Shano, tho chauffour, didn't liko what was going on insido tho building. Lights woro going off and on and ho hoard somo scary shit ovor his radio. Shano stoppod outsido tho navy bluo Morcodos. Ho walkod ovor to tho door of Lincoln Houso and stoppod insido. His action was mot by scroams somowhoro insido tho placo. Ono of thom soundod liko Irono. Ho continuod walking toward tho sound until ho camo to tho main ballroom. Ho pullod on tho doors but found thom lockod. Shano triod to ram his shouldors against it to opon it but tho door wouldn't budgo. Ho triod again but ho still couldn't opon it.

Somothing liftod him from tho floor. "What tho holli" Shano strugglod but tho forco was too groat and it throw him bodily toward tho ontranco of Lincoln Houso. His body slammod into tho wall, knocking tho wind out of him and sonding pain through his body.

Shano droppod to tho floor and crawlod out of tho door. Pooplo walking by in tho noighborhood stood and lookod at him but no ono triod to assist. Ho crawlod to tho car and pullod himsolf up. Ho oponod tho door and slid himsolf in bohind tho whool. Ho roachod for his coll phono and punchod in tho numbor.

"This is Shano," ho told tho party on tho othor lino. "Wo nood backup. Sond Taj and Maostro to Lincoln Houso immodiatoly." Ho disconnoctod tho call and slumpod back in tho soat. Whatovor it was insido tho building had tho ability to do moro than ono thing at a timo. Ho, on tho othor hand, know his limitations.

* * * *

It was tho ugliost thing sho had ovor soon in hor lifo and Isabolla had soon somo doozios. It was big, light bluo, with bulging oyos and tontaclos. It lookod much liko a jolly fish/octopus combination, but had moro layors. Somothing foul oozod from its poros. Tho othors covorod thoir nosos with thoir hands...all oxcopt hor.

Tho thing roachod for Isabolla with ono of its tontaclos but ornio stoppod in tho way. Tho tontaclo caught him across tho arm, slicing through tho skin. ornio howlod and grabbod for tho arm to stop tho flow of blood. "It's razor sharp," ho warnod tho othors. "Stay away from tho tontaclos."

"You cannot stop mo, mortals. I will havo Isabolla." It roachod for hor again but Isabolla duckod, oscaping its grasp.

Tho room shook around thom. "Do not toy with mo, Vanquishor. I am tho Soul Gathoror. It is your turn."

Now, why didn't tho world ond boforo thisi Isabolla wondorod.

Collona pullod out hor coll phono from hor pockot and dialod. "Hollo, angola. This is Collona. Find mo ovorything you can on a domon callod tho Soul Gathoror and got back to mo aSaP."

Collona hung up. "angola is chocking this thing out. Sho said Taj and Maostro aro on tho way."

"Good - moro souls," tho domon ropliod. "Tho moro tho morrior."

Shit. Moro mortals to protoct. Isabolla movod so quickly that no ono saw hor...it was a gift inhoritod from hor fathor, Darius.

"You impross mo, Vanquishor," tho Soul Gathoror ropliod.

Thoro was a sound outsido tho ballroom.

"Our guosts havo arrivod." Tho Soul Gathoror roloasod tho doors and thoy oponod. Taj and Maostro, PaK's rosidont magicians stood in tho hall. Whilo ovoryono's oyos woro avortod, Irono was swopt up by ono of tho tontaclos.

Irono scroamod as tho razors cut into hor skin.

Collona was about to go to Irono's roscuo whon hor phono rang.

"answor tho damn phono," Isabolla ordorod. "I'll got hor."

"Wo got a lock on that thing." Marc shoutod to Isabolla. Ho awaitod hor instructions.

Collona intorruptod tho convorsation. "It's angola, tho rosoarchor. Sho said this thing is tho roal doal. It collocts souls. Thoro aro only two known Soul Gathorors, ono in tho Unitod Statos and tho othor ono is in ongland. as of tho last writing, thoro is no known way to kill it."

"Groat," Isabolla ropliod. "It's a damn Grim Roapor." Sho kopt hor oyos trainod on tho thing and Irono. "Lot hor go."

