Intrinsical (17 page)

I spun in confusion, squinting against the now seemingly denser dark of the night. There stood Brent, his brown eyes edged and flecked with green, dressed in the same dark suit he had worn at the party. It took a moment for my mind to register that I wasn’t looking at my Brent, but a fake Brent in a stolen body.

Fake Brent was watching me closely, and as soon as he saw a look of comprehension cross my face, he smiled in satisfaction. It gave me the creeps; I didn’t like seeing Brent’s face looking like that. I shoved the acid that was rising in my throat back down, but I couldn’t keep it out of my tone as I questioned him.

“
What do you mean? He saved me. Why wouldn’t I thank
him
?”

Fake Brent smiled even more greasily than before, if that were possible. “Isn’t it obvious?” He taunted. “If it wasn’t for him, you might still be alive. I might never have noticed you if you hadn’t saved him from choking that day. And then, after he died, he tried to pass messages to you. I was left with no choice; I had to get rid of you. Well, and I have a few personal reasons, too.”

After recovering from his shock, Real Brent hurled himself toward the imposter, his face full of fury. Fake Brent easily sidestepped Real Brent, his eyebrows slightly raised, with a look of light amusement on his face. “Feel better?”

Real Brent stood up and dusted himself off. “Who are you?’

“
I’ve been many people over the years, but originally I was Thomas,” he said with a formal bow.

“
Well . . . Thomas, why are you here? What do you want? Do you want to gloat? I’ll tell you what you can do with that gloating.” Brent made a rude hand gesture.

Thomas laughed, completely ignoring Brent’s graphic suggestions on what he could do with his free time, and interrupted him. “I’m here to collect Yara,” he announced, meeting our shocked faces with an evil grin.

“
Collect me?” I asked, my voice catching on my words.

Brent slid in front of me. “Like you did with Phil?”

“
Yes— if I need to, I’ll take her the same way.”

Brent shuddered. “I can’t let you do that.”

“
You wouldn’t be able to stop me.” Thomas held up his hands. “But I’m willing to make it easier on her. I need Yara. Why else would I have killed her?”

“
Because you felt like it?”

“
I don’t enjoy it.”

“
Then why murder her?”

“
I already told you why,” Thomas said. “There were many reasons, but mainly because I need her.”

“
Why do you need me?” I couldn’t help but ask, peeking around Brent, my hands resting on his waist.

Thomas turned toward and he held out his hand to me. “I’m giving you the chance to choose to come with me.”

“
Why would I go with you? Didn’t you just admit to killing me?”

He held my gaze. “Yes, I did.”

If Brent’s arm hadn’t circled around me, pressing my stomach to his back, I would have launched myself at Thomas.

“
I can understand you being upset about that.” He cracked his knuckles, then folded his arms behind his back. “You have to understand, I don’t like killing people. I’ve grown accustomed to it, but it’s never easy. Sometimes, though, it has to be done.”

“
So you have no choice in the matter, huh?”

Judging by the way his face brightened he had missed my sarcasm. “Exactly. It’s a matter of survival. But I think your death, Yara, might be the last here.” He took a few long strides so he was mere inches from me. His borrowed brown eyes pleaded for understanding. “I’m not a bad person.”

“
No, you’re just a serial killer.”

He looked past me and nodded before ducking his head. “I suppose I am. But I’m not a monster. I’m a prisoner just like you. You coming willingly will be of greater benefit to me. Please come with me, Yara— please join me.”

The please caught me off guard and I almost missed Brent’s arms releasing me. He circled slowly behind Thomas and I kept my eyes on Thomas so he wouldn’t notice.

Thomas’s gaze never left mine. “Will you come with me?” His voice was calm like what he suggested was perfectly acceptable.

“
No!” I shouted, my whole body trembling.

