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I realize Iamincredibly hungry, and also that I smell very strongly of sulfur. “Starving,” I tell him, “but I need to shower.”

“Alright, you shower. I’ll cook, and I’ll also see if I can get her to dispense with the wings and horns and shit…even though it is kinda cute.”

“You’re insane,” I laugh, but if I’m being honest, I agree with him. What the fuck is wrong with me?

32

Annie

While Theo and Benfinish talking, I sit on the couch and try to rid myself of the wings, horns, and tail. My powers are behaving strangely, and I am not certain if it is related to my feelings, the alcohol I drank, or to Annoth’s attempted takeover. She was too strong for me, and I could not keep her buried. Up until that moment, I did not realize shewasburied. I still cannot understand what happened, but many things I have experienced the past few weeks have been unprecedented.

Ben’s voice was able to bring me back, and I did not permanently injure anyone, but I still hate myself for not fighting harder. I hate knowing that she is still here, lurking, waiting to hurt the people I want to protect. I hate that Theo may never completely forgive me–may never want me again the way he has the past few days. No matter what he decides, however, I must never allow it to happen again. And so, I sit with my legs crossed, focused on pulling these pieces of myself back into my body. If I can just get control over my powers again, perhaps I can figure out how to lock Annoth away for good.

“Annie girl?” Ben’s gentle voice snaps me from my concentration. No luck with the wings or horns, but the tail is gone, and I have at least managed to conjure up shorts and a tank top so I am no longer wearing only shadows. Ben and Theo are standing in front of me, both now fully dressed. Ben holds his hand out and I take it,trying to make myself, or at least the wings, smaller. Theo’s eyes run over them warily, then flicker across the massive hole I gouged in his wall. I feel as though a pit of snakes is writhing in my stomach, and I do not know what to make of the sensation.

“Theo…” I murmur. “I am so–”

“I know you’re sorry,” he replies, holding his hand up. “I don’t know what the…situation is, with you and…Annoth. But I know thatyou,Annie, are sorry.”

“Thank you.”

He takes a deep breath. “That being said, the only reason she was able to get a hold on me in the first place is because of my feelings for you.”

The snakes in my stomach leap at his admission. “Your feelings?” I ask, squirming–uncomfortable, but unable to understand why.

“I can’t…talk about it,” Theo says, and his face appears pained when he glances at Ben. “Not because I don’t want to, but because I need to just…keep them locked away, so she can’t use them again. Alright?”

“Yes.”

“So, here’s the deal: Ben is going to work on finding a way to…keep you around–without possessing anyone, I guess. We’re still going to get his friend here in a few weeks for an exorcism, but until then, he’s going to stay and obviously, so are you. I just…might need some space for a little while, that’s all. Until I can figure out what I’m feeling and what happened.”

“I understand.” The snakes now feel like leaden ropes, heavy and limp. I look at Ben, and he gives me a wink. I take that to mean that my relationship with him, at least, will not change.

“I promise, Annie, I’m not going to be mean to you or anything,” Theo says. His fingers twitch at his side, as if he wants to reach for my hand. It is taking all my own self-control not to put my arms around him. “I forgive you for what happened. I can see you didn’t mean it. You didn’t want to hurt either of us.”

I twist my hands together and whisper, “Thank you, Theo. I am sorry about…” I gesture vaguely at the wall and at my wings. “I will help you fix the damage, and…I am trying to get rid of the wings and horns. My powers are still not working correctly. I do not have full control.”

“That’s alright,” says Ben, stepping up and putting an arm around my waist. “Halloween is next week anyway!” His grin fills me with warmth, and even Theo smiles.

“That’s true,” he laughs. “She could probably win a costume contest with those things.”

“Ohhh.” A devilish sparkle enters Ben’s eyes. “I knowexactlywhere I’m taking the two of you for Halloween.”

Theo looks a bit anxious, but laughs, “Why am I imagining some kind of drug-fueled EDM club where everyone dresses like demons?”

“You’re not far off,osito,”says Ben, kissing him on the cheek, then pulling his phone out and walking into the kitchen. Theo glances at me and I think, for a moment, that he might kiss me, but then he takes a step toward the hall.

“I’m gonna go shower,” he says. “Ben, are you still taking charge of food?”

“Yes, dear!” Ben calls with a wave. I venture into the kitchen, and he opens his arms to me, so I lean against his chest. When I touch the bruise on his chest, he flinches and I pull away.

“How bad is it?” I whisper, covering my face with my hands.

“Don’t you dare worry,mi amor,” Ben says, gently pulling my hands down and making me look at him.

“Theo said he wanted to take you to a hospital!” I am shaking, and there is a creeping, choking sensation in my stomach, which moves up into my throat. I lean back into Ben, balling my hands into fists at the base of his throat, and he holds me while I tremble. I wrap my wings around us, trying to block out the rest of the world and contain this sweet warmth, which does not come from my own Hellfire, but from him.

“Talk to me, Annie,” he murmurs.