Page 277 of Psycho Gods
“They removed my shackle and ordered me to take a piece of the brilliant player’s soul while she slept.”
My vision narrowed.
“They RJE’d me immediately to the shifter realm and ordered me to give the piece to the idiot player while she slept.”
Her words echoed from every direction.
“The two leaders were so impressed with the results that they elevated the brilliant player’s position in their plans. One leader vouched for her, and the other vouched for the improved idiot player.”
I gasped for air.
I just wanted her to stop talking.
Jinx continued, “A new plan was created to bring the two players together and use them to achieve the objective, which is still not clear to me. Secret, highly illegal enchantments were done on the idiot player to identify her fated mates. I was ordered to ingratiate myself into the family of one of those mates, and four discarded players were used to make my adoption seem legitimate.”
Sadie heaved beside me.
“I was ordered to build a relationship with the brilliant player. There were—” Jinx paused like she was searching for the correct word. “—checkpoints over the years to update me on my role.”
A bead of sweat dripped down my spine.
My hair stuck uncomfortably to my clammy skin, but I didn’t brush it off. I was too numb to move.
“From what I gathered, both leaders had some type of ability to communicate mentally with the players. However, the brilliant player was damaged by the soulmancy, and a connection could not be established. Even the Angel Consciousness could not forge a link.”
A wave of nausea rose up my sternum.
I swayed as a tunnel narrowed around me.
“I was the only one who could form a connection. I was ordered to be her guardian and help her eventually establish a link to the Angel Consciousness so she could earn her wings. Soulmancy is not an exact science, and there is much that I still don’t know.”
My hearing cut out, and the world went stuffy with static.
Jinx continued mercilessly, “I spent years trying to connect with the soul I’d mutilated. I was inside the player’s brain so often she was convinced she had a monster in her head. There were even some shared physical manifestations—when she was enraged, her eyes turned black like mine.”
I collapsed onto my side, pressed my cheek to the sticky, floor, and gasped.
“Aran—Aran—Aran!” Sadie shouted as she shook me, sounds resuming as she jostled my shoulder.
I groaned.
“I took a piece of your soul and gave it to Sadie.” Jinx moaned like she was in pain. “I mutilated you both—and the worst part is you think of me as family.”
Sadie trembled as she gripped my shoulder. “You’re the numb,” she whispered, “but I heard the moon goddess say she was the—”
Jinx cut her off, “The leaders have mental connections with their players. You were dying, and they told you what you needed to hear so they wouldn’t lose their investment.”
“Why does it need time to recharge?” Sadie asked with confusion.
Jinx shrugged. “From what I can gather, it is extremely rare for a split soul to take in someone else’s body. My theory is that your body still recognizes it as foreign matter and tries to expel it after you use it, but it has nowhere to go. So it recharges and comes back.”
I covered my mouth with horror.
“But it doesn’t sound like Aran’s voice,” Sadie argued.
Jinx shook her head and looked morose. “Of course it’s not her speaking voice—it’s a piece of her soul. Although, I’ve always found it surprising that you hear it as a voice, it must be your body recognizing that it’s a pattern of thinking separate from your own. However, there must be a fundamental compatibility between you two that defies physics for it to guide you like it does. A specialized analytical piece of Aran tries to save you from the inside—it’s mind-blowing if you think about it.”
I reached over and grabbed Sadie’s hand.