“
Fine— then I have a deal to make with Brent.” He turned his back on me and spun toward Brent who had paused mid-crouch, having been preparing another attack. “I can see you’re trying to play the hero here, but really you have no obligation to her. Do you realize that? I’m offering you a deal, Brent. I’m willing to give your body back and let you continue your square li— I mean
boring
life.”

Brent lost his footing and struggled to right himself.

“
That’s right,” Thomas crooned, with the lure of a cobra who’s about to strike. “You’ll get your body back, your life back, and you won’t remember any of this. It will all be like it never happened. And to sweeten the deal, I’m even willing to let your brother’s soul go free.”

Brent pushed to his feet. “Neal? You have him?” Brent’s eyes flickered with raw emotion and he stepped toward Thomas.

“
Wait!” I yelled, throwing my arms out and jumping in front of Brent. “You’re presuming that we believe that you have his brother. Well, we don’t believe it. His brother died years ago.”

“
Oh really?” He asked lazily, and I felt the air start to chill around me. Brent raised his hand as if to attack, but Thomas lifted his hand in warning. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you; you’ll want to see this.”

Thomas stretched out his fingers and pointed them toward the ground. Inky dark drops leaked from his fingertips, creating a vapory coverage around him that started to froth and convulse as it darkened into the mist. With a twirl of his finger the mist spun. Was Thomas the body snatcher also controlling the mist? Faces started to appear inside of it, rolling in and out of sight, until a face that looked strikingly like Brent rolled to the front and began to solidify in form. The charcoal gray began to colorize, like a black and white photo fading into life, and a man I could only presume to be Neal stepped forward.

Brent gasped. “Neal?”

Brent’s brother wasn’t in heaven either— he was caught in the very nightmare that had taken Brent’s life, the thing that had nearly snatched me away when I died. Even worse, Neal didn’t look right; his face was expressionless, like a mindless zombie from an old horror movie. Knowing Brent, I could fill in how Neal might have acted in life: animated and full of laughter. Even in death I would have expected him to struggle and fight against the force that held him captive. To see him standing there like some sort of robot, without any will of his own, just waiting to be controlled, was unbearable. I spun around to see Brent’s reaction and instantly wished I hadn’t. His eyes were awash in tears, hollowed and empty.

“
A little family reunion.” Thomas sneered. “I can see you recognize him, so there shouldn’t be any more custodial questions. I’m offering to release both of the Springsteed brothers. Granted, your brother will be bodiless.” He shrugged. “But he’ll be free.”

Brent’s face was pale and strained. “W-what would I have to do?” He whispered casting me a sidelong glance. A nervous trail of sweat formed between my shoulder blades and I fumbled backward a step.

“
Nothing,” he announced, and Brent’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “That’s it,” he continued, “do nothing. Just let me have her. That’s all.” The imposter flicked his wrist and a long black tentacle of darkness coiled around me. “Where are you trying to sneak off to?”

I gulped hard. “I-I—”

“
What happens to her once you have her?” Brent started biting his nails.

Thomas waved off his question. “None of your concern.”

The black arm around me tightened and reached up, one finger stroking my cheek. My stomach twisted and I started to panic as I leaned away from the inky finger.

“
P-p-please, Brent. I know what it’s like to lose a brother, but don’t do this.” The serpentine arm tugged me closer to Thomas and I struggled against the mist, my legs flailing and my fingers pushing into the mushy darkness imprisoning me. The mist started to absorb me and flashes of agonizing suffering that weren’t mine forced themselves into my being. I screamed so shrilly my vocal chords strained to the point of breaking as the hopeless suffering of those trapped in the mist encroached on me. The fight left me, the defeated feeling of the others overwhelmed me, and I went limper than an overcooked noodle as I collapsed in the firm grasp of my enemy. A whimper escaped my throat, and tears traced down my cheeks.

Brent’s hands were covering his ears but his eyes were locked on mine, swimming in indecision. It really wasn’t a hard choice. There really wasn’t a choice at all. Me, a girl he barely knew, or his brother’s soul and his own life.

