Page 117 of Feral Possession

This entire experience—her final experience—was a complete letdown. Sky divers who got off on this kind of rush were insane. Her body didn’t feel weightless, floating blissfully in some sort of orgasmic freefall. Nope. In that moment, she was a one-ton elephant on a collision course with the sidewalk. Wind rushed past her. Her stomach lodged in her throat. Still, she managed to scream. Loud and long. Every muscle drew up tight as though she could brace and survive the fall. Ha. Ha. Not happening. This was going to hurt. A. Lot.

Tangled hair obscured her vision. Through the strands, an inky figure took shape. Glowing red eyes peered back at her, determination in their depths.

“Shadow!” she shouted.

Just Shadow. Without Marcus. That meant Marcus was either dead or dying. No. No. No! Her own death was hard enough to process, but losing Marcus? It was too much.

The shade’s inky silhouette streaked after her. Gaining speed. She reached for him, and her hand passed through his form.

That crumb of hope for a rescue plunged to its demise faster than her body. Without Marcus, the shade was incorporeal.

He surged forward, enveloping her in his misty shape. His presence wrapped around her like a warm hug. Was this his intention? To keep her company on her way to the great beyond?

Aw. Isn’t he sweet? Who’s a good demon?

Purple light flashed beneath her nose. Her talisman! Tendrils of her dark savior pushed into the pendant. By the goddess, he was using it as a gateway to possess her.

His voice whispered in her mind. “Let me in, my queen.”

She’d never heard his voice in this way. He sounded calm. How the hell could he sound calm at a time like this? Her chest constricted. Let a spirit into her body? She answered out loud. “No, I can’t.” Bad things happened when necromancers let spirits in.

“Trust me.”

Tears burned her eyes. She was taught never to give a spirit access to her body. It was a recipe for disaster. Except this entity was already a part of her. She trusted him completely.

Her talisman glowed bright enough to burn her retinas. This was happening. No time to argue. She clasped the tumbling pendant and smashed it against her chest. Tapping into a sliver of what remained of her power, she pulled him inside, welcoming him body and soul.

Instead of the cold she expected, warmth seared her torso. Oh fates. He was spreading. Heat rushed through her chest outward, sliding along her frozen limbs. Energy infused her being. Not only was he part of her, he was exerting his influence.

Black swirls rippled down her arms. The sensation like hot water spilling over her flesh. Through Shadow’s eyes she saw vivid shades of midnight blue, burgundy, and plum. Those colorful bands attached themselves to the wall of the building, acting as bungee cords. Transfixed by the beautiful colors, it took a second to notice the rushing wind had quieted. Her descent slowed. Windows in the building drew into focus, ticking by like floors of an elevator.

Pavement smacked her feet. Her legs collapsed beneath her, and her ass hit the ground.

She stared up, up, up, and her stomach pitched. Oh, that was far. She’d fallen all that distance and somehow Shadow had managed to hit the brakes.

“I’m alive.” She patted herself down. Yep. All the pieces were there. “Shadow, you did it.” She staggered to her feet with a fist pump. “I’m alive!”

“Quiet,” said a voice from the back of her psyche. “Zion will hear.”

“Whoa.” She splayed her hands out for balance. “That’s kind of freaky. Shadow?”

Sigh. “Who else?”

Dove snorted. “You’d be surprised at the things that run through my head.”

“No surprise.”

She ignored his snarky response, too happy to be alive. Joy bubbled inside of her. “You did it. You saved me. Oh, I could kiss you.” She kissed the backs of her hands and hugged her middle.

“Please ssstop,” he growled, sounding a lot like his previous host.

“Did you know you could do that? Jump out of Marcus and into me?”

“Know now.”

Yep. Sounding more like Marcus every minute. Which reminded her. “Holy crap. Marcus! At this very moment he may be gasping his last breath. We have to get back to him.” She thrust her arms over her head and jumped. “Up, up, and away!”

Shadow huffed, “What are you doing?”

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