SOUL MATES (Angels and Demons Book 3) by Brenda L. Harper

was building an army, one soul at a time. And, with every soul she converted to her side, she grew stronger. She was the one who learned how to possess humans, how to infuse the humans with the anger and the darkness that we carried around. She learned all these things that the dark souls were capable of doing and she taught it to Jack. Then, one day, she just disappeared.”
    “When I made my choice.”
    Confusion darkened Ellie’s eyes. “Choice?”
    Dylan took Ellie’s hand. “You’ve had enough,” she said kindly. “Why don’t you get some rest and we’ll talk again later.”
    Ellie stood and started to walk toward the door with Stiles’ arm under hers to help her stay on her unsteady feet. But then Ellie paused, and her gaze fell on Dylan again.
    “When I was like that,” she said, gesturing vaguely, “time seemed to stand still. It’s…it’s hard to explain, but it feels like no time has passed. But it has, hasn’t it?”
    Dylan stood and took both Ellie’s hands in her own. “It’s been nearly forty-five years since the day you died.”
    Ellie’s eyes widened with surprise, but then her head rolled forward and, for a minute, Dylan thought she might collapse. But she was stronger than that. She focused on Dylan again, tears clouding her eyes.
    “Wyatt?”
    “He lived a good life, Ellie. A long, fulfilling life.”
    Her tears spilled over the corner of her eye and she simply nodded before she turned and accepted Stiles’ help again. Dylan watched as they walked to the door, as Stiles handed her off to one of the gargoyles who was waiting to escort her to a proper bedroom down the hall. The moment she was secured, Stiles turned and shut the door.
    “She just confirmed everything we pretty much knew already,” Stiles said.
    “It makes a lot of sense,” Dylan agreed. “Joanna…she was so angry when she died.”
    “Her soul was trapped because of the angel disease,” Raphael said. “But she retained enough of herself to use the darkness to her benefit.”
    “Leave Joanna to do something like that,” Stiles grumbled as he fell into a chair. “She was building an army, planning to come after us again. But then your choice stopped her.”
    “And she disappeared. But Jack James didn’t.”
    “He’s the key to it all,” Raphael said. “He’s the one fueling this; he’s the one leading the army now.”
    “And he’s the one we have to take down.”
    “But how?” Dylan smacked her hands on the top of the table, frustration boiling over in her chest. “We’re just back to square one.”
    “But now we have a new question to answer,” Raphael pointed out.
    “How many other angels are there trapped as dark souls?”

Chapter 12
     
    Dylan thought it would be best to remain at Wilhelm’s little research building until Ellie was strong enough to travel. They took turns sitting with her as she rested, unaware of their presence, as her body fought to regain her strength. It was Stiles’ turn now. He sat forward in his uncomfortable chair, staring at his hands as he listened to her steady breathing.
    Dylan was down the hall, resting in another of the small, poorly furnished rooms. She wasn’t asleep. He could hear her thoughts more strongly now than he ever had before. Despite her hesitation in accepting him as her soul mate, their connection continued to grow with every passing hour.
    She was worried about finding a way to stop Jack James before he could do any more harm than he already had. Stiles had the same fear. He knew that this was his fault, that it was the act of turning Jack over to the Redcoats that had allowed him to remain stuck and so full of anger in this place even after Dylan’s birth freed him to return to heaven. And it was that that had made him such a target for Joanna.
    Even after death, Joanna couldn’t stop this overwhelming need to punish Stiles.
    But that wasn’t the only thing that kept Dylan awake. She’d seen Wyatt in heaven. He wasn’t sure when or