Unraveling Selena by Marisa Maichel (best ereader for comics TXT) 📖

his wrist and tied his long hair back. Then he sat beside me, and picked up one of the books I’d chosen and started to read.

Spencer sat beside his mate and wrapped an arm around him. He pressed his lips against Toby’s ear. He shoved his nose in his hair. I turned back to my book and finished reading, then chose another book.

Sarah fiddled around on her phone some. Then she opened the next book and gasped loudly.

“What is it?” Spencer, Chris, and Toby were suddenly alert.

“I just realized something,” she said. “Last night, when Rosita was talking to me, she said something about a book. The book that Soren has. She wants it.”

“She won’t get it,” said Chris firmly.

Sarah got up and cuddled close to me. I saw her favorite author, Jamie Williams, on the front of the book she was reading. She was obsessed with him. I thought for a moment. How would she take to meeting him in real life? I could arrange it. I could make it so they met. Of course, I’d have to pull in some favors and do more favors to make it happen. But to see her face would be worth it.

But why would Rosita want the Book of Transformation and Death? Surely she didn’t want to become human. The book had the spell to make it happen. It could reverse death. It could turn vampires into humans. It could make someone very rich or very poor. It could turn zombies into the living. It could turn stags into unicorns.

Of course, who wouldn’t want that?

I wrapped my arm around Sarah and pulled her close. She leaned up and pecked my jaw.

“You’re stubbly,” she said, touching my jaw.

“Werewolves are hairy,” I said.

“I like it,” she said. “I like it a lot, actually. As long as you don’t grow a bushy beard.”

“Okay, no bushy beards,” I said. “How about a chin strap?”

“The douche beard? Okay,” she said. “Lots of hot guys have a chin strap.”

“You just called it the douche beard.”

“I did? Well, you’re hot, and you’re sometimes a douche.”

Ouch. Again, what happened to my sweet Sarah?

Something was wrong with her. Really wrong. Her crying after the performance, her personality change, her temper. Even Sabine was staring at her sister.

“What is your deal lately?” she asked.

“I don’t have a deal,” Sarah said. “Says the girl who used up my red lipstick.”

“Hey, it looks better on me than you.”

“The dark red looks better on me,” Sarah corrected. “Geez, why are you such a brat?”

Sabine was clearly hurt by this, but she turned around and focused on the computer instead.

“Sarah, what is wrong with you?” I asked. “Usually you’re unbelievably sweet. What happened?”

“Oh, um, my parents are dead, I was raped, you’re a vampire, I was beaten up by Scarlett, my old clique is just now coming back to me. What’s wrong with you, besides being half werewolf now? You’re a prince, but you chose to keep that a secret. You could have any girl you wanted, but you chose me. Why?”

“I think you need rest,” I said. “You’re in a bad mood.”

She glared at me, then threw the book on the floor and stomped off to her room. Chris followed after her. Sabine followed after Chris shortly after, and I noticed tears in her eyes.

“Something is definitely wrong with Sarah,” Spencer said. “She’s never been this moody or emotional.”

“I have a theory,” Toby croaked, then clutched at his throat.

“Ah ah, no speaking,” Spencer chastised. “But what’s your theory?” A pause. “I hope you’re wrong, but that is a possibility.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“She’s either being affected by an outside source, or all the stress is finally getting to her,” Spencer said. “Or she’s being possessed.”

“Possessed?” I thought about that. When was the last time I saw Michael Nales’ ghost? It had been weeks. If he’d gotten into Sarah…that was a problem. I decided to find somebody who would know. I texted Mason with my thoughts.

Mason: the only way to know for sure is to get rid of the ghost. For that, you need to see a priest.

Priest. I needed to hire a priest. I researched on my phone, searching for the nearest priest. I found one, and sent him an e-mail describing my situation. He replied back quickly, saying that unfortunately, he couldn’t help.

I thought about that. I decided to watch her over the next few days. Indeed, she had a shorter temper, was more brash, and even upset sweet old Claudia.

I’d had enough after that. I called another priest, Father Burns, and had him come over.

Selena and Mother had brought Sarah into her bedroom, where she was tied with rope. Claudia was there, and so was Sabine, Mitra, and my family, including Kieran.

“There is a demon inside of you,” Claudia said. “Last year you were so sweet, and now you’ve turned into a witch.”

Sarah smiled creepily, her grin reminding me of the Grinch.

“Sarah is no longer here,” she said. She looked at me. “So you’ve finally figured it out, Emerson?”

“Get out of her, Nales.”

She laughed. “I’m not Michael. I’m Jordan.”

“Jordan? The evil twin?”

“You shouldn’t have killed me, Reese,” she hissed.

“I command you to leave this body!” Father Burns shouted. He waved around a cross and a crucifix. He took a bottle of holy water, and splashed it onto Sarah. She choked, and then a dark smoke started leaving through her chest, mouth, eyes, and nose. She collapsed as the smoke left, then burrowed into Selena.

Sarah gasped, and Mother caught her as she fell.

“Leave my babies alone!” Mother shouted. “You stupid, worthless bitch!” She grabbed Selena and shook her, trying to make Jordan leave. Selena just laughed and threw her hair back.

“I should have taken this body,” she hissed, looking at her hands. “The power, the strength, the agility!” She jumped, but Mother caught her around the ankle.

