Seven

I shut my eyes as I thought of the inevitable crash that would follow. What should I do? Shift? With what? I was holding onto the steering wheel. How would that take me back?

And then suddenly, the rushing of air around me stopped. I opened my eyes and glanced out the window. My car was hanging in the middle of the air, like someone was holding it still. Whew. Maybe a miracle?

And then the car slipped a bit. And a bit. And stop. And then bit by bit my car was lifted upward onto the road. I turned around and couldn't believe my sight: Lily O'Farrell was using her telekinetic powers holding me up in the air. She'd saved my life!

"Susannah!" I got out of my car and saw Jesse running toward me from his Rolls-Royce. "That wasn't an accident. Someone is out to kill you."

Oh, like it didn't happen before. With Heather, Marcus Beaumont, the RLS Angels, Felix Diego, Maria de Silva, and the other countless ghosts I've fought for in the past ten years.

"Yes, me." We all turned around, and saw a horrifying sight: a guy wearing a huge trench coat with a big hat and sunglasses had just sucked Lily's soul and shifted her into the Void. "The Dark-Shifter. Also known as…" he lifted his sunglasses. "Paul Slater.

"What the…" I should have known he'll be involved in my 'accident'. But why would he want me dead? How'd he push my car off the road? Is he like, Magneto in X-Men? Can move metals?

"I've become a hybrid in the past ten years, Susie," Paul said, pacing around. "Being a ghost offers me much more advantage. Now I have the powers of materialisation and telekinesis, accumulated to my time-travelling and world-visitation. Plus people could see me. I can rule the world! Alas, I can still be killed, as I have a body. But I've got no soul, I sold it to the devil. So I need help from my fellow ghosts. But then you came into the picture, Simon. My ex-lover who chose that over me. So now it's my revenge."

With that, he launched my car at Jesse and me. "Duck!" Jesse yelled, and pulled me along. running. It's sorta like The Mummy. You know, the mummy chasing Evelyn in heels and Rick, and hurling sandstorms at them. And swallowing them with sand.

Except that Paul was now hurling something weighing a hundred times more than the weight of Jesse and me combined. Metal, no less. And we couldn't run. Paul just stood there smirking, and using his concentration to stop us.

"After I've got you, I'll take care of that priest and my idiotic

brother," Paul said. "And then I'll bring forward my plan."

"What, do you think they want to work for you? You'd probably just threaten to shift them if they don't. And don't forget, they could kill you in your sleep," I shouted, hair sticking to my lip gloss. Why didn't I tie a ponytail instead?

"I don't need to sleep. I'm just like a ghost, except everyone can see me and I can be killed. But I won't be. With my enhanced powers, I will create a super race of humans and ghosts combined. Hybrids rules!" Paul shouted back.

Ouch! I tripped over a stone and fell to the floor. The car was coming nearer.

"Susannah!" Jesse turned back.

"Don't, Jesse! Just run! Don't care about me!" I shouted back.

"But—"

"Go!" I said just as the car crashed against me. I saw Paul looking uncertain, and the car halted in its tracks. I could tell he had expected Jesse to die for me, and then he'd have me where he wanted. Truth was, he still wanted me very much.

Then he gave a roar of frustration, and moved to car to hit Jesse. Jesse ran, but I moved in front of him. The car stopped again.

"Susannah, what are you doing?" Jesse asked. I ignored him.

"Paul," I said. "If you want to kill Jesse, you have to kill me first. Am I'm not letting you kill him."

Paul gave a laugh. "How will you stop me?" he asked. He waved his hand and I was thrown away from him onto the asphalt road. Then he moved the car toward Jesse again.

"STOP, PAUL!" I shouted. It's not working. Does Paul really want me dead? Or did he want to see me looking helpless while I watched Jesse die, and then slowly kill me later? It's possible though. Paul's sadistic. "I'll to anything! Anything you want. Just as long as you let the ghosts go free. And spare Jesse and Jack."

"Susannah, don't!" Jesse shouted.

"Anything I want?" Paul gave a laugh. "Then I want you soul, Suze. Your pure, uncorrupted soul. I want to suck your soul out, and then keep it to gain more power. Then you will be like me, and will live ever after with me. I will rule the world, and you, Susannah, will be my queen. Will you do it?" he asked, lifting me right in front of him.

"Yes." I looked deep inside his never-ending, liveless blue eyes. Then I gazed into Jesse's eyes. His hazel eyes clouded with sadness and determination. Then he charged toward Paul.

Paul turned, and was going to hurl the car toward him, when suddenly I took his faced and kissed him deeply. Paul, surprised, kissed me back and forgot about Jesse. I looked at Jesse sideways. I knew he knew what I was doing. Just like in The Mummy, when Evelyn

kissed the mummy to distract his attention from Rick. I had kissed Paul to let Jesse escape, and maybe find a way to stop Paul. Then Jesse turned around, and fled into the sunrise.