Ally’s hair.
The shower turned off on its own, some energy warning popping up on the screen. I jutted out my lip. “If I’m here tomorrow,” I said to the shower stall, “I’ll definitely be back.”
Ally’s hair felt smooth against her back, and I shivered as the cool air from outside the stall enveloped her body. I picked up a plush towel from a nearby bench and wrapped it around Ally’s body. I picked up several bottles of lotions, smelling each divine scent. I rubbed the French Lavender one over her smooth skin. I looked around before lifting her arm to her nose and inhaling.
Amazing.
I brushed her teeth, giggling as the bubbles from the toothpaste popped in her mouth and wiped the steam from the mirror and backed up, keeping my distance so as not to see myself again. I raked a comb through her hair several times then smoothed her fingers over it.
Time to check out that closet.
I opened the door to the bedroom, a cooler breeze dancing across her bare shoulders and legs and padded across the room, until I saw something move at the corner of my eye.
A figure stood at the window.
I grabbed the closest thing to me, which happened to be a perfume bottle, and chucked it at the figure.
“Cooper!” I yelled, raising my arms up in defense.
The figure caught the bottle and moved closer, revealing his identity.
“You might want to pick that up,” Cooper said, pointing to the towel.
“Turn around!” I yelled and reached for the fallen towel, pulling it tight around Ally’s body. I bolted to the closet, slamming the door shut and leaned against it, Ally’s heart pounding. I stood there until I could catch her breath and then rummaged through her dresser until I found a drawer full of terrycloth tracksuits. I picked the first one I saw and shrugged it on. The smooth outfit hugged Ally’s body and I smoothed a hand over the soft fabric, almost forgetting about Cooper.
Almost.
“You could have knocked,” I said as I stormed back to the bedroom, nearly tripping over the awkward cast.
“I never needed to before,” he said, with no hint of embarrassment. “I always knew where she was. If I knew she was in the bathroom taking a shower or whatever I wouldn’t be in there. You could have used one of the robes to wrap yourself up. They are hanging in there for a reason,” he said, not really meeting my eyes.
“Oh,” I said. Flames licked across Ally’s cheeks.
I slid onto the bed, exhaustion overwhelming me, and tucked into the mounds of pillows.
Cooper became corporeal and grabbed the pill bottle Marie had left. He twisted the cap and tipped it over, rolling a pill into his hand.
“You should take one,” he said, walking over to me. “She has her own healing abilities but this will help you rest.”
Dropping the pill into my outstretched hand, our fingers brushed.
I popped the pill into my mouth and swallowed, but the chalky tablet stayed in the back of Ally’s mouth. I gagged, the nasty taste spreading over her tongue.
Cooper held out the glass of water.
I chugged the liquid until the pill released its hold on her tongue and slid down her throat.
“Ugh,” I groaned. “How can humans stand it?”
Cooper took the glass from my hand. “Sorry, I didn’t think it would be that difficult,” he said, grinning.
“Funny,” I griped settling Ally’s hands in her lap. “So what’s the plan? Am I supposed to just sit here until you find her?”
Cooper slid into the love seat across the room. “Pretty much. You need to keep her body safe from harm, well, further harm until her soul is returned.”
“What if she isn’t returned by her birthday? What happens to her soul? What happens to me?”
Cooper picked at a loose thread on the couch. “Felix experienced this before, with the Shadowed, I mean. Depending on who has her soul they could influence her for their side.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Okay. If the Shadowed are in possession of her soul on her eighteenth birthday, then they can make her one of them?”
“Yes,” he said. “Felix said that if a human soul is removed from the body before death without the True Soul, it becomes weak and in turn is easily influenced. But in the case of Prognatum souls, like Ally’s, there shouldn’t be any irreversible damage.”
“Shouldn’t be?” I didn’t like those odds, especially when talking about a soul.
Cooper gave me a sad smile. “There aren’t any statistics about this. They’ve only tried in the past to influence while the soul was still with the body, but the Guard are the deterrent.”
Okay, next question. “Who are the Shadowed?”
Cooper leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “I’m not allowed to speak about this, outside of the Guard.”
I slapped a hand on the bed. “Are you kidding me? These people— things— whatever, stuck me in this body and you aren’t allowed to talk about it?”
Cooper lifted his hands defensively. “It’s not my call, Maggie.”
“Like hell it isn’t!” I hissed. “What is Felix going to do? Fire you? I’m a part of this now, like, all in. I need to know what we’re up against.”
He rested his chin on his hands and closed his eyes. “Fine.”
I leaned forward, silently waiting for him to speak.
“The Shadowed clans are made up of souls who were influenced by the Caeleste that crossed over all those years ago. Since they are unable to return to the After, they gain their strength by feeding from the life force of human souls.”
I swallowed. “I thought Collectors were the only ones that could take souls? Don’t they need the True Soul?”
Cooper shook his head. “The True Soul is needed to extract the soul from the body. The Shadowed don’t need the soul out of the body to get what they want.”
Ally’s stomach turned, sending an uncomfortable feeling to the base of her throat. “But what happens to the soul?”
Ding dong!
I jumped. Cooper transported to the balcony and looked down over it. The muscles in his upper back tensed. Before I could ask who it was, the doorbell rang again.
“Looks like you have company,” he said, appearing next to me.
“Who
