The Banshee's Desire Read Online Free PDF Page A

stood outside the car, their eyes wide and pleading as Jacqueline took in their state of undress. Both were naked, but one of them had a deep cut in her throat and blood leaked from it. The other woman's face was mutilated as if someone had gone after it with a sharp object. There were multiple bleeding wounds all over their bodies.
    "He did this to us," the scarred faced woman said. "He deserves to die."
    These were the murdered souls of the women he'd killed two months earlier.
    They hadn't been able to pass on and their grief almost took Jacqueline's breath away.
    "Monster," she whispered, looking into Jacob's eyes. "Your victims can't even be at peace because of you."
    "She would have loved it!" Jacob shouted the words so Jacqueline could hear. "She would have loved being fucked by me!"
    She bent closer to the glass, entranced by the glow of life she could see surrounding him. 
    "Just do it," the woman with the slit throat said.
    "Reap his soul and be done with it," the other dead girl urged. "You are the mark of Death."
    Jacqueline could feel the gentle tugging of a melody threatening to burst from her. A lilting humming sound passed her lips.
    "Don't do it, Jackie." Toby stood next to her, one arm going around her waist. "This isn't the way. You are a human. Don't become a monster over this man."
    "I have to do it" Jacqueline whispered, looking back the two murdered women.
    "No, you don't. Let some other reaper--a reaper who has fully crossed over--take care of this. It's not the same as helping someone's soul cross. You would be the cause of death. You would be pulling a soul before its time." Toby tugged at her waist, trying to steer her away. "Please, Jacqueline."
    Somewhere inside her, Jacqueline heard the words. She struggled through the darkness in her head and tried to grab on to them. 
    But the urge to reap was stronger.
    The humming grew a little louder. She could see a tiny piece of his soul emerging from Jacob's head. Reaping always put the image of separating a shadow from its owner in her mind, and that's what she thought of now as little by little the soul loosened. She knew better than to pull it completely free all at once.
    It would be over way to quick if she did that.
    Humming the soul out was guaranteed to be a much slower and more painful process.
    Already, Jacob Fortensky was beginning to gasp and wheeze. His face turned the color of ash. He hunched over in the seat of the car, wailing in pain.
    Pure music to her banshee ears.
    "Jacqueline, I love you. Do you hear me? I love you and this is not who you are!"
    Love.
    Jacqueline blinked and the soul snapped back into Jacob.
    Toby wrapped his arms around her, holding her body as she began to shake.
    "It's alright," he whispered. "You didn't do it. Everything is okay."
    Jacqueline listened to his voice, unable to take her eyes off the man in the car.
    An officer got into the vehicle and seconds later slowly began to drive away.
    Jacob turned his head to meet Jacqueline's gaze. His eyes were filled with a wicked glee reminding her of a child who'd gotten away with something. He'd gotten away from her. Though he probably didn't know how, some part of him had registered that Jacqueline had been killing him. But not now. He'd escaped. She couldn't harm him now.
    A vicious smile spread across his face.
    Next to him, she could see the faces of the two murdered women as they pleaded to her with outstretched hands pressed to the glass.
    Still, holding tightly to Toby, Jacqueline focused all her energy on the man in the car.
    His soul ripped free.
    Closing her eyes, she absorbed the energy, only dimly aware of the guilt. Toby held her closer, unaware of her action.  She stroked the hair on the back of his head, breathing in the warm scent of lilac and the masculine smell of Toby. Turning her head to the side, she rested it on his shoulder.
    It was then that she saw Gabe. His face was bland as he watched the two of them embrace, but when his gaze met hers, he