Page 39 of Deadly Blooms (Psychic Unraveled #1)

THE POSSESSION OF GRAHAM LOCKE

Graham

Everything was black.

Not like sleep.

Not like pain.

Like floating in a sealed tank with nothing but my own name tethering me to anything real. Then something twitched. A thread pulling me back.

A tickle on my nose.

I came to with a jolt, breath ripping through my lungs like I’d surfaced from underwater. My spine arched off the floor. My eyes snapped open—and I wasn’t alone in my own damn head.

The first thing I saw was Chester, perched on my chest like a little sentry, eyes wide and whiskers twitching, tail flicking like he knew something was off. He leaned in for another sniff, and the second he hit skin, I felt it.

Then everything went sideways.

My body stood up without asking me first. I didn’t move—I was moved. My muscles pulled tight, my spine straightened like I had a damn coat hanger shoved up my back, and then?—

“Wow!” I heard myself say.

But it wasn’t my voice. It was, but not the way I’d ever used it. Too chipper. Too crisp. Like someone with an Oxford education and absolutely no concept of shame had borrowed my voice box.

“I’ve never had this much muscle before!” the voice said, wiggling my fingers like they were foreign objects. “Ooo! And this one comes equipped with a rather decent cock and balls! Barely fit in his trousers!”

I wanted to die.

Again.

Katie choked on whatever she was drinking. Derek opened his mouth, then closed it again—twice. Like his brain couldn’t quite load what he’d just heard.

And me? I was screaming inside my own goddamn skull.

Derek leaned into Katie and spoke with his voice low attempting to hide it, and said, “Tell me this isn’t one of those sex ghosts you warned me about.”

Katie stared at me with a look that gave off stunned heifer. “I’m not entirely sure.”

“Awesome,” Derek said. “I’ll be outside burning sage and questioning my life choices.”

The first thing I noticed—besides the copper tang in my mouth and the fact that my spine felt like it’d been used as a jump rope—was how damn isolated I felt inside my own mind. What my body did and what I told it to do were two entirely different things.

“Oh, yes,” I said, voice foreign and far too delighted. “I’ve never had this much muscle before!”

And then I grabbed myself. Not in the casual ‘adjust and move on’ way—but full-on Magic Mike gyrating, hips swinging like I was auditioning for a Vegas revue. I was screaming on the inside, while the part in control was having the time of its life.

“Okay. Either Graham’s officially snapped,” Derek said deadpan, “or someone slipped acid into his coffee.”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“Well, for one thing, he’s smiling. That’s the first red flag.”

“I’ve seen him smile,” Maggie piped in. “Lots of times.”

“Yeah, so have I, right before he takes a girl home.” Derek said.

Of course, he’s the first to notice. Derek always saw too much. Especially when he pretended he wasn’t looking.

“Graham?” Maggie’s voice was small, cautious.

I whipped around, locked eyes with her, and dropped to my knees like a lovesick Regency suitor.

“There you are, darling girl,” I said, taking her hands like they were made of fine china.

“Terribly sorry I left the kitchen in such a dreadful state—I simply didn’t have the time to tidy up before… well—you know.”

Then I hugged her. Like I’d known her forever, even though the man doing the hugging wasn’t me.

She stared at me like I’d grown antlers. “What are you talking about? Are you okay?” She guided me toward a chair, still treating me like a bomb that hadn’t decided whether or not it wanted to go off. “Maybe you should sit.”

I flopped into the chair, then immediately flexed my arms, admiring them. “Silly girl,” I said, flashing a grin that didn’t feel anything like mine. “I’m not your boyfriend. I’m your uncle.”

She blinked. “N-no, he’s not my… wait… Uncle Silas?”

I wiggled my fingers and looked down at my—his—hand. “In the flesh,” I said. “Well. Technically, his flesh.”

“What? Where’s Graham? Is he alright?” Her voice cracked.

I tilted my head and gave her the most infuriatingly calm smile. “Oh, he’s right here. Cozy, really. Bit grumbly. But alive. You should know, by the way, he fancies the absolute hell out of you. Particularly that delightful little scrunch your nose does when you’re cross. Adorable really.”

Her face flushed red.

She whispered, “How do you know that?”

Oh, sweetheart, if you only knew what else Silas saw in here.

Fuck.

“Unfortunately, I can hear his thoughts,” I said—well, he said through me, voice chipper and tone far too gleeful for someone hijacking a grown man’s body. “And quite frankly, he’s a crabby one. He’s not too keen on sharing his magnificent vessel.”

Yeah, no shit, I grumbled inside, fist clenched in some back corner of my own brain, watching helplessly as Silas strutted around like he’d just inherited the goddamn crown jewels.

