Chapter 20
Chapter twenty
Palmer
Itraced my fingers over my forearms as my guys started making preparations to return home.
I could still feel the residual energy, still crackling beneath my skin.
The power that had surged through me when I'd opened the veil still lingered, like static electricity waiting to discharge.
Holy fuck, that had been intense. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined I could channel that kind of raw power.
"Back to brooding already?" Ash's deep voice questioned, dripping with an emotion I couldn't even place. He hadn't forgiven me yet. It stung, but I understood.
"I don't brood," I muttered. "I contemplate deeply."
"Same thing."
"Fine. Maybe I am brooding a little." I flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. "It's just... what I did back there? That wasn't normal spirit witch stuff. That was something else entirely."
The memory of all those trapped spirits rushing through me, using my body as a gateway to freedom, had been euphoric and terrifying all at once. I'd felt their pain, their relief, their gratitude. But I'd also felt something darker lurking at the edges of that power.
"Asrael knew," I said quietly. "That bastard knew what I was capable of. That's why he kept me close, kept training me himself instead of letting the other mentors work with me." My fist clenched. "He was grooming me to be his perfect little weapon."
"At least that fucker's dead now," I said, but the words felt hollow. Because while Asrael might be gone, Scorpio was still out there. And if Asrael had known about my potential, there was a good chance Scorpio did too.
"You're thinking about him again," Felix said, observant as ever. "Scorpio."
I didn't deny it. "He's going to come for me. You know that, right? He's not the type to just let things go. And now that I know what I can do with the veil..."
"You're afraid he'll try to use that power."
"Wouldn't you be?" I sat up. "You didn't see him last time, Felix. The experiments he was doing on himself, the way he could control multiple people at once, he's obsessed with power. And now I've basically advertised that I'm a fucking spirit realm battery pack."
"We won't let him near you."
I laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "Didn't stop him last time." I winced after the words came out because I thought I'd worked through that pain. That abandoned feeling. Guess I hadn't yet, not completely.
"That was different. You were alone then." Jasper's hand passed through mine; he was still working on maintaining solid form. "You're not alone anymore."
He was right, but that almost made it worse. Because now I had people to lose. People who could get hurt trying to protect me. Each one of these demons, members of The Exiled, even my parents' spirits, who had somehow stuck around after the others crossed over.
"I know what you're both trying to say," I sighed. "But you didn't feel what I felt when I opened that veil. That kind of power... it changes things. Changes people." I met Jasper's ethereal gaze. "What if I can't control it? What if Scorpio finds a way to use it? What if—"
"What if you stop what-iffing yourself to death and trust that we've got your back?" Rhodes interrupted.
I threw a pillow at him, which he predictably caught. "You're even more annoying when you're being nice."
But as I settled back against the couch, I couldn't quite shake the feeling that somewhere out there, Scorpio was planning his next move. And whatever it was, it would make controlling minds look like child's play.
"We need to go back to Port Black," I announced. "Like, yesterday."
The words hung in the air as five pairs of demon eyes and one ghostly gaze locked onto me. My skin prickled under their collective stare, but I held my ground. After everything that had happened, Port Black felt like the only safe harbor in this storm.
"The maze would be the safest place," Misha offered, his voice careful and measured. I couldn't help the way my lower belly twisted at the mention of the maze, given what my experience down there had been. But he was right, the underground labyrinth beneath Haunt was a fortress few could penetrate.
Ashland nodded. "Exactly. Plus, we have control over who comes and goes. The wards are strong as fuck down there."
"You're not wrong," Felix added, running a hand through his dark hair. "The maze has saved our asses more than once."
Talon's face split into a wicked grin. "And if anyone does manage to get in..."
"We can make sure they never find their way out," Rhodes finished darkly.
My heart squeezed at their protectiveness. It was still strange having people actually give a shit about my safety. But first, there was something I needed to do, something I'd been waiting years for.
"Before we go anywhere, I need to talk to my parents." My voice cracked slightly on the word 'parents.' "They're still here and I... I can't leave without..."
Jasper materialized beside me, his presence a comforting coolness against my arm. "They're waiting in the garden. Take all the time you need."
I swallowed hard and squared my shoulders. "Right. Okay. This is happening."
