Page 20 of The Demon's Sinful Serenade
Zane shifted, blocking more of Julian's view of me. His body radiated heat against the chill Julian brought with him. The gesture wasn't lost on Julian, whose eyes narrowed.
"Another replacement?" Julian sneered. "Another warm body to make you feel like you matter?"
"That's enough," Zane growled.
Miranda stepped forward, her hands raised. "Julian Rathaway, your time in this realm is done. By our will and power, we banish you to your rightful rest."
The ghost's attention snapped to Miranda, his form billowing with rage. "You can't control me, witch."
"We don't need to control you," Hannah said. "Only send you where you belong."
He lunged toward me, only to be repelled by an invisible barrier. The force of it sent him reeling back.
The three witches began another chant, their voices weaving together. Julian's form wavered, parts of him seeming to unravel like thread pulled from a sweater.
"River," he called, his voice taking on a desperate edge. "You know you'll never be happy without me. We were meant to be together. You belong to me."
Zane moved fully in front of me now, shielding me from Julian's gaze. "You don't own her, asshole."
Julian's face contorted with fury. The temperature plummeted further, and frost formed on the metal equipment around the room. Wind howled from nowhere, whipping around us in a frenzy.
"Julian Rathaway," the witches intoned together, "we break your ties to this realm. We sever your connection to the living. We command you to depart."
"River!" he shouted. "This isn't over! You'll never be free of me!"
The wind swirled around the circle, picking up speed until it became a howling vortex. My hair lashed against my face. My guitar case toppled over, spilling its contents across the floor.
The black candle at our feet erupted into a pillar of flame that shot toward the ceiling. Julian screamed, the sound inhuman and filled with rage. His form stretched, thinned, and then collapsed in on itself like a dying star.
"You're mine," he spat as he faded. "You'll always be mine."
Then he was gone, and the candle extinguished itself with a final, violent hiss.
"Is it... is he gone?" I asked, my voice small in the sudden quiet.
Miranda nodded, her face drawn with exhaustion. "I can't feel him anymore."
I broke away from Zane, rushing to where my guitar had been knocked over. My hands shook as I checked for damage. The instrument seemed unharmed, though picks, capos, and other accessories lay scattered across the floor.
"It's okay," I breathed, relief washing over me. "It's okay."
Poppy knelt beside me, helping gather the scattered items. "Are you?"
"I think so." I wasn't sure if I was lying. I wasn't sure what I felt at all.
Hannah joined us, collecting a few guitar picks that had skidded under a nearby bench. "These rituals can be draining. You should rest."
The witches began dismantling their ritual setup, erasing chalk lines and collecting crystals. Hannah and Miranda discussed the strength of the banishment while Poppy offered me quiet reassurance. I barely heard them, Julian's words still echoing in my head.
Without me, you're nothing.
You'll never be happy without me.
You're mine. You'll always be mine.
Was he right? Would I never escape his shadow? Zane crouched beside me, close enough that I could reach for him if I needed to, but not so close that I felt crowded.
The witches finished gathering their supplies and said their goodbyes with gentle squeezes to my shoulder and promises from me to check in tomorrow. When the door clicked shut behind them, I turned to Zane, guitar case clutched in my white-knuckled grip.
