Page 44 of Demonic Affliction

“I was worried you might not,” Dravik says. “You were not yourself.”

I shiver, leaning further into my mate's hold for comfort. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” They share another look, and my heart sinks. “Oh God. I’m so sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, my heart,” Dravik soothes. “It was not you who did it. It was that thing.”

“The serafyn.” I close my eyes tight, as if that will block out the horror. “She… she took over my body and my mind again.”

Dravik nods, his mouth pressing into a thin line. “If Cin had not shown up when he did, we do not know what horrors would have occurred.”

That makes me pause. “Cin was there?”

“Yes.” Rhune nods excitedly. “He scared the roots away! We don’t know how, but he did. It was amazing!”

For some reason, Rhune’s words cause my stomach to twist with nausea. He… he controlled the roots? How?

There’s a low hiss in the depths of my mind—mean, and angry, and terrifying. Horrible parasite, the voice spits. We almost succeeded. If only it had stayed away a few more moments…

My pulse races. Spoon? I ask. What… What did we almost do last night?

Spoon sighs, seeming irritated with my question. We almost completed our mission.

As in…?

You know what. Its voice is low and deadly. I told you the first time I awoke.

I swallow hard. If what the voice is telling me is true, then… last night, I almost ended the whole fucking world. I think I’m going to be sick.

Thank God Cin showed up when he did.

The entity in my head roars, and I clap my hands over my ears. How can you be happy? It ruined EVERYTHING.

Rhune and Nyx stare at me, their expressions twisted with worry. “Willow? Are you okay?”

I don’t answer. I can’t. I’m still reeling from the pure rage in the entity’s voice. For some reason, it hates Cin. I just don’t understand why.

Then it hits me. All at once, slamming into me with the force of a freight train.

Cin… the being that controls his body. Is it… he is being possessed by the Welwig?

The voice doesn’t answer, but it doesn’t need to. It’s the only thing that makes sense. The only thing that explains what’s been happening.

“Oh my God.” I bring a shaking hand to my mouth. “Oh my God…”

“Willow? What’s wrong?” Rhune demands. “What’s happening?”

It’s too much, all at once. My vision darkens at the edges, the shadows eating up my sight with every frantic heartbeat.

I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. And then everything goes black.

When I wake up, I'm no longer tied up.

I crack my eyes open slowly, finding my mates are crowded around me, wearing differing levels of concern on their handsome faces. Rhune is at my side, clutching my hand tightly in his. Nyx has his hand covering my heart, and it looks like he’s about to burst into tears. Dravik is the farthest from me, crouched at the top of the bed and watching over me. And Cin… is nowhere to be seen.

All of my mates' familiars have reappeared—minus Noox—and they stand a few feet away from me, looking like they’d like nothing more than to rush the bed and crush me with snuggles. For some reason, though, they stay back.

Then I notice the others.

Dagny stands near the foot of the bed, her six mates filling the space behind her. None of them say a word. They just remain there staring at me with a mix of curiosity and fear. I pull the blanket a little higher across my lap, feeling much too exposed with all these eyes on me.