Chapter 66: The Demon Within - Callista's POV
My pulse pounded so loudly I was certain he heard it. One incline of his head and I knew it, because of course he was listening. Every instinct in me screamed to push him away, to run, to do anything but stand here pinned beneath his gaze. My body wouldn’t listen and refused to do anything.
“Then say what you came to say and let him go,” I said, forcing the words out despite the tremor in my voice.
His lips curved, slow and deliberate, as if he were savoring something.
“Oh, I intend to,” he murmured.
His thumb dragged just beneath my eye, catching a tear before it could fall. The gesture was almost too gentle, which made it worse.
“You keep asking for him back,” he continued, his voice low. “But you don’t seem to understand something very important, Callista.”
I clenched my jaw at his words. “And what would that be?”
His face dipped closer to mine, his breath ghosting over my lips. “He lets me in.”
The words hit harder than anything else he’d said.
“No, I don’t believe that,” I said bitterly. “That’s not true. You’re lying.”
He chuckled low in his throat. “Isn’t it? Do you think I can just take control whenever I please? That I force my way through the walls he builds? If only it were that simple.”
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “He hates you,” I bit out, though my voice sounded weaker than I wanted it to. “He wants you to be gone.”
“Of course he tells you that,” the demon replied easily. “And yet, when it matters most, when the pressure builds and the fear sets in…he steps aside for me.”
His head tilted to the side as leaned a fraction of an inch closer, almost brushing his lips across my cheek. My heart twisted painfully in my chest.
“No, you’re lying. He wouldn’t do that,” I whispered.
“Am I?” He pressed in closer, his voice filled with amusement. “Or are you just afraid that I’m not?”
I shoved against his chest then, finally finding enough strength to put space between us. He let me move this time, watching me with that same unsettling calm.
“Stop it,” I snapped. “You’re trying to get into my head.”
“I’m already in your head,” he corrected quietly. “That’s where all the best fears live.”
I backed up another step, shaking my head. “You’re wrong about everything. Nothing is going to happen to our future, to Riven, or to us.”
His expression didn’t change, but something darker flickered behind those black eyes.
“You still believe you can save him,” he said sharply.
“I know I can.”
That time, my voice didn’t waver. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The air between us felt heavy, like it was pressing in from all sides, then he sighed reluctantly.
It was such a Riven sound that it made my chest ache.
“You’re stubborn,” he muttered. “I’ll give you that.”
My breath caught. The tone, just for a second, had shifted.
“Riven?” I said cautiously.
The black in his eyes flickered, making hope surge through me.
“Riven, please fight him. I know you’re still in there—”
His hand shot out, grabbing my wrist before I could step closer. The black returned, darker than before.
“Careful,” the demon warned softly. “You almost had him.”
My stomach dropped. Almost had him?
“He’s fighting you.”
There was a pause before his voice dipped low. “And what if he loses?”
I yanked my hand free this time, ignoring the sting. “He won’t.”
“You sound very sure for someone who’s seen how this ends. There aren’t many options for you. You should know that.”
My mind flashed to the vision he had given me. “No, that future isn’t set, because you aren’t free. Our love will—”
“Love?” His gaze sharpened. “Is that what you think this is? You’ve been together, what, two weeks? That’s not love.”
“But we are fated and—”
“Fated and love aren’t the same thing. You’re not even fully mated until you have your ceremony,” he bit out. “And that won’t be for what? Another two years at the least.”
“You are lying to us,” I snapped.
“Or maybe I’m telling you the truth,” he murmured. “Be careful, little seer. You are teetering on the edge of making a mistake.”
I took a steadying breath, forcing my racing heart to slow.
“You keep talking about fate,” I continued, holding his gaze. “About how everything is already decided. But if that were true…” I tilted my head slightly. “Why are you trying so hard to convince me?”
Silence stretched between us until there was a flicker of something again. His grip loosened slightly at his side, his fingers twitching as if he were fighting to maintain control.
“Callista—”
The voice was strained. My heart leapt. “Riven!”
His eyes flashed black, then not, then black again.
“Don’t—listen—to him—” he choked out.
The demon surged back immediately, expression snapping into something cold and furious.
“Enough,” he snapped.
The word echoed in the room like a crack of thunder. I flinched, but I didn’t look away.
“See?” I said, breathless but determined. “He’s still there. You don’t have full control.”
His jaw tightened. For a very long moment, he just stared at me, then slowly smiled wickedly.
“You’re right,” he whispered. “Not yet.”
A chill slid down my spine. “Not yet?”
His gaze dropped briefly to my lips, then back to my eyes.
“That’s why you matter so much,” he said, his voice trailing off.
My stomach twisted. “What does that mean?”
He stepped closer, but this time I didn’t move. I wouldn’t let myself.
“You’re the only thing keeping him anchored,” he said softly. “And the only thing stopping me from taking everything.”
My breath hitched.
“Or…you could be what sets me free,” he added, almost thoughtfully.
“Which is it?”
His eyes gleamed mischievously. “You’ll see soon enough.”
Something pushed hard, making his face shift. It looked wrong and violent. His shoulders tensed, as if something inside of him was pushing hard.
“Callista, run—” Riven’s voice broke through again, raw and desperate.
“I’m not leaving you,” I said immediately.
“Run!” he snarled. Riven, not the demon.
The shift snapped back just as quickly. The demon exhaled sharply, as if he were annoyed.
“This is getting tedious,” he muttered, his gaze locking onto mine one last time. “Enjoy what you have while it lasts.”