Page 67 of Demons In My Head: Exposing the Exiled
"That's why you left," Ashland said, understanding dawning in his ice-blue eyes. "You told Rhodes about Jasper?"
"The night I left. Rhodes asked me what my affinity was, and I told him I was a spirit witch. He didn't believe me, wanted to know how I escaped from that St. Andrews' Cross. I got smart with him and told him a ghost named Jasper helped me." I swallowed roughly, noticing the tears in every single one of their eyes. "Obviously, now I know why there was such a strong reaction to the name. But Jasper didn't remember who he was to you, just that he felt a connection. There's no way I could've known, either. I would never use the spirit of a loved one to hurt to anybody."
Jasper's energy pulsed with relief and nervousness. "She's telling the truth—all of it. I met her right before she walked into Haunt for the first time. I helped her pick her mask."
You could've heard a pin drop with how quiet it was. I wasn't even sure that anyone was breathing at that point, and then suddenly, Misha was moving. He reached Jasper in two massive strides and pulled him against his chest with a groan that held so much emotion it could've been a sob, a whoop of joy, or a cry of victory. It was everything.
"By the stars," Felix whispered, tears streaming openly down his beautiful face. "You brought our brother back to us? Y-you did this?"
Talon launched himself at Misha and Jasper, the three of them now locked in a tight embrace, and I let out a half-sob, half-laugh at the sight. "We did it. Jasper and I, together."
"I can't… I can't believe this," Felix whispered as his feet carried him toward Jasper.
They broke apart, making space for him. Jasper grinned widely and opened his arms wide before closing the distance and hugging Felix tightly. "I've fuckin' missed you, Felix."
"You asshole," Felix replied, his voice tight with emotion.
I looked away; the moment was almost too much. Like seeing something so truly beautiful, so rare, it actually hurts to see it. That's when I noticed Ashland crouched down next to Rhodes, whispering soft words. Rhodes' wings were still wrapped around his body, like a cocoon of armor. All I could see of his head was his horns.
Suddenly, Ashland stood straight up and pinned those icy blue eyes on me as he began talking to Jasper directly. "What did you say about 'your mate' earlier? Being dead for this many years seems to have really fucked with your sense of reality, Jazz."
I'd endured countless hours of being watched, analyzed, and dissected by stares that sought to strip away my defenses in my training. But something about how Ashland's ice-blue eyes tracked my every microscopic movement made those experiences feel amateur in comparison. His gaze noted eachsubtle shift of my weight, the way my fingers flexed at my sides, even the slight tension in my jaw. The intensity of his focus was like a physical weight pressing against my skin, making me hyperaware of every involuntary response my body made. I fought the urge to cross my arms or look away—defensive gestures that would only confirm whatever theories were forming behind those calculating eyes. One thing was absolutely certain—I'd never felt more exposed, more thoroughly seen, than I did beneath Ashland's unflinching scrutiny. It was as though he could peel back every carefully constructed layer I'd built around myself with a single look.
And that was why I'd always been so careful around him. Rhodes was by far the most suspicious of me, but Ash was the most calculating, the one with the most dangerous brain, the biggest threat to my original mission. He clicked his tongue in that supremely arrogant way that made me want to slap the smirk right off his perfect face. The corners of his mouth lifted like a wolf tasting blood in the air, reminding me of a predator who'd just cornered its prey—a look I'd seen him wear countless times, though not typically directed at me.
"All of these years being dead, and if anything, you've gotten more cynical, hmm, Ace?" Jasper replied, releasing Felix from his grasp. "Didn't think that was possible."
"What did you mean?Your mate?" Ash pressed, a hint of his internal frenzy surfacing with a glimpse of sharp teeth.
"Yeah, what did you mean?" Talon asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Jasper smiled and reached out for my hand. I slipped mine into his like a key fitting into a lock, perfect. "That's how I regained my past memories. I helped her escape from Scorpio's compound, and after that, we had sex. It wasn't until we were in that moment that the knot happened, and at first, I couldn't believe it. But there was no stopping it. I'm telling you right now,I could not have stopped it. Then my memories came flooding back, like a movie, but sped up and yet, followable. Does that make sense?"
Everyone was hanging on to each word he said.Gods, they look like they're barely breathing, like they're afraid to miss a single syllable. I've never seen Ash look so... unsettled before.
"I remembered everything from the beginning to the moment immediately following my death when I looked down at my body in this form."
A low growl filled the room, and I realized it came from Rhodes. He was likely reliving that very moment, the one single moment he'd tried relentlessly to forget.
"It's okay, Rhodes," Jasper said softly. "It's okay, I'm back where I belong."
Misha's massive frame had gone rigid, the orange glow in his eyes intensifying like a fire being stoked. "Wait a fucking minute," he growled, the sound vibrating through the cabin walls. "What the hell do you mean by ‘escape Scorpio's compound'? What was Palmer doing with Scorpio?"
My stomach dropped to my feet.Shit. In the emotional chaos of Jasper's reveal, I'd forgotten they didn't know what had happened after I left.
The room temperature seemed to plummet as five pairs of demonic eyes locked onto me with laser focus. Even Rhodes had emerged from his wing cocoon, his face streaked with tears but his expression hardening into something dangerous.
"Palmer," Ashland said, his voice deceptively soft. "Answer Misha's question."
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly bone dry. "It's... complicated."
"Uncomplicate it," Talon snapped, all traces of his earlier manic joy vanishing. His eyes flickered between normal blue and demonic yellow so fast it was making me dizzy.
"After I left—" I began, but Felix cut me off.
"After Rhodes chased you away, you mean." His accusatory glare at Rhodes didn't go unnoticed.
"Doesn't matter how she left," Misha snarled. "What matters is what happened next. Withhim."
