Chapter 15
Chapter fifteen
Rhodes
My boots hit the ground with mechanical precision as I followed the others toward the castle, but my mind was a fucking tornado. Jasper. Here. Sort of. My chest constricted at the thought, memories threatening to overwhelm me.
"You good?" Felix asked, falling into step beside me.
I grunted noncommittally, keeping my expression neutral even as my demon clawed at my insides.
The last thing I needed was any of them getting suspicious.
They didn't know—could never know—the real reason Asrael killed Jasper. That it was all my fault. We played a dangerous game, going behind Asrael’s back, carrying on our relationship even though we both knew there would be consequences.
The small voice of logic in my brain still tried to convince me that there’s no way I could’ve anticipated it would’ve ended the way it did, but that was what trauma did.
It warped and fucked with your memories and thoughts; logic was irrelevant.
Palmer walked ahead with Misha, her fingers trailing through the air beside her in a way that made me wonder if she was touching him.
Jasper. My stomach rolled. All this time, he'd been here, watching us.
Watching me. And now he was mated to this witch who stormed into our lives and turned everything upside down.
"Fuck," I muttered, rubbing my temple where a headache was forming. I needed to focus. I needed to maintain control. We were about to free a bunch of spirits, which sounded stupid as fuck, and I couldn't afford to be distracted by ridiculous thoughts. And yet—
"Stop," I growled under my breath, clenching my fists. "This isn't the time."
But my traitorous mind kept spinning. If Palmer could see and touch him, if they were truly mated, then maybe... No. Hope was dangerous. Hope was what got him killed in the first place. I learned that lesson in blood and tears—
"Rhodes!" Ashland's sharp voice snapped me back. "We need your input on entry points."
Thank fuck. Strategy I could handle. Plans and tactics didn't betray you. Didn't brutally die in front of your very eyes while you were powerless to stop it.
I strode forward, pulling up the castle's layout in my mind. "The western servant's passage is our quickest bet."
Palmer's head snapped toward the empty space beside her, her expression softening into something intimate. Something that made my demon want to roar and destroy everything in sight.
"Jasper says there's a faster way," Palmer announced, and my whole body went rigid. "Through the old wine cellar.”
Of course he'd remember that. We'd used that route ourselves, back when... I forced myself to breathe normally, to maintain my mask of indifference.
"And we should trust this information, why?" I asked, my voice coming out harder than intended.
Palmer's eyes narrowed. "Because Jasper would never steer us wrong. He loves—"
My jaw clenched so hard I thought my teeth might shatter. "Fine," I bit out, cutting her off and struggling to maintain my composure. "Lead the way then, since you two seem to have all the answers."
Palmer's eyes softened with something that looked dangerously like pity. I wanted to reach out and shake her until that look disappeared. Until she stopped reminding me of everything I'd lost.
We followed her through the grounds, my demon growing more agitated with each step. The air felt thick with tension, or maybe that was just the weight of unseen eyes on my skin. I kept my gaze locked forward, refusing to acknowledge the empty space beside Palmer that didn't feel empty at all.
"Here," Palmer whispered, stopping at what appeared to be a solid stone wall. "Jasper says there's a lever disguised as—"
"Loose brick, third from the bottom, fifth from the right," I interrupted, annoyed. The words escaped before I could stop them. "I know."
The silence that followed was deafening. I could feel the others' questioning stares, but I ignored them, reaching down to trigger the mechanism. The wall shifted with a grinding noise that set my teeth on edge.
"How did you—" Felix started.
"Move," I growled, shoving past them into the darkness of the tunnel. I needed space. Needed air. Needed to get away from the suffocating presence of the past.
The passage was exactly as I remembered it. Every twist, every turn, every fucking cobweb in the corners where we used to— No. Focus. The mission. That's all that mattered.
"The spirit chamber should be through here," Palmer said, following close behind me. Too close. "I can sense them. They're in pain."
My steps faltered. Pain. Like the pain in his eyes that night when he realized what was happening. When he knew it was too late. When I failed to—
The stone walls around me faded as the memory crashed through my carefully constructed barriers, dragging me back to that night—the night everything ended.
Jasper's body was warm beneath mine, our limbs tangled in silken sheets that smelled of sandalwood and sex. His auburn hair splayed across the pillow like spilled wine, and I couldn't help but trace my fingers through it, marveling at its softness.
"What are you thinking about?" he whispered, those green eyes holding mine with an intensity that still made my heart race even after months of secret meetings.
I lowered my head, pressing my lips against the curve of his neck. "That if I die right now, I'd die happy."
His laugh vibrated against my mouth. "Dramatic as always, Rhodes." But his hands tightened on my back, pulling me closer as if he feared I might actually disappear.
We shouldn't have been there—in my private chambers within the palace, a place where even servants rarely ventured.
But we'd grown bolder over time, more reckless with our stolen moments.
That night had been different, though. Jasper had seemed desperate, almost frantic in his need for me, as if sensing something I couldn't.
"I love you," I murmured against his skin, words I'd only recently allowed myself to say aloud.
The slow clapping that followed froze my blood.
"Bravo. Truly touching." Asrael's voice sliced through our sanctuary, dripping with mock admiration.
I jerked upright, instinctively positioning myself between Jasper and Asrael, who now leaned against the doorframe, a cruel smile twisting his handsome features.
"You thought you were so smart, didn't you?" Asrael pushed himself off the door, stalking into the room like a predator. "That you could hide this from me? I know everything that happens within this fucking realm!"
My mind raced, calculating escape routes, weapons within reach, anything to protect Jasper. But Asrael's guards were already filing in, blocking the only exit.
"Asrael," Jasper's voice came from behind me, surprisingly steady. "This isn't what it looks like."
I turned to see him wrapping the sheet around his waist, his face a perfect mask of contrition. Gone was the passion, the vulnerability from moments before.
"It's just sex," Jasper continued, not meeting my eyes. "Rhodes doesn't mean anything to me. I was bored, and he was... available."
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."