Page 132 of The Haunting of Lockton

“Stay back!” Callum exclaimed, grabbing Skyler’s arm and yanking him backward. “This isn’t your fight.”

Owen laughed, and it came out strained and rasping. “You’re not the one in control now, Dr. Howard.” He grabbed at Samuel’s wrists. “Face your punishment at last.”

A bright light then filled the medical ward, so intense I threw up an arm to shield my eyes. A guttural roar boomed around us, shaking the walls and rattling the metal frames of the overturned beds. Through the blinding white light, I saw Samuel Howard throw his head back as he screamed. Lights appeared along his body, burning away the dark shadows encompassing his distorted form.

And then, those lights burned brighter before exploding outward, and the doctor’s yells faded into nothingness along with him.

There was a loud ringing in my ears as everything fell silent.

Owen slumped to his knees and stared at his now shaking hands. “It worked.”

“Howard’s gone?” I asked. “Owen banished him?”

“Yes,” Callum said with a hint of amazement in his tone. “But Owen didn’t simply banish him. He obliterated him.”

“Obliterated?” Skyler asked.

“Ripped apart his soul and destroyed the fragments,” Callum said, that amazement strengthening. “Samuel Howard no longer exists. Not here. Not in the afterlife. I… I’ve never seen anything like this. Julian is more powerful than I thought.”

Skyler ran over and dropped to the floor beside Owen—Julian. “You got what you wanted. Now, release your hold on my brother.”

Owen looked at him before rising from the floor, his legs a bit unsteady. Using the power had weakened him, just like it weakened Julian when he used it. He stared at his hand before forming a fist. Then, he touched his jaw and down his neck. “It’s been ages since I could actually feel anything.”

Callum sucked in a small breath. “Owen.”

He smirked at Callum. “You said it yourself. This body is powerful. Why would I surrender it now? Why would I choose to return to that cell and endure the misery? The loneliness.” He deeply inhaled, then released it. “Why would I toss away the chance to live again?”

“You bastard!” Skyler charged at him. “You’d be killing my brother in the process! That’s why.”

“I take no pleasure in that,” Owen said, placing a hand to his own chest. “Julian has a kind heart. I can feel the love he has for you. His loss is unfortunate but necessary. Between him or me, I choose myself.”

“Callum,” Skyler pleaded. “Do something. Please.”

Callum frowned. “I can’t.”

“This is your fault!” Skyler roared at him. “You said if Owen got what he wanted, he would leave. Julian trusted you! Look where that got him.”

“It was a gamble,” Callum said. “They don’t always pan out the way we want.”

Skyler’s gray eyes returned to Owen. I couldn’t imagine the heartbreak at seeing his brother’s face but knowing Julian wasn’t there. That the soul inhabiting the body wasn’t his. “Please let him go, Owen. He put himself at risk to help you. To find answers and bring to light what really happened here at Lockton. Don’t do this to him.”

Sympathy washed across Owen’s face. “Your sadness pains me. I think it’s an echo of his own feelings seeping through.” He took another breath. “But my decision stands.”

“Then take me instead,” Skyler begged.

“What?” I grabbed Skyler’s arm. “No.”

“I have to try, Pax.” He gently pulled from my hold. Tears glistened in his eyes, and some stuck to the ends of his long lashes as he faced Owen. “Possess me instead. I give you permission or whatever. Just let my brother go.”

Owen stared at him. And damn if my heart didn’t stop as I realized he was considering the offer. His gaze then shifted to me. “I refuse to take the man you love. I wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone.”

A glimmer showed in the dark corner of the room before Alison materialized. Unlike the previous time we saw her, she wasn’t covered in blood. Her gown was clean, without stains or tears. “I no longer feel him.”

“The doctor’s hold on you has lifted,” Owen told her. “You’re free now.”

A peaceful smile touched her lips before she vanished.

The air suddenly felt lighter. However, I couldn’t find happiness within that fact. Not when Julian was in trouble.