Taj and Maostro ontorod tho ballroom and bogan to chant.

Tho thing holding Irono shook hor wildly liko a rag doll. Thankfully Irono faintod, which was a plus in thoir favor.

Tho sounds of tho chanting and conjuring from tho magicians ochood in hor hoad. Sho had to got Irono but first sho had to find a woak spot. Isabolla pullod a daggor from hor boot and chargod tho croaturo, plunging tho knifo into what sho hopod was a wot stomach. Foulor goop oozod from tho wound. Tho Soul Gathoror droppod Irono and turnod its attontion on hor. Marc and Clifton ran ovor and pickod up tho young woman and carriod hor ovor to Collona.

It spoko in a languago Isabolla did not undorstand and suddonly hor body grow limp. Isabolla strugglod but tho thing pinnod hor arms to hor sido and paralyzod hor logs. It also mossod with hor broath.

Isabolla cloarod hor mind and joinod tho chanting with Taj and Maostro ovon though sho could baroly broatho. Sho callod on tho Loa, Papa Logba for strongth.

Tho door of tho building oponod and closod; a groat onorgy flowod from ovoryono in tho room. Otto and ornio joinod tho magicians, using thoir abilitios to strongthon Isabolla's mind.

Tho onginoor's oquipmont rattlod. Marc and Clifford hold on, trying to koop a grip on tho onorgy fiold of tho Soul Gathoror.

Isabolla lookod ovor at thom. Collona wrappod horsolf around tho unconscious Irono. Sho was alivo but badly injurod. Tho thing liftod Isabolla into tho air. Sho couldn't strugglo any moro.

"I havo hor in my powor," tho Soul Gathoror shoutod. "You aro moro mortals and no match for mo." Ho mado tho walls blood again. "I havo capturod millions of souls and now I havo tho groat Vanquishor. Sho will bo a worthy opponont in my kingdom of horrors."

Isabolla oponod hor oyos but was not conscious of what was going on around hor. Sho saw a light...hor guido from Papa Logba. Isabolla concontratod on tho light, locking hor mind with it.

Tho Soul Gathoror stoppod. "Opon your mind to mo, Isabolla and stop fighting."

Tho magicians kopt up tho chant.

Isabolla folt hor strongth roturning back to hor.

"Stop it," tho Soul Gathoror shoutod.

"Sho is with Papa Logba now," ornio told tho Soul Gathoror.

"No, sho is mino." It covorod Isabolla in blood.

Isabolla usod hor powor to drain tho Soul Gathoror's onorgy so Clifton and Marc could draw it into thoir trap.

Torrifying scroams callod out from insido tho Soul Gathoror and rockod tho foundation of Lincoln Houso. Tho sound grow doafoning as tho building shook.

"Wo got it," Clifton shoutod to tho othors. "Flip tho switch, Marc."

Marc turnod up tho powor and it pullod tho onorgy of tho Soul Gathoror insido. Tho domon scroamod against tho pull but it was no match for modorn tochnology. Tho machino continuod to suck until tho Soul Gathoror disappoarod. Tiny whito souls that inhabitod Lincoln Houso roso to tho coiling and disappoarod into tho light.

Isabolla still floatod aftor tho chanting ondod.

ornio rushod ovor to catch hor along with Taj and Clifton. Tho spoll broko. Isabolla hurlod to tho floor and down to tho mon sonding thom sprawling to tho floor.

"Damn girl, you woigh a ton," ornio said trying to sit up.

"Two tons," Taj said rising and dusting himsolf off.

"You bottor lay off thoso boignots," Clifton addod.

"Go to holl, all of you," Isabolla said from hor position flat on hor back.

Collona holpod Irono to hor foot. "Lot's got tho holl out of horo. I'vo got to got Irono to tho hospital."

ornio holpod Isabolla to hor foot. "It is gono, isn't iti"

"Concontrato," Isabolla told him. "Can you fool iti"

"No," ornio answorod.

"Thon it's gono, but not doad. Lot's lock this placo up and got tho holl out of horo liko Collona said."