Page 75 of Demons In My Head: Exposing the Exiled
"Comfortable?" he asked, his smile not reaching his eyes.
I spat at his feet, gratified when a speck landed on his immaculate boots.
He sighed, as if dealing with a petulant child. "Always so spirited, Rhodes. It's what I've always admired about you and your brothers."
"Touch any of them and I'll—"
"You'll what?" Asrael crouched down, bringing his face level with mine. "You're in no position to make threats."
I strained against my invisible bonds, wanting nothing more than to wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze until the light left those smug eyes.
"I want you to be perfectly clear on something," Asrael said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper as he met my gaze. "This is happening because you dared to touch what's mine. But your brothers? They don't need to know that particular detail."
A chill ran down my spine. "What are you—"
Before I could finish, Asrael placed his hands on either side of my head, his fingers digging into my temples. White-hot pain seared through my skull, spreading like liquid fire through every nerve. I screamed, the sound tearing from my throat as Asrael's magic worked its way into my mind, not removing memories but binding them with a powerful compulsion.
"You will not speak of your relationship with Jasper," Asrael commanded, his voice echoing inside my head as his magic burned the order into my very being. "Not to your brothers, not to anyone. That part of the story dies with him."
I fought against the magical restraints, mentally clawing at the barriers he was erecting around my memories. But it was like trying to hold smoke—the more I grasped, the more it slipped through my fingers.
"Stop fighting," Asrael murmured, almost gently. "It will only make it worse."
"Fuck you," I managed through gritted teeth.
He laughed, the sound bouncing off the stone walls. "That's the spirit. Keep that anger, Rhodes. Channel it. Just remember—it wasn't love. It was never love. There," Asrael said, finally releasing me. I slumped forward, gasping for air. "The show begins at dawn. See you soon."
"Rhodes?" Talon's hand landed on my shoulder, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. "You're bleeding."
I looked down to find my nails had pierced my palms, crimson droplets falling to the stone floor. Wonderful. More blood on my hands.
"It's nothing," I muttered, wiping them on my pants. "Let's just get this over with."
Palmer stopped suddenly, her head tilted as if listening. The temperature dropped several degrees, and I knew. I fucking knew he was right there.
"He wants me to tell you something," she said softly.
"Don't." My voice cracked. "Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it."
But Palmer, stubborn as ever, continued. "He says it wasn't your fault. He told you that. That you need to stop—"
The tunnel exploded with telekinetic energy as my control finally snapped. Stones cracked, dust rained down, and everyone stumbled back—everyone except Palmer, who stood her ground with tears in her eyes that weren't just hers.
"We have a job to do," I snarled, reining in my power before I brought the whole passage down around us. "So either lead the way or get the fuck out of mine."
The silence stretched for several heartbeats before Palmer nodded, turning to continue down the tunnel. But I felt it—felt him—lingering beside me for just a moment longer.
Just as I was about to follow the group into the main chamber, an arctic blast slammed into me from the side, and I was thrown sideways through the office doorway, my back hitting the far wall hard enough to knock the wind from my lungs. The door slammed shut behind us.
"Fuck," I wheezed, struggling to my feet. And there he was. Jasper. Fully materialized and looking exactly as he had that night, right down to the way his auburn hair fell across his forehead. My demon howled in agony.
"We need to talk," he said firmly, blocking the exit.
I laughed bitterly, the sound scraping my throat raw. "Now? You want to talk now? After decades of silence, after watching us suffer, after letting us think—" My voice broke and I had to look away from those familiar eyes. I knew I was being ridiculous, but I couldn't stop.
"I couldn't before. I didn't fucking remember, Rhodes!"
"Oh, how sad for you! I wish I didn't fucking remember!" I snarled, power crackling around my clenched fists. "I watched you die! I held your body after… after everyone else left." The words choked off as memories flooded back. Blood. So much blood. His skin growing cold under my hands...
