Chapter 24
Chapter twenty-four
Palmer
Idrifted back to consciousness slowly, like swimming up through dark water. The first thing I noticed was warmth surrounding me—not oppressive heat, but a gentle cocoon of comfort. I sensed Jasper curled protectively around me, his presence more solid than I’d felt, aside from when we bonded.
My eyes fluttered open to find a fluffy tail sprawled across my face. I smiled, gently removing Snake’s tail, trying not to wake him. That was pointless. The little creature jumped to attention the moment I moved my hand, sticking his little nose against mine.
“Hi, baby boy,” I whispered to my familiar. He nuzzled against me, sending the tightest of nudge hugs to my brain as he could. I scratched his tiny head, on the furry side, and his little eyes fluttered in ecstasy.
Felix was slumped in a chair beside the bed, his hands loose in his lap, dark hair falling across his face. On the floor, Talon was sprawled out like a giant ginger starfish, snoring softly. The sight of them all there, watching over me, created a lump in my throat I had to swallow past.
"Welcome back," Jasper whispered, his voice sounding stronger, more real, making my skin tingle.
"How long was I out?" My voice was rough from disuse.
"Just over twenty-four hours." His fingers brushed my hair back from my face. "You needed the rest after what you did."
What I did. The memories hit me like a freight train. Asrael's smug face as he possessed Scorpio's body, the way he'd tried to manipulate me one last time, the vengeful spirits that had torn his soul apart. My parents...
"Fuck," I breathed, pressing my palms against my eyes. "It really happened."
"All of it," Jasper confirmed. "You ended him, Palmer. He can't hurt anyone else ever again."
I let that sink in. The man who'd raised me, trained me, was gone. The betrayal still stung, but there was a hollow sort of victory in knowing I'd turned everything he taught me against him in the end.
"The veil," I murmured, remembering the way it had responded to me, alive and vengeful. "I've never felt anything like that before. It was like..."
"Like it recognized you," Jasper finished. "You're stronger than any of us realized—than he realized."
Movement caught my eye as Felix stirred, blinking at me. A slow smile spread across his face when he saw I was awake. "There's our warrior witch."
"Some warrior," I snorted. "I passed out for a day."
"After absolutely demolishing one of the most powerful demon lords in existence," Felix pointed out. He stretched, his shirt riding up to reveal a strip of skin that I definitely didn't stare at. "I'd say you earned the nap."
On the floor, Talon let out a particularly loud snore and rolled over, mumbling something about pancakes. I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up, though it made my head spin a little.
"The others will want to know you're awake," Felix said, pulling out his phone. "We've all been taking shifts watching over you."
My heart did a weird flip. "All of you?"
"Of course all of us," Jasper said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You're ours now, remember?"
The possessive note in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. There was still so much to figure out: this thing between all of us, my new powers, what happened next. But for now, I was content to lie there in this cocoon of safety with my squirrel, my ghost, my artist, and my sleeping chaos demon.
"I remember," I said softly, reaching for Felix's hand while staying pressed against Jasper. "Though someone might want to wake Talon before he starts sleep-fighting again."
Felix grinned wickedly. "Oh no, let him. Last time he tried to roundhouse kick Rhodes and ended up face-planting into a wall. It was beautiful."
I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide my smile. These ridiculous, powerful, protective demons were mine. And for the first time since I could remember, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
Now, if we could just get Talon to stop snoring...
The door burst open with enough force to startle Talon awake, sending him scrambling to his feet in a defensive crouch. I couldn't help but laugh at his wild-eyed confusion, though the sound died in my throat when I saw who had arrived.
Misha's massive frame filled the doorway first, a glass of ice water clutched carefully in his huge hand. Behind him, Rhodes and Ashland crowded in, their faces a mix of relief and concern. My heart did that weird flutter thing again.
"Here," Misha said, his deep voice soft as he approached. He helped me sit up, one hand spanning my entire back while the other offered the water. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was until that first cold sip hit my tongue.
"Slowly," he cautioned when I tried to gulp it down. His quiet authority made me shiver, remembering all the times he'd taken care of me before. Before everything went to shit with Scorpio and Asrael.
