Page 60 of Demons In My Head: Exposing the Exiled
Rhodes and Felix appeared at our sides, both covered in blood that definitely wasn't theirs. Felix's dark hair was matted to his forehead, his eyes wild with the thrill of battle, and I knew his adrenaline was sky fucking high because he wasn't concerned about the filth. Rhodes, on the other hand, looked immaculate as fucking always, despite the carnage. Only the splatter of crimson across his crisp shirt betrayed his participation in the bloodbath.
"I can't wait to end that fucker. Shall we?" Felix grinned, his teeth startlingly white against his painted and blood-splattered face.
"After you," I gestured, my eyes never leaving the abomination above us.
The five of us ascended the steps to the platform, our footfalls in perfect sync—a habit formed over decades of fighting together. The wood creaked beneath our combined weight as wejoined the others. Saige was still locked in combat with the red-haired creature, vines shooting from the ground to wrap around her opponent's legs while she deflected similar attacks.
Asrael's amber slits narrowed as he took us in, his monstrous head tilting slightly. The fucker actually smiled—or at least, that's what I assumed the horrific stretching of his scaled face was meant to be.
"The Exiled return," he hissed, a forked tongue flicking between his jagged teeth. "How does it feel to be back after so long? Did you miss this platform so much that you just had to return? I can understand how it would be nostalgic for you boys."
I felt Rhodes stiffen beside me, his hand tightening around the hilt of his blade. Felix's breath caught, and even Talon went unnaturally still.
Asrael's twisted grin widened. "Are you ready to die on the same exact spot where poor Jasper drew his last breath? Quite poetic, don't you think?"
The world went fucking red.
I lunged forward, my blade singing through the air, only to be stopped by Rhode's hand on my arm. His grip was like iron, his face a mask of barely controlled rage that mirrored my own.
"Don't," he growled. "That's what he wants. We strike together."
I jerked my arm away, my chest heaving with fury. "Don't you fucking dare speak his name," I snarled at Asrael, my voice barely recognizable even to my own ears.
The monster laughed, the sound like gravel being crushed. "Still a sore spot, I see. I thought time would have healed that particular wound. Or have you been keeping it fresh all these years? Wallowing in your failure to save him?"
Rhodes stepped forward, his face a cold mask that would have terrified lesser beings. "We didn't fail him," he said, his voice deceptively calm. "You murdered him."
A flash of movement caught my eye as Khol appeared from the side of the platform, his face grim and determined. Our eyes met briefly before he turned his attention to Asrael. The sight of my father sent a fresh wave of rage through me, but I forced it down. One monster at a time.
Asrael's wings extended to their full span, casting an ominous shadow over all of us. "Details," he dismissed with a wave of his grotesque claw. "The end result is the same—he's dead, and you're exiled. Or were, until you had the audacity to return."
"We're not alone," Felix said, nodding toward the group from Emerald Lakes who stood in formation around Saige, who had finished her battle and seemed to be in a trance.
Asrael's amber eyes shifted to them, taking in Bram, Cam, and the others. His scaled nostrils flared. "The half-breed prince and his collection of mongrels. How touching that you've all come together for this little reunion. It will make it so much more efficient when I kill you all at once."
"Enough talk," I growled, readying my blade. "Let's finish this."
The monster's laughter echoed across the courtyard. "By all means, Ashland," he taunted, my name sounding like poison on his forked tongue. "Try to finish what you started all those years ago. I've been waiting for this moment—the chance to exterminate the last of The Exiled, just as I did your pathetic brother."
I heard Saige gasp behind me, clearly putting the pieces together about our connection. But there was no time to dwell on family revelations. Not with this abomination standing before us, mocking Jasper's memory with every breath he took.
"Together," I said to my brothers, not needing to elaborate further. They knew the plan without words—we'd been fighting as one unit for too long to need explanation.
We spread out, each taking a position around Asrael as the others on the platform gave us space. This was our fight. Our vengeance.
Asrael raised his clawed hands, magic crackling around them like lightning. "Come then, boys," he hissed. "Let's see if you've learned anything in your time away."
All five of us gasped and braced ourselves as his magic hit us. It felt as though the joints in my knees were moments from blowing out if I resisted another second, but I wouldn't give in. We were being pulled closer to Asrael, his dark cackling reverberated down my spine, jarring my eardrums as well as my body.
The world seemed to slow down as Asrael's body jolted, his mutated features contorting into an expression I'd never seen on his face before—shock. Pure, unadulterated shock. His massive jaws dropped open, a strangled sound gurgling from his throat. My gaze dropped at the same moment his did, both of us staring at the gleaming point of steel protruding from the center of his scaled chest.
A fucking sword. Through his heart.
The blade was suddenly yanked backward, disappearing into the monster's body with a sickening wet sound. Asrael lurched forward, his wings folding inward as he turned with agonizing slowness to face his attacker.
And there she stood.
Palmer. My little bunny. Coated in blood and viscera, her hair matted with it, her clothing soaked through. The sword in her hand dripped crimson onto the wooden platform, forming a small puddle at her feet. But it was her face—gods, her face—that held me captive. A look of pure retribution and victory blazed inher eyes, her lips curled into a savage smile that made my demon howl with approval.
