Page 50 of Shadows of the Soul

The terrifying eyes rushed at me, going past Mary’s mind and into my own. He did the impossible—breaching the barrier through the retro connection and finding me in the here and now.

“And now you know,” he said, the words slithering like serpents in my soul. “And there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

“No,” I whispered. “It’s not true.”

“You don’t believe what you see with your own eyes? Fine. Then see nothing at all.”

Crimson dust puffed into my eyes, burning them as I tried to rub the substance out. I blinked. There were no shadows. No images. Nothing.

***

I gasped as air got stuck in my throat and fought a battle to enter my lungs.

“Breathe,” a familiar deep masculine voice said. My hands flew out and grasped onto the only thing that was real, the only thing that was safe.

“Hudson,” I cried out.

Warm arms enveloped me. “It’s okay, Cora, I’ve got you.” I shook with terror and twisted my head from side to side, trying to get a read on where I was.

“Move,” Rebecca stated. “She needs sugar.”

Hudson huffed and shifted me. His huge hot body was suddenly under mine. “Cora,” Rebecca said. “Drink.”

My hands moved and hit a cup. It clattered to the floor. “What’s wrong with her?” Rebecca said.

“Cora, look at me,” Norbert said. I twisted my head to where his voice came from. Something snapped to my left, and I jumped. A tiny switch clicked and air blew past my face. The good doctor was checking my eyes. “Are you blind?”

“Maybe,” I whispered. Saying it out loud would make it real.

“Can you see?” Hudson growled.

“No.”

“I’ll fucking kill him,” Hudson snarled.

I jerked in his arms. “The voodoo guy?”

“No, Dave. Who’s the voodoo guy?”

A tremor went through me. Hudson gripped my hand and guided it until I touched a bottle. “Drink,” he instructed. “Then tell us.”

I guzzled the Gatorade, then wiped my lips on the back of my hand. Someone took the bottle away. “Thank you,” I said.

“No problem,” Rebecca replied. The plastic clunked against something wooden.

“Are we in my office?” I asked.

“Yes,” Hudson answered. “Now start explaining, before I assume Dave caused your blindness and repay the favor in kind.”

I grimaced and ran a hand through my hair. “Mary turned wildie the same time as the cubs.”

“That’s correct,” Hudson confirmed.

“The guy that’s doing it, saw me peeking in on the past. He didn’t like it, so he performed some kind of voodoo and made me blind.”

“Does he have a name?” Hudson asked.

“One would assume so, but I don’t know it.”

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