Page 73 of Demons In My Head: Exposing the Exiled
Each word landed like a physical blow, though I knew—I had to believe—it was an act. A desperate attempt to save us both.
"I'm sorry for the deception," Jasper added, his tone so convincing it made my stomach churn. "It won't happen again."
Asrael studied him for a long moment before laughing—a sound devoid of all warmth. "Oh, I know it won't." He flicked his wrist toward his guards. "Take him to the holding cells."
"No!" I lunged forward only to be restrained by two more guards who had materialized behind me. My demon surged, eyes flashing, but Asrael merely raised a brow.
"I wouldn't, if I were you. Unless you want his punishment to be even more painful."
I froze, watching helplessly as they dragged Jasper away. His eyes finally met mine, filled with a resignation that terrified me more than any fear would have.
"This is unnecessary," I managed through gritted teeth once Jasper was gone. "Let him go, and I'll leave Besmet. You'll never see me again."
Asrael approached, trailing his fingers along my bare shoulder in a parody of intimacy. "You misunderstand, dear Rhodes. This isn't about your little... indiscretion." His fingers dug painfully into my flesh. "This is about loyalty. About consequences. You and your brothers have been plotting against me for far too fucking long, and Jasper"—he practically spat his name—"has been playing both sides with far too much skill. It's high time everyone fucking learns!"
I jerked away from his touch. "So you're going to lock him up because he doesn't love you?!"
Asrael scoffed. "I don't share my things. Jasper is well aware of the rules of our arrangement."
"Oh, I see. If you can't have him, nobody can? Is that it?"
He didn't answer, simply smiled wide, showing too many teeth. It took everything in me not to launch myself at him and rip his gods damn head off his shoulders, but I had enough awareness to know I'd be dead in seconds. The fact of the matter was, Asrael was stronger than me. I had to switch tactics.
"I'll tell my brothers. We'll get him out, and then we'll—"
"You'll what?" Asrael's laughter cut me off. "Best me? Please." He leaned closer, his breath hot against my ear. "And you won't breathe a word of this to them because this is your fault. I'll make sure they know you've been fucking Jasper behind their backs, that you didn't even trust them to know the truth of your indiscretion. You boys have always been so big on trust, haven't you?"
I was still going to tell them Jasper had been taken. Nothing could stop me from trying to save him.
Asrael straightened, adjusting his immaculate robes. "What happens next, Rhodes, is entirely on you. Remember that."
He turned to leave, then paused at the doorway. "Oh, and do get dressed. There's going to be quite a spectacle in the courtyard at dawn. I love a good public humiliation. Wouldn't want you to miss it."
The door closed behind Asrael, leaving me alone in a room that still smelled of Jasper and now reeked of my failure. I stood frozen for several heartbeats, my mind racing through possibilities, contingencies, escape routes.
I had to move. Had to act. Now.
Grabbing my clothes, I dressed with mechanical precision, my hands trembling with rage and fear. Jasper—gods, Jasper. I needed to warn the others. We still had time.
Just as I reached for the door, it burst open. Six of Asrael's elite guards poured into the room, their weapons trained on me with lethal precision.
"Asrael decided not to leave you on your own, after all," the captain said, his face an expressionless mask.
My demon surged forward, eyes flashing as power gathered in my hands. I wouldn't go easily. The first guard who approached caught my fist in his face, bone crunching beneath my knuckles. The second took a blast of telekinetic energy that slammed him into the wall.
But they were prepared for me. The third and fourth guards flanked me, providing a distraction so that another could inject me with something that depleted my strength, and the effect was immediate—my power snuffed out like a candle, leaving me hollow and vulnerable.
"Did you really think he'd leave you free to interfere?" the captain asked, wiping blood from his split lip. "He's been planning this for weeks."
Weeks. The word echoed in my mind as they dragged me through the palace corridors. Had Asrael known about us that long? Had he been watching, waiting for the perfect moment to spring his trap?
They threw me into a cell in the western dungeon, my body hitting the cold stone floor with bruising force. As the door slammed shut, I heard a familiar voice from the adjacent cell.
"Rhodes? Is that you?"
I scrambled to the shared wall, pressing my palm against the rough stone. "Jasper! Are you hurt?"
He released a soft laugh, though it held no humor. "Not yet. Though I suspect that's coming."
