Page 68 of Demons In My Head: Exposing the Exiled
The way Misha said "him" made my skin crawl—like he couldn't even bear to say Scorpio's name. I felt Jasper's energy wrap around me protectively, giving me the courage to continue.
"I didn't go to him willingly, if that's what you're thinking," I said, lifting my chin. "When I ran out of Haunt, Asrael found me first, and then Scorpio."
"And what? He just invited you over for tea?" Ashland's sarcasm was razor-sharp.
"No. After I talked with Asrael, I hailed a cab. Fucking Scorpio was driving it."
"And why the fuck would Scorpio put all that effort into kidnapping you?" Rhodes snapped, his voice so low and sharp I had to try not to wince.
I took a deep breath, knowing this would be the hardest part to explain. How do you tell the men you love about the monster who tried to own you?
"Scorpio's real name is Slade," I said, the name feeling like poison on my tongue. "We trained together at Montague Industries. He was... brilliant. Charismatic. Dangerous in a way that seemed exciting when I was young and stupid."
"You were together," Ashland stated flatly. Not a question.
I nodded, unable to meet his eyes. "For three years. He was my first everything. First kiss, first..." I swallowed hard. "You get the idea."
Misha growled low in his throat, the sound reverberating through the cabin walls. The orange in his eyes burned brighter.
"It started out normal. At least, what I thought was normal back then." My fingers twisted nervously in the hem of my shirt. "But Slade always had... issues with control."
"What kind of issues?" Felix asked softly, his artist's eyes reading every microexpression on my face.
"The kind where he'd break my fingers if I looked at another man too long," I said bluntly. "The kind where he'd carve his initials into my skin while I slept so I'd 'remember who I belonged to.'"
Talon's manic energy sparked dangerously, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. "I'm going to fucking skin him alive," he said, his voice eerily calm despite the chaos swirling in his eyes.
"Get in line," Jasper muttered beside me, his ghostly form vibrating with rage.
"It got worse when his powers manifested," I continued, determined to get through this. "He could... he can control minds. At first, it was just simple commands. 'Bring me water,' 'Stop talking.' But then he learned to... to make people do anything he wanted." My voice faltered. "Including me."
These demons were masters of controlling their emotions. They were experts at hiding their true feelings behind carefully stoic expressions, but not right now. I heard the sounds of knuckles cracking and floorboards creaking as they shifted, as though standing still this time just wasn't a possibility. I inhaled deeply and wrung my hands together, unsure of if I should go on. The room felt like a powder keg.
"Continue," Ashland ordered, his command like a whip.
"He'd take control of me for days at a time," I admitted, shame burning in my gut despite knowing intellectually that it wasn't my fault. "I'd 'wake up' with full memory of what I'd done." I shuddered. "My mind felt every bit as dirty as he made my bodyfeel. It didn't matter that my brain screamed NO while I did the things he said; I had no control."
"I'll kill him," Rhodes said suddenly, his first words in minutes. My eyes snapped to his face, somewhat shocked. I thought he hated me, but his eyes were hard, focused. "Slowly. Painfully. I don't care if he's human or demon or fucking god."
"He's none of those things," I said. "Not entirely. He was born a mage, but he's been experimenting on himself, injecting demon blood, consuming magic, trying to become something new. Something more powerful. His affinity used to only work by his blood entering a victim's body. Now? He's figured out how to turn his blood into a gas."
"Fucking hell," Felix cursed.
"Is that why Asrael kept him around? Because he was useful?" Misha asked, his tactical mind already connecting dots.
I nodded. "Asrael discovered what he was doing to me, and instead of stopping it, he studied it—used it. He eventually kicked Slade out of Montague Industries when he became too dangerous, too unpredictable. He knew he had to choose either Slade or me, but as always, he wanted everything. So, they stayed in contact."
"And then he got you in that cab?" Felix asked, trying to work it all out. "But that's too convenient. You're talking to Asrael moments prior, and then magically Scorpio rolls up?"
"You're right, brother," Talon said grimly. "That was a set-up."
Ashland began pacing as I continued.
"Remember fight night? Scorpio talked to me there. I had no idea he was Slade, but he'd been watching me. Waiting for the perfect moment to get me alone." My hands started to shake at the memory. "He drugged me, took me to his compound. Had this whole sick setup waiting. An immaculately decorated bedroom, clothes in my size. Everything precisely as heremembered it. A woman who looked like me led me to believe she was going to help me escape, but it was a trap."
Jasper's energy wrapped around me like a protective shield. "He only fucks women who look like Palmer."
"Fucking sick bastard!" Talon roared, pacing back and forth. I could see the energy building up inside of him, and I knew he was seconds from detonating. So when he grabbed a wooden chair and launched it against the wall, I didn't jump. I wasn't surprised.
