Page 100 of Demons In My Head: Exposing the Exiled
It was so fucking hard not to let him see the disgust I felt. No, I had to play him, I had to beat him at his own game. “You gave me purpose.”
"And I can give you so much more." His eyes gleamed with unholy fire. "Together, we could reshape both realms. Your power over the veil, combined with my knowledge..."
I let my shoulders slump in fake defeat. "You really think you can control the veil?"
"With the proper guidance—" he started, but I cut him off with a harsh laugh.
"You don't even know what the veil is, do you?" Power thrummed through my veins as I straightened, no longer playing the broken student. "It's not just some barrier between life and death. It's alive. And it remembers everything."
Asrael's expression darkened. "What are you babbling about?"
"Every spirit you've trapped. Tortured. Fed upon." I took a step forward, and he actually backed up. "They're all still here. And they're really fucking pissed."
Every spirit in that room pushed their energy toward me, and I sent it right down my mate bond with Jasper with the words, “Break free.”
Goosebumps exploded on my skin, and I released a sharp exhale, noticing the way my breath visibly fanned out around my face. The temperature was dropping rapidly as hundreds of spirits materialized, their combined energy making my hair stand on end. I felt the moment Jasper broke free from Asrael’s hold and the second Asrael realized his mistake. He'd been so focused on me, on Scorpio's body he'd stolen, that he'd forgotten to consider the revenge his own victims would be desperate to get.
"You can't—" he snarled, but Jasper's spirit form solidified directly in front of him.
"Hello, Asrael," Jasper said, his voice echoing with decades of pain and betrayal. "Ready for your final lesson?"
Asrael swung wildly at Jasper, as though he could hurt him in his spirit form. His fist sailed right through Jasper’s body, and I laughed, making Asrael roar with fury.
I reached for the veil, not to close it this time, but to unfold it entirely. The power flooded through me, raw and ancient and hungry. "You wanted to see what I could do?" I asked Asrael as spirits began circling him like sharks. "Watch closely."
With a twist of my will, I bound Asrael in place, trapping him in Scorpio's stolen flesh. He thrashed against my hold, eyes wild with panic.
"Palmer," he pleaded, "daughter—"
"I am not your fucking daughter." The words came out in a growl as I pulled the veil tighter around him. "I'm the witch who's going to send you straight to hell."
The spirits descended on him like a wave of vengeance, each one carrying a piece of his soul into the depths of whatever awaited on the other side. His screams echoed through the maze as Scorpio's body convulsed, and I felt The Exiled's bonds weakening as Asrael's power failed.
My mom and dad each tore a piece of him off and looked back at me, acceptance in their eyes. "No," I whispered as my hair whipped around in a frenzy.
"We're ready, sweetheart," my mom said, her voice strong and steady. “The other side is calling to me, I can’t fight it.”
"This was our unfinished business," my dad explained, smiling.
"You've made us so proud! I love you!" Mom's form flickered for a split second before she disappeared within the veil.
“Wait! I love you, Mom!” I screamed, hoping she heard it before she disappeared. Tears fell from my face like rain, but I knew this was what had to happen. It was inevitable.
"She knows you love her. We both know.” My Dad looked longingly from my face to the open portal, to where the love of his life had just gone. As much as it hurt to say goodbye, he had to follow her. He knew it, too. “I've got my ocean to follow, stinky crab. You're a force of nature, don't ever shrink, don't ever question if you're too much. Believe in yourself, we're always with you. I love you."
“I love you, Dad.” I blinked through the tears as my dad followed my mom through the veil, the two of them finally at peace. Together. Happy. I stood there, frozen, holding the veil open as the last of the spirits ripped their pieces of Asrael's soul.
When it was done, when the last spirit dragged the final piece of him away, I released my hold. It snapped back into place with a sound like thunder, leaving Scorpio's empty body crumpled on the ground.
My legs gave out, but strong arms caught me before I hit the floor. I looked up to find all of them there. My demons, my mates, my family. Even Snake was there, nestled against my leg. He was safe.
"Holy shit," Felix breathed, staring at me with wide eyes. "That was..."
"Hot," Talon finished, earning an elbow to the ribs from Rhodes.
I managed a weak laugh, even as darkness crept into my vision. "Did we really just win?"
"Yeah, little witch," Misha murmured, pressing a kiss to my temple. "We won."
