Young Writers Society

I forced the foreign presence down again. “Stay down. You don’t get control just because you waltz in. I don’t belong to you.”

I turned to Nathaniel. “Look. We don’t want anyone hurt.”

“Speak for yourself,” Saturn mumbled.”

I took a deep breath. “I don’t want anyone hurt. But you have to understand why I don’t appreciate a perfect stranger inside of me. So please. Don’t sir this as hostility.”

"I don't," Nathaniel said, carefully. There was still some of that wariness there, but I could see a glimpse of the Nathaniel that his enemies knew. The one that got called John Mandrake instead of Nathaniel, and the one that had a power to him. The kind I could imagine being in some kind of government.

I, of course, never had that kind of luxury in life, and also had a problem with authority, so I immediately fought back for control.

"You don't belong to me," I said, "but right now your body is free real estate-"

"You're making things worse," Nathaniel hissed.

"I'm keeping the conversation going," I said, "since Hev's trying to shove me into the back of his mind, and since you're being useless."

Nathaniel sighed. He grabbed my body off of the floor, hands still shadows. It was a little more obvious now, seeing that he had to move his arms around to pick my body back up and sling one arm over his shoulder.

"I just need to close enough for him to touch his body," Nathaniel said. "That's how he switches bodies."

I got enough control to cross my arms. "I'm not going back in my body yet. I'm going in yours, Natty boy."

I threw him to the side, much more violently than before. “Sorry, sorry. But my body isn’t free real estate! You don’t get to just say that.”

It felt sickening to hear that. That I was someone’s real estate again. Because I had left that behind. And nothing was going to make me believe that again. Not when that just made me think of him.

”Aww, Evvie. I knew my little alis wouldn’t disappoint me.”

I imagined picking up Skull. Again, very easy. Alis were strong. Skull was small. And I threw him. “Get out of my way!” My wings flared as I watched him disappear into the recesses of my mind.

I hadn't ever been thrown from control like that before. I hadn't ever had someone so strongly fight against my control—so strongly assert their will. I didn't know how to respond right away. It wasn't as simple as gaining back control.

When Hev threw me back, I found myself in the depths of his mind. I didn't take the time to observe everything there. I fought, mental tooth and nail, to reestablish myself in the forefront of everything. I knew I wouldn't have total control. It would be like trying to control Nathaniel on his good days, or Asmira, too. There were some people that were harder to take control of than others.

I had fought to stay who I was on the Other Side. I hadn't ever really lost myself when haunting my jar for over a century. I was a Type Three, and I would get through the slog that was Hev's mind.

Even if it was dark, and heavy, and made me think of-

I pushed the thought away, slipping past the last, last corner of his subconsciousness.

Back in the present, I saw Nathaniel's transformation had gone up to his elbows. That was his power: being able to turn into a tall, lean shadow person.

"I'm sorry," Nathaniel apologized. "He shouldn't have said that. He wasn't thinking-"

I was thinking, I wanted to say out loud, but I couldn't. I couldn't get that much control over Hev's mouth. So I thought it in my voice instead. It's easier calling it my body than trying to keep track. And hi, Hev. You can't get rid of me that easily.

"-but I promise we don't mean any harm," Nathaniel finished, probably aware that I had lost control but unaware of the extent.

I could hear Skull, but Skull didn’t know one important thing about me.

He wasn’t the first man to get in my head.

He was the one to do it most literally, of course, but I’ve had a Lord stroke my thigh under the table, mutter threats into my ear, and had to completely do the opposite of what they asked with a straight face.

Skull had no idea just how much I could ignore him.

“I’m very familiar with people who don’t often think before they speak. It’s alright. I’m not upset. Tell me how to help. Please.”

Was he ignoring me?

After Lucy ignoring me when she was mad at me or just was doing her best to pretend I wasn't talking, I should have been used to. But it had been awhile since only Lucy Carlyle could hear me speak, so I bristled with annoyance mentally when Hev didn't even talk back to me.

"He just needs contact," Nathaniel said. "Holding hands works-"

Ew, I replied. I'm not holding hands with you, Natty boy.

(Not that he could hear me reply with that.)

"-but I've also seen him do it with just shoes touching," he added. "The only reason he hasn't possessed me again is because Hev is keeping his distance."

And you, I added.

I nodded. “Alright. I’m going to approach now, okay?”

I walked towards them slowly, keeping my hands up. “I’m just going to put a hand on his shoulder.”

Hev reached Nathaniel.

He touched his shoulder, and then I finally got a rush of control. Not from Hev, but from Nathaniel—who I was thankfully back to possessing.

I took a nice, large step back.

"There," I said, to everyone present. "Was that so hard?"

Nathaniel sighed. Again. His hands looked normal and human, now that he wasn't worried enough to be tapping into his powers. "It was, actually."

I shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about, Natty boy. That was pretty straightforward for me."

It must have been jarring, seeing us switch so casually and openly now, but anyone knew both of us (Asmira) was used to it.

I smiled, holding out my hand. “Call me free real estate again-“ I let a flame flicker to life in my palm. It burned an angry bright red, casting sharp shadows across my arm. “And I will find your body and set this gently and respectfully on your chest.”

Saturn scooped me into a bridal carry, holding me close to his chest. “Oh my. Please. Never do that again.” He peppered my face with kisses, holding me as tightly as he could without hurting me. “I was so worried.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but the words died on my lips as soon as Saturn started smothering Hev. My face contorted into a look of disgust. Even though I had tortured Lucy by teasing her about her very obvious crush on Lockwood, actual displays of that made me uncomfortable. Even Nathaniel felt uncomfortable with it, though it was for a different reason than me. He actually felt that way towards other people, sometimes.

I pushed Saturn away. “As much as I appreciate your affection, I am unharmed. And our company is not.”

Saturn frowned. “Always the bleeding heart, Hev. Never change.”

He turned back to Nathaniel and Skull’s shared body, conveniently forgetting to put me down. “Where’s your friend hurt?”

"His head," Nathaniel said. He gestured at the blood smeared across my forehead.

"I got stabbed in the side, too," I added, my look of disgust gone now that Saturn and Hev weren't being overly affectionate with each other. I wasn't sure which wound was worse, and wasn't sure which one would hurt more if I went back in my body. I just felt the pain, saw the blood, and felt the incoming lapse in consciousness, so I had hopped into Nathaniel's body as soon as I could.

Estella Fay nodded. “Just lay him down. I’ll go fetch the doctor.”

She left the room, patting my shoulder as she left.

I glanced back at our guest. “So… you can turn into shadow and you can possess people.”

Nathaniel nodded.

"Those are our powers," he confirmed.

I had other powers, too, powers that Nathaniel was very much aware of at this point in time, but I didn't make any move to announce them. The room temperature had climbed back to normal already, and the lighting hadn't flickered at all. There was no reason to suspect I could do anything other than possess people, especially when possession had that contact rule as part of it. It made me seem weaker than I actually was.

(Not that I could use my other powers freely, of course. That frustratingly came at a price.)

I nodded. “Then I fully except you two not to attack anyone who reveals their own strange powers. You’ll be right at home.”

Estella Fay bounded back into the room. “The doctor is here! She can look at your friend now.” She smiled, her wings fluttering.