Page 28 of Deceiver (Soul Chasers #2)

Keagan

“ D o you hear that?”

Wilder stirs but stays pressed against me, his strong arm wrapped around my chest.

“Wilder? Someone’s at the door.”

He sits up abruptly, suddenly alert. “Stay here.”

I nod, watching him slide out of bed and throw on his robe. Straining to listen, I lean against the bedroom door. The voices are muffled, but I’m pretty sure I heard my name. Wilder comes up the stairs, his face a mask of concern.

“Put some clothes on. Talon is here.”

“Talon? I thought she was hurt.”

“She’ll explain.” He kisses my forehead. “It’s important.”

“I assumed it would be.”

I find my discarded clothes on the floor, and tug my jeans on before pulling my T-shirt over my head. Wilder chooses a pair of sweatpants, like the sexy beast he is, but keeps his robe on. The two of us walk downstairs to find Talon sitting on the couch, her hands clenched together on her lap.

When our eyes meet, her shoulders drop. “Hi, Keagan.”

“Are you okay?”

She nods, but I can tell from how she’s holding herself that she must be in pain.

“The healing potion is working. It just takes time. Please sit.”

Nodding, I sit in the armchair across from her while Wilder remains standing beside me.

“Can I get you water, Talon?” Wilder asks.

She shakes her head. “No, but thank you. I need to deliver this message.”

“Did I…” I clear my throat. “Did I do this to you?”

Talon’s expression turns even more somber. “Not by choice.”

I sit back in my seat, absolutely stunned. “I would never… I’m so sorry… I don’t?—”

Talon holds up a hand to stop me. “It wasn’t you, not really.

I didn’t know until I received a message.

” She closes her eyes for a moment, nodding and moving her lips like she’s speaking to someone we can’t see.

“As you know, the spirit has gained considerable strength and knowledge in a short time by stealing it from others.”

Wilder nods, his arms crossed over his chest. “We have backup chasers for the others that escaped.”

“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?”

Talon looks surprised for a moment before her expression softens into a smile. “You must know by now. Your fate and his are intertwined.”

I shift my gaze to Wilder. Everything he told me earlier is true. I was meant for him.

Wilder lifts my hand and kisses the back of it. “What do you need from us, Talon?”

“I think we need to go to Keagan’s house. The spirit’s energy is stronger there. We’ll lure it to us, and then we’ll do what must be done to break Keagan’s attachment.”

“That sounds like it’s gonna hurt.”

“It will, but not you.”

“I’ll be there to protect you,” Wilder says. “Always.”

My eyes well with tears, but I nod. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make this go away.”

Wilder brushes his fingers across my cheek. “You’ll be helping your father in the long run. We’ll drain the demon, and your father’s soul will be released for proper sorting.”

I nod, only vaguely understanding. “I’m ready.”