The Howling

Chapter Seventeen

        She awoke to a warm, tingling feeling dancing across her skin. A strange sensation accompanied her wakefulness. She felt better than she had in a long time. She felt vibrant and strong, her entire body fully rested and her mind sharper. She could feel the sensation down in her very bones. Everything around her felt crisper. Clearer. 

        She opened her eyes. The water that had surrounded her was gone. Not even a drop remained. The bars had been removed, shattered from the inside out by shards of ice, just like the boulder had while facing the Guard. She looked around, expecting to see Piers, but he was gone. 

        Shaking slightly, she rose to her feet. Her legs felt solid underneath her but her mind felt slightly drunk, though on what, she couldn't say. After a moment, the feeling passed. 

        "Piers?" she called out. Gingerly, she took a step forward, testing for pain. But there was none. Whatever Piers had done to her, he had taken the pain as well. "Piers, where are you?" 

        His reply came from inside of her. Here. 

        She whirled around, as if expecting him to be behind her. Then she looked down at her hands. "Here?" 

        He chuckled. I said a merger, did I not? 

        Panic crept into her voice. "Like a possession? A demonic possession? Oh God, did I really just sign up to have my body possessed by a demon?" 

        Calm down, he scolded lightly. Merger. We should really work on your vocabulary if you think merger and possession mean the same thing. 

        "But a merger means, like, a merger. Like two together. Is that what we did?" 

        For the moment. It's one of the abilities we now share, per the contract. 

        "I didn't sign up for this." She looked down at her hands again, turning them over and examining them carefully. They appeared the same on the surface. It was underneath that bothered her. What if she no longer had control over her body? 

        You have just as much control over your body as I do, he answered her thoughts. And you did sign up to it, Villette. When we entered into the contract and you permitted me to merge our spirits together. 

        "Are you stuck in there or can you come out?" 

        I can come out whenever I choose. However, we will work better this way. 

        "What does that mean?" 

        He sounded a tinge exasperated as he explained. Out of the pair of us, who is the strongest? Myself. Who is the better fighter? Myself. Where can I draw the most power from? 

        "Yourself?" she snapped. 

        He chuckled. No. In here. Human souls are remarkably strong. While I'm in here, we're stronger together. I'll leave once we rescue your brother. Is that acceptable? 

        "And when you leave," she wondered, "will my soul still be there?" 

        Yes. As per our contract, I give you power and you give me a favor. Which generally implies that I have to verbally ask for it first. Which I will. That I promise you. When I'm asking for my terms of the contract to be met, I will tell you plainly. I won't use any deception Villette. I promise. Trust is going to be crucial to this. 

        "How so?" 

        Her body took a step forward without her will. She panicked, trying to pull the leg back, but then the other followed suit until she had taken a complete step forward and her legs were together. "Don't do that," she snapped.