Page 45 of The Devil's Canvas

Caleb exhales through his nose, shaking his head slightly. "Fun most of the time. Right now, not so much."

Owen shoots him a look before turning back to me. His gaze is steady, too steady. "Besides, you called him."

My stomach twists. Something cold and sharp presses against my ribs. I freeze, shake my head, and step back slightly. "I did not. No way."

Adrian shifts, arms crossed as he leans against the wall. His expression doesn’t change, but there’s something certain in his tone. "Not on purpose. But you're tied together by the thread of your very soul. You called. He came. Simple as that."

A hollow feeling spreads through my chest, heavy and unshakable. The truth settles in my bones before I can even fight it.

"So that’s it?" I say, my voice sharper now, edged with something close to panic. "I just have to accept that I have no control over my own body? Over my own damn mind?"

Owen tilts his head slightly, still calm. Too calm, it’s the same way the world sees me, emotionless. "You have control. But the more you resist, the harder it pulls."

I exhale slowly, pressing my fingers to my temples. I don’t want it to make sense. I hate that it does. "So you’re saying I have to give in to this bond?" My voice is quieter now, but no less tense.

Owen shakes his head, his gaze locked onto mine. "Not give in, per se. But you need to make a decision. Or at least hear him out."

The words hit harder than they should. Because I know. I’ve known. I already know I can’t ignore this forever.

I throw the covers off, barely feeling the cold air as I swing my legs over the edge of the bed. My body still aches—not from exhaustion, but from something deeper, something I don’t have the energy to name. The bond hums faintly beneath my skin, not as intense as before, but there. Lingering. Waiting.

I shove it aside, and head toward my closet without a word.

I don’t care what I put on—just something comfortable, something that doesn’t make me feel like I’m sitting here waiting for answers I don’t want to hear. I grab the first hoodie I see, tugging it over my head before shoving on a pair of leggings.

When I step back out, they’re all still there. Lounging. Waiting. Like this is just another night, like my entire world hasn’t shifted underneath me.

I grab my keys.

"Where are you going?" Lucas asks, sounding entirely too casual, while I'm planning my escape.

"On a walk. Enjoy yourselves."

I don’t stop. I don’t wait for their response. I just move toward the door because I need air, need space, need to clear my head before someone else tells me what I don’t want to hear.

"Sit down," Adrian says, his voice calm, even, but laced with a quiet certainty that makes me grit my teeth. It’s not a demand, not a request—just something final, something that tells me arguing would be pointless.

I don’t turn around.

"We called someone that may be able to help you. To read you. See why your bond is so strong and why things moved so fast."

I exhale sharply through my nose, gripping my keys tighter before finally turning back. "Fine."

I plop down onto the couch, crossing my arms, tapping my fingers against my knee. If they want me to sit here and wait for some supernatural diagnosis, fine. It’s not like I have much of a choice.

The air shifts. It’s subtle at first. A hum beneath my ribs, vibrating just under my pulse. The lights dim—not flickering, just… adjusting, like the room is making space for something else. A breeze stirs the air, carrying the faintest trace of something unfamiliar.

Without warning, they’ve arrived.

Not appearing in a dramatic flare of shadows like Julian and the others. No overwhelming force pressing into my chest. This is different. Like reality bends around them, like the space simply allows them in without a fight.

And still, I scream.

Not a cute, startled gasp—an actual, full-bodied scream, instinct launching me off the couch.

Seth barely holds back laughter. "Oh, she’s awake for this one. That’s new."

I glare at him, heart slamming against my ribs. "You think this is funny?"

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