“I don’t blame him,” Derek muttered, flipping through one of the old books stacked in front of him.

Silas—wearing my body—stood tall, posture obnoxiously proud as he rotated my torso like he was modeling for a fucking fitness magazine. “Maggie, you should feel the power in this body!” he said, twisting side to side. “Look at these biceps!”

He flexed.

It was like watching your uncle discover creatine for the first time. If I had the ability, I would’ve curled up and died right there.

“I might just have to keep this body for a while!” he added, teeth flashing, eyes sparkling.

Maggie rolled her eyes, but I caught the twitch of a smile. Jesus. The man was using my body to show off and make her laugh.

“Why did you possess Graham?” she asked, her voice dripping with concern.

Silas planted my hands on my hips and puffed up my chest. “How on earth was I meant to convey my message to you otherwise?” he huffed.

“What? Hidden messages in spilled tea leaves were too hard for you?” Derek glared.

Good one buddy.

Chester, smug little beast that he was, padded into the center of the room, tail flicking like he knew he was the only one in charge. He sat down, locked eyes with me, and offered one disdainful, unimpressed, judgment-loaded, “Meow.”

If I still had control of my face, I would’ve smiled. That damn cat got me. Even now.

Silas, on the other hand, had different plans.

“Oh, what do you know, furball?”

Chester blinked slowly, with a condescending look, then dropped to his back and sprawled out. Paws in the air, belly exposed, attitude fully locked in.

Maggie smirked. “See? Even the cat thinks you’re being ridiculous.”

Silas rolled my eyes so hard I felt it in the marrow. “Actually, you should’ve heard the things he called me,” he said, sounding personally assaulted. “He’s got quite the mouth.”

“You can understand him?” Maggie asked, blinking like he’d just claimed he spoke fluent squirrel.

“Of course I can. Didn’t anyone ever teach you about cats and dead people?” Silas sniffed, as though this were Common Sense 101.

“He’s right, Maggie,” Katie chimed in, still petting her walking throw pillow of a cat. “According to Egyptian mythology, cats were sacred protectors of the underworld. And in tons of cultures they’re said to keep evil spirits away.”

We all looked over to Chester, who chose that exact moment to start licking his ass.

Maggie brought her hand to her mouth, stifling a laugh. “Well then, you better not try anything.”

Silas put my hand over my chest with exaggerated offense. “Maggie, I’m shocked! I can’t believe you think I’d do anything to harm you—or anyone you care about.”

“Oh, please.” She gave me a look so dry it could’ve cracked tile. “First of all, I’ve never met you, and so far you seem like a complete pervert.”

Silas scoffed and folded my arms, “Maggie, I’m hurt. I’ll have you know, I’m nothing but a complete gentleman.”

“Ha!” Derek poked his nose out from his leather bound tome just enough to make sure he was heard.

“A gentleman?” Maggie shot back. “That’s why you were elbows-deep in Katie, huh? And why you were just cupping Graham’s balls like you were looking for the ripest kiwis at the market?”

Only death would be the release from this sweet hell that had become my life.

“My dear, I think you have gotten the wrong idea about me entirely,” He turned toward Katie with that insufferable smirk. “First of all… Katie, was it?”

She nodded, cheeks flaming so red they could have powered the lighthouse. She looked like she wanted to melt into the floorboards as a quick exit.

“She asked—no, begged— for it,” he said, proud like a cat dragging in a half-dead bird. “I was simply doing the girl a favor.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

Maggie’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “ Oh, my god. ” Her voice dropped low and dangerous. I could feel her trying to decide whether to slap me, run, or light the entire house on fire. “So this is how you treat women? Just stuff it in before they realize who’s actually behind the wheel?”

That did it.

Something inside Silas snapped—and I felt it like a rubber band pulling tight behind my ribs. He surged forward using my legs like he’d been born with them, moving so fast it didn’t look natural. Like he was skating inches off the damn ground.

I towered over her—against my will—but I still felt everything. Her pulse skipping. Her breath catching. And the flicker of fear in her eyes.

Don’t you fucking hurt her.

It gutted me.

“Pardon me, Maggie ,” Silas growled through clenched teeth, my voice curling into something unfamiliar. “But she wanted me. Not the other way ‘round.”

Just then, Chester and Tophie launched themselves between us, all arched spines and raised hackles.

“Little four-legged rodent-suckers,” Silas spat, flicking my hand at them like they were flies. “Shoo!”

I screamed inside.

Chester flicked his nose up and strutted off like royalty, settling with his back to us on the frayed rug by the window—offended beyond repair. Tophie climbed back into Katie’s lap, tail twitching with distrust and judgment. Smart cats.