The Demon's Half

Chapter 15

The ocean stretched endlessly before me, its waves rolling in a slow, hypnotic rhythm, whispering against the shore. The salty breeze brushed against my skin, cool and soft, carrying the scent of the sea—clean, briny, alive. Beneath my feet, the sand was warm, crunching with every step.

The sky above was a masterpiece of color, deep blue melting into hues of gold and blush as the sun dipped lower, its light scattering across the water's surface in shimmering, liquid gold.

Seagulls wheeled overhead, their distant cries weaving into the gentle hush of the tide. Laughter drifted from farther down the shore—muted voices, the clinking of bottles, the sound of life.

But here, in this moment, it was just me and the sea. The vastness of it, the endless horizon, the pulse of the waves—I felt it settle inside me. A quietness. A stillness.

I felt human.

"You are so close."

The voice drifted behind me, soft, familiar, like the wind had carried it straight from my memories.

I turned so fast my feet slipped in the sand. "Mia!"

She stood there, just a few steps away, her hair rippling in the breeze, her blue eyes locked onto mine. A ghost, a dream—so close I swore I could touch her.

I ran.

But the closer I got, the farther she seemed, her form dissolving, slipping through my fingers like mist.

"So close," she whispered again.

And then—

She was gone.

No. She wasn't gone.

I was gone.

I fell into the waking world, gasping, my pulse hammering.

Something moved. No—many things moved.

A slithering sensation ran over my face, my arms, my legs. Cold. Smooth. Alive.

My breath locked in my throat.

My eyes flew open—

Snakes.

Freaking. Everywhere.

Writhing, twisting, falling from the ceiling, hitting the bed, coiling over my limbs.

A sound tore from me, part scream, part sheer terror, as I launched myself out of bed, limbs flailing, hands slapping at my skin, desperate to get them off, get them off, get them off.

Gods, I hated reptiles.

Cold-blooded, disgusting, horrifying creatures—why were they in my bed?!

I jumped, I shook, I ran in circles like an absolute lunatic because I swore I could still feel them slithering over me.

And then—

Laughter.

Low. Rich. Amused.

I froze mid-panic, heart still jackhammering, as the snakes vanished into thin air.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I spun, wild-eyed, searching for the source of that infuriatingly familiar sound. "Why would you do that?!"

The laughter cut off, but the smirk remained as he materialized in my room—

Black hair mussed, falling lazily across his face. Eyes heavy-lidded with boredom.

Like he hadn't just ruined my entire day

"I know how much you love snakes," the demon drawled, his face an unreadable mask. "Are you ready? We leave in ten. And ditch the rosary—it's annoying."