Page 83 of Deceiver

“That’s not the problem. It’s Keagan. The spirit is using your emotions to grow and strengthen. It’s using you to accomplish its goals.”

“What do you mean?” I ask. “What emotions?”

Her head twitches as her eyelids flutter like she’s trying to blink away a stray eyelash. “The spirit is not your father.”

I look at Wilder, wide-eyed, as I listen. Talon’s voice doesn’t sound like hers anymore. It’s deep and odd.

“Is she okay?” I ask Wilder.

He puts a finger to his lips to shush me and directs my attention back to her.

“Your father died seven years ago,” Talon continues.

“Seven?”

Wilder gently squeezes my shoulder.

“He… he traded…” Talon’s head tilts oddly to the left, her hair hanging in front of her face.

Is she possessed? What the fuck is happening right now?

“I understand,” Talon says. “You can let me go.” She gasps, sitting back and straightening her neck. As she focuses her gaze on me, a shiver moves down my spine. “Seven years ago, your father made a deal with a literal demon. He was in a bad way—strung out on drugs, homeless. All he wanted was a second chance. The demon found him in an alleyway and promised him the new life he desperately wanted, but your dad, in his haze and despair, didn’t understand what he was doing. He gave his soul to that demon.”

“What?”

“The demon took over after that, and the man who used to be your father became a killer, feeding the demon countless souls.”

A wave of nausea hits me. “You’re saying… it really was a demon?”

“When the man believed to be your father was shot, it wounded the demon, who returned to the underworld to heal.”

“All the gods,” Wilder murmurs. “That’s how it was able to grow and learn so quickly.”

Talon nods. “It’s been feeding on Keagan’s energy and his emotional connection to his father. The good news is, you can break that connection.”

“I don’t… I don’t understand. I’m so confused.”

“Keagan.” Wilder kneels in front of me. “Remember how I said that thing is not actually your father?”

“Yes.”

“It’s even more true now than I knew. Your father’s soul is trapped inside the demon. I could never banish it since it’s not a mortal soul.”

“Well, shit. How do I break the connection?”

“I can do it,” Talon says. “But I’m weak. I’ll need help, Wilder.”

“Of course.”

“Who told you?” I ask. “How did you find this out?”

“Since I’ve met you, I’ve been bombarded with messages from the other side. Most didn’t make sense, but tonight, the spirit world needed me to know so badly that it broke through the veil and came to my hospital room. I couldn’t rest until I delivered the message.”

“I’m so sorry. All of this is happening because of me.”

Talon shakes her head. “No. It was always going to happen, with or without your involvement. In fact, I believe you’re actually helping. Without your intervention, Wilder wouldn’t be here, and the spirit would’ve been able to hurt more people.”

“What does Wilder have to do with it?”