Page 14 of Demons In My Head: Exposing the Exiled
For the first time since I left this realm all those years ago, it felt like my mask was slipping.
I couldn't allow that.
Finally, Elara produced a silver skeleton key and smiled as she held it up for us to see. Talon and Felix were both bouncing on the balls of their feet as though waiting just one more second to enter the castle would send them over the edge.
She slipped the key into the lock and twisted it until we heard the satisfying click of the door unlocking. It felt more like a bomb going off in my head. One by one, my brothers slipped through the threshold like harbingers of death.
I stared at the door, noting the wood was no longer brown but black. Distressed as if it had weathered all the seasons and somehow still remained standing.
Despite my better judgment, I still found myself crouching down on the ground, feeling for the indentations I had made years earlier with my fingertips. I smiled sadly to myself when Ifound carved-out letters, once jagged and harsh, now faded and smooth from time.
I traced the 'R' and moved on to the 'J'. I realized a second too late that this wasn't just a door; it was a gateway. A portal to my subconscious, and the moment it swung open, there was no holding back any of the memories I'd forced into submission.
Tracing the letters was my personal key, and I sucked in a deep breath as everything unlocked. My stomach flipped, and my chest seized as the door seemed to melt away, only to be replaced by one lighter in color.
"Rhodes," he whispered, laughing under his breath.
I laughed, too. "What?"
"You look like you're in pain."
I shrugged and stared into his deep green eyes. "It's been a long time since we did that run."
He quickly turned his face back to the stream, but I didn't miss the way his freckled cheeks quickly flushed a deep crimson.
"Y-yeah," he stammered, as though he had to work to force the words from his throat.
With my eyes, I saw a boy who was my best friend. His hair had grown out a bit and had a slight wave to it. There was a distance in his eyes and a sadness that wasn't there before. I didn't know what happened to him, but I wished he'd talk to me like he used to.
The stream bubbled, providing some background noise as we both got lost in our thoughts. It was dark out, but the full moon was bright and reflected vividly off the dark blue surface.
"I wish you'd talk to me, Jasper," I said quietly, deciding I was sick of wondering what was going on in his head. I climbed up the boulder and sat beside him.
He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around them. "I've just been really busy."
"You've been really busy?" I repeated back, disbelief loud in my tone.
"Yes," he snapped, turning to face me. His eyes, which usually betrayed his emotions, were suddenly very deep. Deep like the woods around us, like a lake that you knew you couldn’t swim in.
I didn't bother hiding the pain in my eyes before quickly looking away. I felt his warm body move closer to me, and then he took my hand in his with his usual grip, firm but not tight.
He was right there. Regardless of the secrets I knew he was keeping, our hands were on fire. I was feeling a mixture of anger and sorrow. I wanted to hurt him because he'd hurt me. I wanted to kiss him and hold him and never let go. I could smell him; the unique scent of blood orange and cedar that was all Jasper. I could taste his lips and the ache they brought me.
"Rhodes..." he said, a statement and a plea. With anyone else, anybody fucking else, I'd have written them off already. But Jasper—we'd been friends for so long that I hadn't realized the moment I fell in love with him. Maybe I always had been?
Slowly, I inhaled a deep breath and brought my face back to his. The moon reflected off the lake, giving Jasper's eyes a soft glow. The stubble on his face was longer than I'd ever seen it, but the way he smiled made him seem the same.
"You'd tell me if something was going on?"
He nodded and flashed a grin. "Of course I would. I tell you everything."
My hand found his cheek, and I softly traced my fingertips over it. "I've missed you, Jasper."
He hurriedly interlaced his fingers with mine, leaning eagerly into the touch of my hand. "I'm right here. I'm always going to be here."
That flare of suspicion sparked in my gut. On the one hand, I knew he meant it. On the other... I'd been seeing him less and less, and when I did see him, his moods were erratic.
"Can we tell the others? I can't keep it a secret forever, Jasper. They know I'm seeing someone. They think it's one of the servant girls." We both laughed at how very wrong they were.
