Page 101 of Demons In My Head: Exposing the Exiled

The last thing I saw before passing out was Jasper's spirit form becoming just a little more solid, a little more real. Maybe we did more than just win. Maybe we found a way to bring him back.

Chapter twenty-three

Felix

Eighteen hours.

I shifted in the leather armchair I dragged next to Palmer's bed, my fingers itching to sketch the way her dark hair fanned across the pillow. The urge to create, to capture this moment of peace after such chaos, was almost overwhelming. But I couldn't look away long enough to grab my supplies.

My eyes traced the gentle rise and fall of her chest beneath the blankets. She was alive. Safe. The memory of her standing against Asrael, wielding power that made even my demon blood sing, replayed in my mind for the hundredth time.

"You're brooding again,"Talon's voice echoed in my head.

"Fuck off,"I responded through our link, but there was no heat behind it. He knew I was worried. We all were.

Palmer mumbled something in her sleep, and I leaned forward, watching her face for any signs of distress. Nothing. Just the peaceful expression she'd worn since we brought her here after the fight. Snake hadn’t left her pillow, curled up in a little ball of reassurance, but constantly on the lookout.

Gods, that fight. I'd seen a lot of shit in my centuries of existence, but watching this tiny witch command the veil itself? Seeing her wrap Asrael in threads of vengeance woven from the very spirits he'd tortured? That was something else entirely.

"You're supposed to be resting too," Rhodes said from the doorway, his voice low.

I didn't bother turning around. "I'm fine."

"You look like shit."

"Thanks for the update." I ran a hand through my hair, probably making it worse. "Someone needs to be here when she wakes up."

"And it has to be you?" There was something knowing in his tone that made me want to punch him.

"Yes." The word came out harder than intended.

Rhodes sighed, and I heard him move closer. "She's not going anywhere, Felix. And neither is Jasper."

My shoulders tensed at my brother's name. Having him back, even as a spirit slowly gaining corporeal form thanks to Palmer's power, was... complicated. But watching Palmer fight for him, for all of us really, had stirred something in me I thought I'd buried long ago.

"Did you know?" I asked suddenly. "When you first met her, did you sense what she could become?"

"None of us did. Not even Asrael, and that was his biggest mistake." Rhodes placed a hand on my shoulder. "He thought he could control her, shape her into a weapon. Instead, she turned out to be a fucking force of nature and Asrael’s undoing."

I snorted. "That's one way to put it."

The image of my artwork coming to life, peeling off the walls it'd been carefully placed upon, was burned into my memory. I'd never seen anything like that before, and I didn't think I ever would again. I was okay with that because I never wanted her tobe in a situation again where she'd need to use that much power. But my gods, she was magnificent.

"You should paint it," Rhodes suggested, reading my expression. "That moment when she revealed her true power. It deserves to be captured."

My fingers twitched again. "Maybe later."

"Felix..." Rhodes started, but Palmer stirred again, and we both froze.

She didn't wake, but her face scrunched slightly before smoothing out. A strand of hair fell across her cheek, and before I could stop myself, I reached out to brush it away. Her skin was warm under my fingers, alive with the magic that now seemed to pulse through her very being.

"I'll bring you some coffee," Rhodes said quietly, heading for the door. He paused. "She chose us, you know. All of us. Even when she knew what we were, what we'd done... she still chose to fight for our family."

I nodded, not trusting my voice. Because he was right. Palmer Vale had walked into hell itself to save us, wielding powers that could have torn reality apart. And she did it not because she had to, but because she wanted to.

"Rest well, little witch," I whispered after Rhodes left. "You've earned it."

I settled back in my chair, keeping my vigil. There would be time later to process everything that had happened. For now, I was content to watch over this remarkable woman who turned our world upside down in the best possible way.