Soon."

At the sight of Ian's naked mate, most everybody was shoved through the door by Ray and Jer, who pushed their backs up against the cold wood with their arms drawn over their chests. At a shared look, Ray kissed his boyfriend and moved to help his cousins. Jaz struggled with Ian's weight but Ray pulled him up and set him on the bed easily.

"You okay there, man?" Ian's eyes were unfocused.

Something must have clicked in Kaya's mind, because she crawled over the bed, breasts hanging out and knocking together. She knelt next to Ian and caught sight of the burn marks just as the sun broke through the dying night sky. A swear word dropped from her tongue as she leaped off the bed and into middle of the room. "Fuck fuck FUCK!" Kaya screeched. The anger was immense as she snatched a shirt from her discarded bag and shoved it on.

Everyone in the room stared at the cursing native. Sunlight filtered in, casting the room in rich red hues and daring orange that clashed with the ebony-brown hair that flew in every–angry–direction.

Jazzy moved from her brother, having helped clog the bloody gash. Her feet moved to intercept the pacing friend of hers, but once her hand touched Kaya's arm, she recoiled and held the burned flesh to her chest. Jaz breathed deeply and Ray dragged his cousin back and set her down next to Ian, who still hadn't fully focused yet.

"Sexy mama, what's going on?" His voice was calm, cool, practically drooling with cajole. 'Sexy Mama' and Jermoni rolled their eyes simultaneously. Kaya stopped her walking and huffed as she pulled at her unbraided hair. "Soon. Just fucking soon." These words seethed out of her clenched mouth like venom. The jaw clicked a few times, which Ray was really worried about. Anger is dangerous, especially for a dual spirit. And he'd already seen what her anger could do.

"Soon what, dollface?"

Kaya suddenly kicked the edge of the mattress, breaking through the material and into the springs beneath. The momentum of her kick, where the foot would have swung back and settle on the ground, had the native crashing into Ray. Both of them tumbled into Ian. They dog-piled each other, hysterical laughter making it difficult to get up right away.