The Demon's Half

Chapter 25

Six months.

That was all the time I had left—six months before I either lost my soul forever or gained full control of it.

And Alexander was gone.

His absence left me straddling the line between relief and gnawing anxiety. I knew I needed him—his training, his knowledge, his power—but the thought of facing him again made my stomach twist.

It was definitely taking a toll on my mental health. My days swung violently between "I've never been better" and "I crave the sweet release of eternal oblivion"—and somehow, both were true. I felt amazing like I could conquer the world!... please, fucking kill me.

I couldn't even keep up with my own emotions.

Every day that passed felt like another nail in the coffin. My father was still suffering, trapped in unimaginable torment, and I had done nothing to stop it. Mia was counting on me, trusting me to save him.

But how?

I was useless.

Even if I managed to take down a single demon, I was still facing two more, along with the spirits tormenting my father. Even with the council's help, we were outnumbered, outmatched. And now, without Alexander... it felt impossible.

Yet, part of me still felt relieved.

Relieved that I didn't have to face his piercing gaze. That I didn't have to endure his cryptic riddles, his maddening games. That I didn't have to train with him.

Even if I desperately needed it.

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Surprisingly, the past two months had brought unexpected peace. Moments of joy, even.

Jade, Elliot (though I rarely saw him), and Alilla had opted to stay at Elena's home longer than anticipated, all under the guise of training me and preparing for Alexander's return. But their true focus was on something else—me.

More specifically, my new ability.

The one that hadn't shown itself again.

No matter how hard I tried, the fire wouldn't come back. It was as if it had never happened at all. If Logan hadn't been there as my witness, I was sure the council would've assumed I had imagined the whole thing. But I knew what I had seen.

I had been on fire.

Flames had consumed my entire body, flickering and crackling over my skin like I was born to burn.

And Logan had seen it. He had felt it.

Which was why, the moment we returned home, he called for an emergency council meeting. He said it was protocol. Any new ability—especially one as dangerous as this—had to be reported immediately.

I barely made it through the meeting. I was exhausted, barely keeping my eyes open as they grilled me for every detail.

But the worst part?

We had to tell them everything.

Every. Little. Detail.

By the time Logan was done recounting our date—kissing, playing, talking—I was ready to crawl into the earth and disappear.

The council listened intently, absorbing every word, but the moment Logan mentioned Alexander teaching me to control my mind-reading, their expressions shifted. Their interest in my spirit dagger was quickly overshadowed by something far more pressing.

The fire.

Elliot made us repeat the story three times.

And each time, the council listened like they were hearing it for the first time, hanging onto every word. The only exception was Alilla.