Chapter 34 Possession
Brea's POV
Seraphine moved to the window and looked out briefly. When she turned back she immediately uttered.
"You should rest," she said. "Whatever that was.... it took more out of you than you realize."
I nodded. But I wasn't really listening. My eyes were on the empty chair where Elias Vorn had been sitting thirty seconds ago like he owned the room.
She lingered. I felt it that particular quality of someone who wants to say something else and is deciding against it. Then she crossed to the door.
"I'll get you water," she said.
The door closed behind her.
Tap. Tap. Tap. I turned.
A black raven sat on the window frame. Perfectly still with its head tilted towards me. Its eyes were too bright like someone was behind them paying very close attention.
I tilted my head back at it. "You're kind of cute."
I stood slowly. Crossed toward the window without deciding to.
My breathing slowed in a way I noticed but couldn't correct as the raven didn't move. It just watched me.
Then it collapsed.. It simply folded into black mist..there one second and dispersed the next. The mist rushed forward without pausing, without warning, straight into me.
I didn't scream. I didn't step back. I just inhaled. Then I stood still. A slow smile moved across my face.
I pressed one hand flat against my chest. Feeling a second heartbeat finding its rhythm.
I looked down at my own hands slowly. Turned them over.
"So this is the body," I said softly. "The one the prophecy spoke of."
“Smaller than I expected.” my fingers curled slowly.
"The blood that can either seal the old ones back into the ground" another pause, quieter, "or set them free forever."
A slow breath. "And she had no idea."
Rayne stepped in. He stopped immediately, His eyes moved over me.
"You're awake," he said.," he said.
I turned slowly. "You're the one who forgot me," I said.
He went still. I walked toward him and stopped close to him.
"Tell me." I tilted my head slightly. "Does it bother you? That someone else remembers me better than you do?"
His eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about."
I smiled. "Drake."
His jaw tightened. Just slightly. His eyes dropped to my face for one second longer than they needed to before he looked away.
He didn't answer.
"You're bringing him up now." he stated
I reached up and touched his face, pressing my fingers against his jaw.
His hand closed around my wrist firmly, but not enough to hurt.
Like he wasn’t sure if he was stopping me… or holding on.
“Stop.” I leaned closer instead. "Or what?"
The door opened again. Seraphine stepped in and stopped.
Her eyes moved from my wrist in Rayne's grip to my face to the distance between us all of it in under a second.
"Am I interrupting something?" she asked I turned my head toward her slowly.
"You're the one who stays close to him when I'm gone," I said.
Seraphine went still as I stepped away from Rayne and I moved toward the window.
"You watch him carefully." I looked out at the street below without really seeing it.
"Like you're waiting for something to happen."
"You're not making sense," Seraphine said.
I turned back.. "I'm just seeing clearly now."
Seraphine looked at Rayne. Rayne stepped forward and his grip on my arm this time was firmer. "This isn't you."
I paused. Looked at him. For one second just one, I felt his intense grip.
"Then maybe," I said quietly, "you never knew me."
I pressed both hands against my temples. The voices from the grave pushed at the edges of my skull — low, circular, overlapping.
"Let us in fully."
"He is the key."
"Let us in."
I looked at Rayne again. "You feel it too, don't you," I said softly.
Seraphine took one step forward. "Brea. You need to rest. Whatever is affecting you—"
"I'm fine." My gaze moved from her to Rayne as I walked to the door and opened it. .
"Leave," I said.Seraphine's eyes moved to Rayne. He held her gaze for a moment, then the smallest tilt of his head gave out a signal.
She read it anyway. Her jaw tightened once and she stepped out without a word.
I pushed the first lock into place.
Click.
Then the second bolt slid across—louder this time. Final.
I pressed my hand against the door for a second, making sure it wouldn’t move.
Rayne's voice came low from behind me. "What are you doing."
I turned slowly, then I gave off a faint smile.
I walked toward him unhurried and stopped directly in front of him, close enough that he could feel my breath.
"You don't remember, do you," I said. His jaw tightened. "Remember what.".
"The last time," I said softly. "We had a good time." Before he could respond...I pushed him hard enough to make him stumble.
The backs of his knees hit the bed and he went down onto it, one hand catching himself against the mattress.
He looked up at me and for the first time since any of this started, Rayne had no expression.
I stepped forward. Standing over him. Looking down.
“Maybe…” I said softly, tilting my head.
“…I should refresh your memory.”