Page 79 of Demons In My Head: Exposing the Exiled
"You won't," Misha growled, grabbing my arm. "But we need to get somewhere safe first. Somewhere we can actually help them."
A violent tremor shook the chamber, and several empty containers shattered, before the sound of cracking stone filled the air as the ceiling began to give way.
"Misha is right," Jasper said urgently. "I can guide them, keep them together, but we have to move."
My father's spirit flickered violently. "Go, sweetheart. We'll follow."
Before I could argue, Misha wrapped an arm around my waist and practically carried me toward the exit as the chamber started collapsing behind us. The other spirits streamed past us like a river of starlight, with Jasper shepherding my parents close behind.
We burst into the tunnel just as the ceiling gave way completely. The sound was deafening, but Misha didn't slowdown. I could feel the tension in his body, the fierce protectiveness radiating from him.
We emerged into the cool night air, and he finally released me. I immediately spun around, searching the darkness until my parents' spirits reformed beside me. Jasper appeared as well, his form stronger now that we were away from the chamber's corrupted magic.
"What happened in there?" Felix demanded, moving to check me for injuries. "The whole place just... imploded."
"Asrael's death broke whatever spell was holding it together," Talon theorized, his eyes tracking some of the freed spirits as they dispersed into the night.
I embraced my parents' ethereal forms, feeling their familiar energy wrap around me. After all these years, they were here. They were with me. The relief was so overwhelming that I could barely stand.
"We need to get them somewhere safe," I said, turning to face the group. "Somewhere we can figure out how to help them fully manifest like Jasper."
"First, you have to help them," my father instructed firmly but lovingly, pointing at the group of spirits that seemed to keep growing with each blink of the eye.
I shook my head, panic rising in my chest. "What do you mean? How am I going to do that here? Now? I can't."
My dad smiled warmly. "This is what you were made to do. You can, and you will."
Understanding crashed over me like a wave, leaving me breathless with awe and terror. "A portal? There’s so many of them…" I whispered, my voice trembling. "Dad, I don't even know how to—"
"Yes, you do," my father's spirit interrupted, his form brightening with conviction. "This power has always been inside you, waiting. Why do you think Asrael was so interested in you?He knew what you were capable of, but he wanted to twist it for his own purposes."
The growing crowd of spirits pressed closer, their ethereal forms creating a silvery dome around us. I could feel their desperation, their longing for release.
"They're suffering," Felix said, his voice rough with emotion. "I can feel it, too. Can't you, Palmer?"
My gaze met his and then Jasper's, and understanding passed between us. I nodded slowly. "They're so tired. So ready to rest."
"Then help them," my father urged. "Focus on that connection you feel. Let your magic rise naturally—don't force it like Asrael taught you."
I closed my eyes, evening out my breathing. I felt the magic within me—not the controlled, channeled power Asrael had trained me to use, but something wilder, more ancient. The air around me began to shimmer.
"She needs an anchor," I heard Jasper murmur. "Someone to ground her while she channels this much power."
The magic built within me, rising like a tidal wave I couldn't control. My eyes snapped open, now glowing with intensity. "I need... I need..." I reached out blindly, desperate for something to ground me before I was swept away.
Rhodes' fingers wrapped around mine, and the power that surged between us nearly brought me to my knees. His energy melded with mine, strong and steady.
"That's it," my father encouraged as the air began to ripple. "Now picture a doorway, a passage to peace. They'll know what to do."
My grip on Rhodes' hand tightened as I reached out with my other hand. "I need you all, please!" My body was shaking from the intensity of the power flowing through me. One by one, the demons grasped my hand or touched my shoulders, lending me their strength. The spirits swirled faster, their forms blurringtogether until the very fabric of reality seemed to bend and warp. A soft light began to emanate from nowhere and everywhere at once, growing brighter with each passing second.
"Fuck," I heard Talon whisper, his hand tight in mine. "Are you seeing this?"
"I've never felt anything like it," Felix yelled over the growing noise from the spirits. Mixtures of screams, whoops of happiness, groans of pain, and cries of disbelief. Every single emotion seemed to be building as the tornado of souls picked up speed.
The light I created coalesced into what looked like a shimmering curtain, transparent yet somehow solid. Through it, I glimpsed something beyond description—beautiful and terrible and not meant for living eyes to comprehend.
"Be free!" I screamed, strands of my dark hair whipping around my reddened cheeks. "You're safe now. Step through and find the peace you deserve!"
