Page 109 of Demons In My Head: Exposing the Exiled
I was toweling off my hair when a knock at the bathroom door made me pause. "Just a minute!" I called out, quickly wrapping myself in the plush black robe Misha had left for me. I smiled as I remembered the last time Misha had done this for me and how I waltzed around in his robe that made me feel like a bathroom bride with how huge it was on me.
"Take your time," Ashland's voice replied, sending a shiver down my spine.
As if I’d take my time, knowing what was coming. When I opened the door, he filled the frame with his imposing presence,ice-blue eyes taking in my damp state. The energy between us crackled with unspoken tension.
"We need to talk," he said simply.
I nodded, following him into the adjacent sitting room. The space felt smaller with him in it, though maybe that was just the weight of everything unsaid between us.
"So," I started, perching on the edge of an armchair. "Are we doing the awkward 'you tried to spy on us' conversation or the 'surprise, we're mates' talk first?"
His lips twitched. "How about we start with 'I'm glad you're not dead'?"
"Always a good opener." I tried for humor, but my voice caught. The last few days hit me again, the fight, the spirits, Asrael's final moments.
Ashland moved closer, kneeling in front of my chair. "Palmer." Just my name, but the way he said it made my chest tight. "Look at me."
I did, meeting those impossible eyes. "I never meant to betray you," I whispered. "Any of you."
"I know." His hand found mine, warm and steady. "You were a weapon aimed at us, but you chose to lower your blade. That means something. It's so easy to take information as fact, especially when the person feeding you that information wanted us to be the villains, but you're your own person. You made your own conclusions once you actually saw everything. "
"That's the thing, from almost the start… I knew you weren't what he said. The more I got to know you, the more I started doubting. But Ash, everything I felt was real," I insisted. "Is real. Even before I knew about the mate bond—"
"I know that too." His thumb traced circles on my palm, sending sparks of awareness up my arm. "You proved it when you fucking followed us to another realm and stabbed Asrael. You came for us. You chose to protect us."
"You’re mine," I said softly, and then with more conviction when he raised a brow, almost daring me. "You're all mine now, too."
Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. "Are we? Say it again."
My breath caught at his tone. "You're mine," I repeated, stronger this time. "All of you. The leaders of The Exiled, the demons who run Port Black,mine."
He surged forward, capturing my face between his hands. "And you're ours. No more divided loyalties, no more secrets. Just us."
"Just us," I agreed, leaning into his touch. "Though 'just' seems like an understatement when there are six of you."
His laugh was low and rich. "Seven, counting you. Our fierce little witch who commands armies of spirits." He paused and smirked. "Though I have to admit, watching you tear apart a demon lord was possibly the hottest thing I've ever seen."
I snorted, some of the tension easing. "Talon said the same thing. You're all a bunch of violence-loving freaks."
"Says the woman who commanded vengeful spirits to exact justice."
"Touché."
We shared a smile, and for a moment I could almost forget the weight of everything that had led us here. Almost.
"What happens now?" I asked quietly.
Ashland's eyes darkened. "Now? Now we claim what's ours, properly and completely. If you're ready."
The possessive note in his voice made my belly flip. "I'm ready," I breathed. "I want this, want you. All of you."
He stood, pulling me up with him. "Then let's not keep the others waiting." His hand cupped my cheek one last time. "Let’s get you to the ritual room.”
I didn’t even get to release a squeak before we were spinning through the air for a second, and I stumbled slightly as we materialized in what had to be the ritual room, Ashland's strong hands steadying me before I could face-plant. "We could’ve just walked, you ass!” I slapped him in the chest, and he chuckled. “A little warning next time?" I grumbled, but the words died in my throat as I took in our surroundings.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
The chamber was massive, perfectly circular, and absolutely breathtaking. Crystalline formations jutted from the walls like frozen lightning bolts, each one pulsing with an ethereal blue light that made the whole space feel alive. Ancient runes were carved into every surface—the walls, the floor, even spiraling across the domed ceiling in intricate patterns that made my head spin if I looked too long.