"How are you feeling?" Ashland asked, settling on the edge of the bed. His ice-blue eyes studied me intently, like he could diagnose any lingering issues just by looking.
I considered the question while finishing my water. "Like I went ten rounds with a demon lord and then slept for a day straight." My attempt at humor earned me five very unamused looks. "I'm okay, really. Just... processing."
"Your power levels are still elevated," Rhodes observed, his analytical mind clearly working overtime. "The veil energy hasn't fully dissipated yet."
"Is that bad?" I asked, suddenly worried. The last thing I needed was some kind of magical hangover.
"No," Jasper answered, his form shimmering slightly as he adjusted his position beside me. "It means you're adapting. Growing stronger."
"Speaking of stronger," Misha rumbled, taking the empty glass from my hands. "You need to eat something."
As if on cue, my stomach growled loudly. I felt my face heat up as several amused smirks appeared around the room. "Okay, yes, food would be good. But first..." I swung my legs over the side of the bed, determined to stand up.
Five pairs of hands reached for me at once. "Whoa there, little witch," Felix cautioned, but I waved them all off.
"I need to pee," I announced bluntly. "And I can manage that on my own, thank you very much."
They reluctantly gave me space, though I could feel their tension as I stood.
My legs were a bit shaky, but I made it to the bathroom without incident.
When I caught my reflection in the mirror, I had to do a double-take.
My eyes seemed to glow with residual power, tiny threads of silver swimming in the purple.
My dark hair was a mess, but my skin looked.
.. luminous? Like I was giving off a subtle light.
When I emerged, they were all exactly where I'd left them, watching me like I might disappear if they blinked. "Okay, mother hens," I sighed, though secretly their protectiveness made me feel warm inside. "What's for breakfast? Or dinner? What time is it anyway?"
"Just past midnight," Talon supplied helpfully. "So technically breakfast."
"Perfect," I said, heading for the door. "Because I distinctly remember hearing you mumble something about pancakes earlier, and now I can't think about anything else."
Their laughter followed me down the hall, along with their footsteps as they all moved to escort me to the kitchen. I might have rolled my eyes at their hovering, but truthfully? After everything that had happened, having them all there, solid and real and mine, felt exactly right.
Even if they were being ridiculous about it.
The kitchen in Haunt's underground maze looked different now—less threatening, more like home.
I perched on a stool at the center island while Talon worked his magic at the stove, humming some song I didn't recognize.
The others arranged themselves around me like protective sentinels, though they tried to act casual about it.
"So," I began, watching Talon flip a perfectly golden pancake. "Are we going to talk about the fact that I can apparently command armies of vengeful spirits now? Because that seems like something we should discuss."
Rhodes cleared his throat. "Your power has evolved beyond anything we've seen before. The way you manipulated the veil..."
"It was fucking hot," Talon interjected, earning him several eye rolls.
"It was dangerous," Ashland corrected, but his ice-blue eyes held a hint of pride when they met mine. "You could have been lost to the void."
I shrugged, trying to ignore how his concern made my chest tight. "Better me than letting Asrael continue torturing souls. Speaking of which..." I turned to Jasper, who had materialized beside me. "You're different now. More solid."
"A side effect of your connection to the veil," Rhodes explained, his scholarly tone barely masking his excitement. "I think it has to do with the fact that you two are mate bonded, it makes it easier for him to use that connection to stay solid."
"Which means?" I prompted, already suspecting the answer but needing to hear it.
"Which means," Jasper said softly, his hand ghosting over mine, "that I might not have to be just a spirit much longer."
The implications of that hit me like a punch to the gut. Before I could process it, Talon dropped a massive stack of pancakes in front of me, drowning in syrup and butter. I opened my mouth to say something, I wasn’t even sure what, when Misha grumbled, shaking his head no.
"Eat first, plot resurrection later," Misha ordered, always the one most concerned about me eating.
I didn't need to be told twice. The first bite made me groan embarrassingly loud—when was the last time I'd actually eaten? The demons exchanged knowing looks while I devoured half the stack.
"What about Scorpio's body?" I asked between bites, because apparently I had no sense of appropriate dinner conversation. "After Asrael's spirit was destroyed..."
"Taken care of," Misha rumbled from where he leaned against the counter.