-Carmen Silvers POV-
“Wake up,” someone whispered in my ear, cool breath tickling my skin.
I groaned, shifting my weight slowly as I took a deep breath. The familiar deep scent made something in my brain snap to attention I bolted upright, eyes flashing open.
“Whoa,” a familiar voice said, “What’s wrong?”
I looked down and saw Austin lying next to me, propped up on his elbows, looking puzzled.
It took me a moment to process the image before I rolled on top of him, eyes winding around his neck tightly while I buried my face in his neck, “You’re still here,” I breathed.
“Of course I’m still here,” he said, sounding confused, “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I thought…I thought last night was a dream,” I said, squeezing my eyes shut, “I thought maybe none of it was real…that I just dreamed it up and that he had….he was still here.”
I heard him let out a slow breath, arms winding around me tightly, “He’s gone,” he whispered, “And he’s not coming back.”
I pulled away sharply, “What?”
His liquid silver eyes searched mine as he brushed the hair off my face, “Caleb’s gone. For good.”
“He’s not coming back?” I asked incredulously, “How do you know?”
He hesitated a moment before he sat up, pulling me up so I was straddling him as he leaned back against my headboard, hand passing over his eyes, “I have a lot of explaining to do,” he said quietly.
I waited patiently for him to continue.
“I…I don’t know how to start,” he admitted.
“Start with how do you know he’s gone for good?” I asked, hands on his chest. I dropped my gaze to his silent chest, “And then explain to me why your heart isn’t beating.”
He nodded, eyes tight, “I know he’s gone because he told me so…well, not intentionally.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, frowning.
“When he was…in me…we could hear each other’s thoughts,” he shuddered, “And see each other’s memories and fears and secrets. Everything. It was impossible to hide anything from each other. And I knew how to get rid of him because he let it slip.”
Anger flared up and I pulled away from him, “You know how to kill him? All this time you knew and you didn’t tell me?” I asked, betrayal piercing me.
“You don’t understand,” he said desperately, shaking his head as he reached for me, hurt and guilt on his face, “I couldn’t tell you. As soon as he realized I found out he told me if I told anybody he’d kill them.”
“But had you told me we could have gotten rid of him before he could come back,” I said, teeth grinding together, “We could have stopped this earlier. You almost died!”
“I know and I’m sorry; I wanted to tell you, I really did, but as soon as I started planning it he would have known about it and turned around and killed you,” he said, wide eyed, “I couldn’t let him do it. I didn’t want him to even lay a hand on you.”
I watched him for a moment before I crawled back to him, swallowing hard as I cupped his face, “Just…continue, okay?” I said, biting my lip.
He nodded slowly, “In order to save a person from possession that person would have to die…before the last moon. As for if they would be able to survive after being killed is a different story. The reason the demon dies, for good, that way is because they haven’t finished bringing back all the parts of their soul yet so when they leave the body they’re trying to possess they can’t survive because they’re incomplete.”
