Soul Slam, Soul Warriors Book 1

Chapter Seven B

Fifteen minutes later, we broke through the trees and onto a blacktop track that ran around a large field. Bleachers were built on the sides into a small hill and I felt the urge to run, yes run, up them. A couple of white nets sat haphazardly on the worn-down grass. An abandoned soccer ball sat on the edge of the field. The scuffed leather was worn in places. The ball didn't look fully inflated. Even so, my feet tugged my body toward it.

"Oh no." The top half of my body swayed from the pull of my feet.

"What?" Xander followed behind.

It's been so long since I've been able to play anything. Tut almost sounded like he was begging. Which was hard to believe.

Not that he needed to beg. He had full control of my body.

"I think Tut wants to play." My foot jerked kicking the ball to the center of the field. Tut had quite a leg even against my resistance.

"At a time like this?" Xander ran toward me. "Doesn't he know we need to get away from here?"

"You tell him." I charged after the ball again, faster than I'd ever run before. My feet slipped on the grass. I put my hands out to balance, but I didn't fall. "Whoa."

I'm not a horse.

Then, don't run away. I sassed back.

"This is not the time for games." Xander kept pace with me.

"Well, I think Tut likes soccer."

I like hunting.

Gross. I didn't like killing innocent animals.

"I love soccer, but we can't play now."

"Don't you get it?" My muscles trembled with the movement. "I don't have a choice. Maybe if you play with me I won't have to run after my own ball and be too tired to move further when Tut's done using my body."

"Fine." Xander kicked the ball back to me.

My feet planted and I kicked the ball back toward him. "Phew."

"I love watching soccer and baseball on TV." Xander kicked the ball. "The Society refused to let me play on a team." His face fell as if he was the boy never picked for a team.

I kicked the ball back. "Why would playing soccer or baseball hurt the Society's goals?" My breath settled in my chest. At least I wasn't running anymore.

"Mostly because they didn't want me making friends." His all-alone tone returned.

The older boys in Fitch's family might've ignored me, but the younger kids in the house loved me, came to me with their troubles and hurts. I didn't have normal friends, but I had someone.

Xander had no one but the Society. And now he didn't have them. If we were temporary partners, were we temporary friends?

I ignored the unusual attraction sizzling through my veins. We couldn't be friends or anything more. I didn't trust him. Didn't trust anyone. I didn't have a choice unless Fitch gave Xander his approval. "You can come home with me. It's not much—"

"Do you really think you can go home?" He trapped the ball and glared.

My tummy vaulted. "Well, I um," The contents, which wasn't much, swirled around. "I'll need to figure out how to stop the burn out."

"The Society will be looking for you."

My body slumped and I no longer was forced to run or kick. "They don't know who I am or where I live." The Society hadn't been expecting me tonight. They'd planned to steal the amulet on their own. A simple coincidence that we'd both chosen tonight for the heist.

"The Society has connections. How do you think I got into the museum?"

"The same way I did. Paid off a guard." I wrapped my arms around myself. "Fitch will protect me." He had to. I was bringing him the amulet, I'd just been delayed.

"Who's Fitch?"

"He's the guy who runs the ring I belong to."

"Ring?"

"Ring, or gang of thieves. Except we're not like a street gang, more like a family. We look out for each other. Help each other. Count on each other." All my earlier doubts vanished. "He'd never desert me."

"Like he did at the museum." Xander reminded me of how Fitch left me to find my own way, to face the men in the black car.

A protest stormed my stomach. Fitch was nothing like Jeb and the Society. "Something must've spooked him."

"I'm just saying." He continued walking. "What other stuff have you stolen?"

"Personally?" I touched my hand to my chest where the amulet lay under my T-shirt. "Nothing. I've helped plan a lot of heists, assisted with casing the area, but this was my first inside job."

"Why?"

"Fitch believed in me." Forced me.

"Think about it." Xander broke the twig in half. "Why this job? On this night?"

His questions dug into my head like multiple worms squirming in my mind causing confusion and uncertainty. On top of all Xander's questions, one single thought stuck out.

Why me?

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