Page 53 of Demons In My Head: Exposing the Exiled
"Jasper?" Palmer's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "You're... flickering."
I looked down at my hands, watching as my form wavered like a candle in the wind. Fuck. The memories were affecting my ability to maintain consistency.
"Sorry," I muttered, forcing myself to stabilize. "This place... it gets under your skin. Even when you don't have any."
Palmer's hand found mine again, and immediately, my form solidified. "Then we'll deal with it together. Like everything else."
I squeezed her hand, grateful for her presence. "The palace is in the center of the city. That's where they'll be heading—where Asrael will be, and likely where my brothers—”
I froze mid-sentence, my entire being seizing up at a sound I hadn't heard in centuries. A sound that shouldn't be possible in this realm anymore. The air vibrated with it—that distinctive whoosh of massive wings cutting through the sulfuric atmosphere.
"What... what is that?" Palmer whispered, her blue eyes wide as they met mine.
The sound grew closer, and ancient instinct took over. "GET DOWN!" I screamed, yanking Palmer to the ground beside me. We hit the ash-covered rock just as what looked like massive shadow passed overhead, followed by a rush of displaced air that would have knocked us over if we'd still been standing.
Enormous obsidian claws swept through the space where we'd been moments before, close enough that I could see the individual scales reflecting in the moonlight. The dragon's wingspan had to be at least sixty feet, its body covered in scales as black as the void between realms.
"Holy shit," Palmer breathed beside me, and I couldn't help but agree with the sentiment.
"This is impossible," I muttered, watching as the beast banked hard and disappeared behind a jutting rock formation. "They were all killed. I watched the genocide happen."
The memory hit me like a physical blow—the clanking of chains, the roars of agony, the smell of burning flesh and scales. I'd stood there, helpless, as Asrael's forces systematically destroyed every dragon in Besmet. It was one of my last memories before...
"Jasper!" Palmer's voice snapped me back to the present. "We need to move. Now!"
She was right. The dragon would be coming back around for another pass. They always did. Some things you never forget, even after centuries as a ghost.
We scrambled to our feet and pressed ourselves against the cliff face. The narrow ledge we were on offered little protection, but at least the dragon wouldn't be able to grab us without risking a collision with the mountain.
"Can't we just... you know, ghost through the mountain?" Palmer asked, her eyes scanning the sky.
I shook my head. "Not here. The rock is too dense, too saturated with old magic. We'd get stuck inside it." I grabbed her hand. "We need to find cover. There's an old cave system about a quarter mile ahead. If we can—"
The dragon's roar cut through my words, the sound so powerful it shook loose rocks from above us. Palmer and I pressed closer to the wall as debris rained down around us. The beast appeared again, this time flying lower, its massive head turning to track us with ancient, intelligent eyes.
"No fucking way," I breathed, squinting through the haze. "That's impossible."
"What? What's impossible?" Palmer demanded, her grip on my hand tightening.
"The dragon… It’s Malik."
"Oh, right. Malik!" Palmer sarcastically gritted out through a clenched jaw, trying to stay steady in our position.
I didn't even try to stop the smile.
The dragon wheeled around for another pass, and this time, I could clearly see directly into the beast's eyes. I released Palmer's hand and held both of mine up.
The ancient hand signals felt foreign yet familiar as I traced them through the air—three fingers spread wide, then a circular motion followed by a sharp downward slash. It was a greeting I hadn't used in centuries, one that meant "Friend of the Scales."
"What are you doing?" Palmer hissed, tugging at my sleeve. "We need to run!"
"Trust me," I said, not taking my eyes off the approaching dragon. His massive form blocked out light from the moon as he barreled toward us.
"Jasper!" Palmer's voice cracked with panic. "It's going to kill us!"
I kept my hands steady, repeating the gesture. The dragon was close enough now that I could see individual scales glinting and feel the heat radiating from his massive form. "Come on, old friend," I whispered. "Remember me."
Palmer screamed, trying to pull me back, but I stood my ground. The dragon's maw opened, revealing rows of teeth longer than my arm. His wings tucked close to his body as he dove straight for us.