“Let my daughter go!”

Selena/Jordan hissed, and then Father Burns took another vial of holy water and splashed it on her. It only splashed her jeans, though. He took yet another vial of the water, and splashed it on her face. Jordan left Selena in the same way she left Sarah. Father took a jar and took the smoke in the jar, keeping her trapped.

“Back to Hell with you,” he growled.

Selena and Sarah clutched at each other, both of them crying softly.

“I’m so sorry,” Sarah breathed. “I’m so, so sorry…”

“Hush, baby,” I said, scooping her up in my arms. “It’s all over now. She’s gone. We’re here now.” I kissed her tears away and licked her ear. I had my sweet Sarah back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The plane ride home was quiet. All the cats were in my lap, as I laid beside Sarah. Cirino was in the room with us, taking his afternoon nap. Sarah was on her phone, doing her favorite activity-shopping.

“You know, just because you have money now, doesn’t mean that you need to spend it,” I joked. She blushed and put her phone away. She cuddled into me. Her eyes were still red from the crying sesh she’d had last night. She apologized to everyone she hurt, including Claudia and Sabine. We all knew it wasn’t her, though, that said those things. It was Jordan. It seemed that even after death, she still haunted us.

Father had kept the jar with her soul inside it. He’d put enchantments around it so she couldn’t get out.

I petted Anakin behind the ears; he purred in response. The cats were happy to leave Denmark, which was colder than New Jersey. The baby started to fuss, so I moved up, my blanket of felines moving reluctantly, and I went to the baby’s crib and picked him up. He hiccupped, then spit up. I stroked his spine, trying to ease his tummy.

Cirino burped then, and Sarah took him from me while I changed my shirt. I put the dirty shirt in the laundry while Sarah prepared a bottle for Cirino. He suckled noisily, occasionally spitting out his formula. He ate too quickly, as he spit up again.

Now I took him while Sarah changed her shirt. She pulled on an olive-green silk top inspired by Asian culture. It looked good on her. She settled back into bed, and I burped the baby, then put him back in his crib.

I settled next to my girlfriend while she fiddled around on her phone. She didn’t get off of it until we were getting ready to land.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It felt good to be home, even if we were short a few family members. Toby carried two of the cats in cat carriers, and I carried two more. Servants and guards carried the rest of the cats and our bags.

The limo ride home was long. Sarah fell asleep during the ride. Cirino fell asleep at first, then started crying when he needed to have his diaper changed. We had to pull into a rest stop so Toby could change it. He had insisted on working as a servant, if not a guard. Spencer had reluctantly agreed, under a few conditions. Toby was not to take part in combat. He was not to go after enemies himself. He was to stay within Spencer’s sight at all times. I could tell that it ached to have Toby just in the restroom, changing the baby.

I gratefully let the cats out when we finally reached my house. Uncle Soren and Mitra followed us, Mitra saying something about needing to check on the reservation. She took off, and Uncle Soren looked like he wanted to follow her.

But he stayed with me. The cats followed me, using the cat door in the front. Shadowfang nearly got stuck when he tried to go through.

“Sure, make fun of me,” he snapped, even though I hadn’t said a word. He rolled on the floor. “It feels so good to be home!”

Most of the cats immediately went to the Cat Room, where Toby was giving them fresh food and water. I went up to my own room, exhausted. Spencer lugged my suitcase up and deposited it in my room, then left so I could sleep.

I slept for a few hours, then awoke when I heard my cell phone ringing. Rubbing my eyes, I took up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hello? Reese?”

“Other Alexander? What’s wrong?”

“It’s my husband, he’s in labor!”

“What? Isn’t he only eight months along?”

“Yes, but the stress finally got to him. What’s the number of the nearest vampire doctor?”

“I know…he’s not a doctor, but he’s a nurse. He’ll know what to do! His name’s Ethan Potter; he’s a vampire as well.”

I sent Ethan the fastest text ever, and he responded that he would be on his way as soon as he could get off.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE – LABOR

I arrived at the house in less than a minute. I made my way in. Other Mordecai was sweating and grunting, clutching his belly. Other Alexander held him, breathing hard along with him. Then Other Mordecai’s pants were soaked in blood and other fluids.

“I wish I was a woman!” Other Mordecai shouted. I blinked and tried not to think about that.

“Lover, we have to take your clothes off,” said Other Alexander. He unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, taking them off slowly.

“Oh gods, it hurts!”

“You’ve done this before,” said Other Alexander. “Remember when Reese was born? He weighed twelve pounds! He was a chubby little baby, and we loved him all the more for it. Remember that?”

“I remember…he could never eat enough. He would suckle for hours!” Other Mordecai smiled at the memory. “My baby…now he’s six feet tall and two hundred pounds of muscle.”

“That’s right. Remember his hair? You loved his hair, as he had so much and it was so dark, like it is now.”

“My son-OUCH! Ow, ow ow! I hate labor! I hate you, Alexander!”

“Honey, you said that to me last time you gave birth, remember? And you were on the medicine then. What’s it called, epidural?”

“I still hate you,” Other Mordecai growled.

“I know, I know. You hate my guts. You wanted to kill me last time. You actually tried, remember? You slashed your