The Demon's Half

Chapter 44

Jessica.
She stood in front of me, silent. A dagger glinting in her grip. No, that wasn't right. She wanted to be my friend. She had asked, again and again.
Her party. My birthday. The café talks. The way she always hovered close, hoping I'd let her in.
She wanted to be close.
No entiendo pinches nada.

She stepped forward, crossing the invisible line that caged the stage. Light sliced across her face, and it should've softened her. But it didn't.
Her expression was blank.
As if her soul had checked out long ago.

Ornella's voice slithered from her throne.
"I believe you've met Jessica."

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

Jessica didn't answer.

"Well?" Ornella cooed. "Are you telling her, or shall I?" She looked so entertained I almost thought she'd brought out some popcorn.

Jessica's lips parted. Nothing came out.

"Jessica made a little deal with Milli's guard. Thaddeus."

I felt the floor drop out beneath me.
My eyes flicked to the dagger in her hand.
"What..."

"I just—" Jessica started, but she wouldn't look at me.

Ornella giggled like a schoolgirl on bloodlust.
"She wanted your life. Not your soul, just your teenage drama. And a few years back? Boom. Thaddeus delivered."

A tear traced down Jessica's cheek.

Ornella shrugged.
"Didn't specify, though. That's the funny bit." She waved lazily at Jessica.
"So she lost everything. Family. Friends. Just like you had. Isn't that poetic?"

"Jess..." My voice cracked, "why..."

"Oh, and guess who taught your little sister how to use the Ouija board?" Ornella fucking grinned. "She wanted you to meet someone like Thaddeus. Thought you deserved to suffer."

"What?"

"She convinced her, too!" She laughed.

It hit me like a bullet. She didn't just betray me. She killed her...

Jessica's eyes locked onto Bo.
She took a step toward him, raising the dagger right toward his chest.
Bo didn't back down.

I raised both hands, palms out. "Jess, put the dagger down."

She didn't look at me.
"I can't," she whispered.

"Yes, you can."
One more step.
Almost there.

She recoiled like I'd burned her.
"Morgan, I'm not in control. I lost my soul." Then, as if reminding herself, "I do what Thaddeus says."

Her eyes flicked to mine. Just for a second.
She was crying. Not yet out loud, but she looked like she was drowning.

"We never imagined Jessica would be useful in the end." Ornella stretched her arms like the reveal was some twisted magic trick. "After all, she was the one who told us about you. Since no witch or demon could see you, not even my precious Varnoks—" She turned slightly, and from the corner of her throne, the Varnok crawled forward. Now, it moved on all fours. Then, pathetically, it let out a wet, gurgling whimper and nuzzled against Ornella's lap like a diseased dog.

She cooed, stroking its filthy scalp.
"They had to rely on scent alone, my poor babies." She inhaled deeply. "Until you killed one of them."

My brows pulled together. The Varnok in my house that tried to feed on me, until shadows tore it limb from limb.

Ornella watched me. "Jessica told us everything. How you were manifesting powers, burning coins, money, even cups."

And I remembered, back at the coffee shop, how everything I touched burned me. I'd thought Oz was behind it, that it was one of his games.
Was it me?