Soulstice (The Souled Series) Read Online Free PDF

girl in the window. The cop sitting in his car in the parking lot didn’t think it was all that funny.
    I really didn’t want to go to the shack. I wanted to stay home and maybe watch a movie. Besides, the shack was in a creepy area of Sandpoint, where people lived off the grid and stayed out of sight. I don’t think anyone had lived in the shack for years, so a lot of kids went there to party. I wasn’t into it.
    “ So what if I don’t want to go?” I asked.
    In one quick motion, Taylor grabbed the magazine from my lap and yanked on my wrist hard enough to pull me to my feet.
    “ Come on. This will be fun. We haven’t been to the shack for a long time.”
    Tugging on my wrist, I pointed out, “We haven’t just hung out and watched a movie for a long time, either.”
    Her foot came down in a petulant stomp. Right on cue.
    “ Come on,” she said again. “I don’t want to go without you. Besides, Caleb will be there.”
    Caleb. Her plaything of the month. Pure filler material. This time I let her see my eyes roll.
    “ It’s kind of cold tonight,” I said, twisting my wrist out of her grip.
    “ It’s not that cold. Besides, we’ll have a bonfire.”
    My breath hitched before I could stop it. I turned and pretended to cough. It didn’t do much to ease the anxiety, but I hoped it was enough to distract Taylor. Knowing Jake and Todd, the fire would be bigger than I’d be comfortable with.
    “ I think I’ll pass,” I said.
    Taylor held the magazine just out of my grasp when I reached for it.
    “ Look at me, Alyx,” she said, maneuvering her face in front of mine. “You had a funny look when I mentioned the bonfire.” Her eyes narrowed. “Are you afraid?”
    Instead of turning away, I should have faced her and my stup id fear head on. But I didn’t. Sometimes I underestimate her perception.
    Again, she moved i n front of me and pointed a finger in my face. “You are afraid, aren’t you?”
    I bit my lip to keep it from trembling. Of course fire scared the crap out of me, but I refused to let her see how much.
    “ What happened? Did you get burned or something when you were little?”
    Compassion was never one of Taylor’s strong points, so when I didn’t answer, she changed tactics. “It’s only a small, itty, bitty fire. There’s no way it’ll get out of control.”
    Oh, she had no idea…
    “Whatever happened to you, it couldn’t have been that bad.” She planted her hands on her hips.
    Things would have gotten very uncomfortable between us had I not shoved six years’ worth of fear and anger into my fists and locked them in tight. The emotions fell from my face and a practiced smile slid into position.
    “ It’s not the fire, Taylor. It’s Jake and Todd I don’t like. They’re so freakin’ annoying.” I smoothed over the lie with the truth.
    She considered this for a few moments, then her eyes lost their accusing squint.
    “ Well, if that’s all, it’s no big deal,” she shrugged. “Just ignore them. You’re going to be with me.”
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    Out of the nine of us there, I was the odd one out. Megan and Crystal were hooked up with Scott and Andrew, Taylor was with Caleb, and Jake and Todd sat with a six pack of beer between them. I sat away from everyone – not with Taylor like she said I would. Honestly, though, I was glad. Taylor probably would have insisted we sit closer to the fire to keep the chill off. I was perfectly fine where I was – ten feet away, just beyond the unseen wall where I should be able to feel the heat.
    The unmistakable sound of deep inhalation followed by silence made me cringe. Dumb and Dumber were getting wasted and stoned. The smell of weed crept over and invaded my space. I wished I stayed home.
    I c overed my nose and avoided looking into the fire. I focused instead on the red embers burning the end of my cigarette. Still hot, still born from a flame, but not as intimidating as what danced in front of me. I took up smoking a couple years