“
Stop,” Brent said weakly, dropping to his knees. “Stop,” he repeated, louder and stronger.

The imposter froze for a second in apparent shock. “You must be goofing. You would give up your life, give up your brothers soul, for
her
? Think carefully about the choice you’re making.”

Brent nodded as he looked away from me. His troubled face was lined with creases as his sense of duty and his heart’s desire battled. “I understand,” he said quietly.

The body snatcher considered Brent for a moment. “I’ll remind you I’m offering you what you want more than anything. In exchange I’m getting what I need. It’s a fair trade.”

“
I know,” Brent said, “and I’ll consider it. But I need time to think. I can’t decide right now.” Brent stood up, his body stiff. “Until I decide, don’t touch her. Let. Her. Go.” His voice was firm and he took a few brisk steps toward me.

The imposter’s green-rimmed irises glowed like a cat, the deep jade brightening. “You’re going to want to accept my deal. I promise you, if you decline, it won’t end well for either of you, and I’ll still win. I don’t make idle threats.”

Brent nodded. “I believe you.”

The tentacle around me unwound and the emotional weight of the trapped souls that had been crushing me lifted as it slithered back inside Thomas’s body; at the same time, the mist seemed to lunge forward and swallow Neal back into it. Without a sound, it blew away, fading back into the darkness of the groves without disturbing any of the fallen leaves underneath it.

Thomas bowed toward me. “You have twenty-four hours. I’ll be seeing you soon,” he promised.

With that he turned and strolled away like he hadn’t a care in the world. Meanwhile my own world had grown even darker.

****

Brent turned slowly and walked a few steps, keeping his back to me. Then he dropped to the ground, his shoulders slumping in defeat. Awkwardly, I took a few steps back from him, not sure how he felt about me. Or how I felt about him. He had put off his horrible choice for a time, but it would have to be made soon. I was the one thing standing in the way of his brother’s freedom. And his own life.

Brent took a long time to look at me again but when he did, his grim expression hadn’t faded. He gave me a strained smile.

“
Are you okay?” I asked.

He nodded.

Could I be brave enough and selfless enough to be willingly handed over to the mist? Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes as I dropped my head and studied my feet as they kicked the dirt. I decided to at least pretend I was. “How do you want to handle the exchange?”

“
What exchange?” Brent asked, sounding lost.

My heard jerked up. “Me for Neal and your body.”

Brent’s eyes lightened to cinnamon. “Are you insane? You don’t actually think I’d do that, do you?” I was too stunned to answer and Brent frowned at me. “What kind of person do you think I am?”

“
I— I . . .”

“
First, I would never be able to live with myself if I did that.”

“
But think about what you’re giving up. Do you really understand that? You must . . . you seemed so tempted.”

Brent let out a deep sigh. “Seeing Neal like that really threw me off balance.” Brent rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and frowned. “I
was
tempted. Really tempted.” He bowed his head and guiltily peeked at me from the corner of his eye. “I hate having to admit to that.” He sighed and held up his hand to stop my obligatory words of comfort. “Don’t. It sucked to really see myself for the first time and understand how weak I was. To know the things I would consider.” He visibly shuddered.

Over the quiet chirping of crickets came the sound of a dog howling from the city below. From where I stood, I could see Corona’s lights twinkling in the evening air. In the homes, people slept, unworried about curses, ghosts and turning over a friend to save a beloved brother.

Brent came beside me, staring toward the town. “I
was
tempted, but it didn’t take long to know I couldn’t accept his offer. When he manhandled—spirit-handled you,” he corrected with a humorless laugh, “I knew I couldn’t let him hurt you. Neal himself would never forgive me. No matter what Thomas promised, I know I would never forget handing you over to him and I couldn’t live with that. And I don’t trust him. He’ll never keep his word. Not to mention. . . I like you, Yara.”