The walk to the garden felt like forever and no time at all. My parents' spirits stood near a cluster of wildflowers, their forms shimmering in the early morning light. Mom's long, dark hair drifted in a nonexistent breeze, and Dad's familiar smile, which looked just like mine, made my chest ache.
"Palmer," Mom whispered, her voice carrying on the wind. "Our beautiful girl."
"I'm so sorry," I blurted out, tears threatening. "I should have been there. I should have—"
"No." Dad's spirit moved closer, his form flickering with emotion. "You were exactly where you needed to be. Safe."
I laughed bitterly. "Safe? With Asrael? He used me. Trained me to be his perfect little weapon."
"We know, sweetheart." Mom's spirit reached out, and though I couldn't feel her touch, I sensed her love. "But you survived. You're stronger than any of us could have imagined."
"And now you have them," Dad added, gesturing toward the cabin where the others waited. "A new family. One that will protect you as fiercely as we would have."
I wiped my eyes, refusing to full-on cry. "I miss you. Both of you. So fucking much."
"We're always with you," Mom promised. "But now it's time for you to live, Palmer. Really live."
"And maybe get some payback," Dad added with a ghostly wink.
I couldn't help but smile. Even in death, he was still my partner in crime. "Yeah, that's definitely on the agenda."
"We love you, Palmer," they said in unison, their forms beginning to fade.
"Wait—" I reached out..
"We’re not going anywhere," Dad assured me. "Just resting. Maintaining form takes energy."
I nodded, taking a shaky breath. "Right. Okay. Just… don’t leave me.” Not yet.
I headed back to the cabin, seeing Felix standing there, waiting.
“Port Black then?" I asked, pretending to be braver than I actually felt.
"Port Black," he agreed. "Ready to face whatever comes next?"
I thought about Scorpio, about Asrael's schemes, about all the shit that was probably heading our way. But for the first time, I wasn't facing it alone.
"Yeah, let’s get the others," I said, squaring my shoulders.
Felix disappeared within the cabin, and everyone filed out, ready to take on whatever came next.
It was time to go back to where our story had begun.
Ashland waved his hands and quietly mumbled some words in a language I’d never heard spoken aloud.
The portal flared to life, and I slipped my hand into Misha and Talon’s and looked up at the demons who had changed my life.
I squared my shoulders, though I already felt stronger than ever. I wasn’t alone. Not anymore.
"I'm ready. Let's go home."
********The maze materialized around us in a swirl of darkness, the familiar graffiti-covered stone walls and neon lights bringing back memories I'd tried hard to suppress. My hand instinctively went to my face, phantom sensations of that damn bunny mask making my skin tingle.
"Feels different being here now, doesn't it?" Jasper's voice echoed slightly in the corridor, his form flickering between solid and transparent as he adjusted to our new location.
"You have no idea," I muttered, remembering how I'd raced through these same passages, so fucking sure of myself and my mission. The leather corset, those thigh-high boots, that ridiculous mask. I'd been ready to do whatever it took to bring down The Exiled.
I got a split-second heads-up before Snake slammed into my chest, having launched himself from his vantage point.
“Snakey baby!” I squealed, hugging him tightly.
“Careful, baby, you don’t want to squeeze him to death,” Talon said and then paused dramatically before chuckling. “Get it? Ha! He’s already dead.”
Rhodes rolled his eyes. “Yes, Talon. We got it.”
“I’ve missed you so much,” I whispered to my familiar.
His little nose twitched as he sniffed me so hard I was concerned he was going to faint.
The feeling of his presence in my mind was comforting, and I realized how much I hadn’t felt whole without him.
“Careful, buddy. You’re going to hurt yourself if you don’t settle down. ”
He chittered and his tail pulsed as he wiggled from my grasp and settled on my shoulder, like a parrot. Now everything felt right. I had everyone I needed, right here, in this very room. It was hard to comprehend that I’d met these demons with the express intent to destroy them.
"I can't believe I thought I could just waltz in here and take you all down," I said, shaking my head at my own arrogance. "Asrael really had me convinced I was some kind of super spy."
"To be fair," Felix interjected, "you kind of are… and you did manage to get our attention."
Talon snorted. "Yeah, by flashing the bouncers."
"That was strategic!" I protested, feeling my cheeks heat up. "And it worked, didn't it?"