Page 46 of Possession

Makes sense, since he’s a wizard.

And wizards are our enemy, remember?

I remember.

I shift in bed as Henry inches closer. He’s always made me very shy, and I’ve never been this close to him before. “What are you doing here?” I ask quietly.

“What are you doing here? What happened?”

“Oh…” I touch my side, still burning from my movement. I’m starting to regret not taking the nurse up on the pain medication. “I was stabbed.”

He raises a brow. “You say that so casually.”

“I’ve had time to come to terms with it, I guess.”

His eyes flick down to my amulet, forehead creasing. Maybe he’s noticing its change in color, but all he says is, “You’ve been busy.”

What do you think he means by that?

It doesn’t matter. He didn’t answer you when you asked why he was here. Ask him again.

I didn’t even notice Henry’s evasiveness, and I feel a twinge of disappointment in myself. I fell for the Following’s trap because I saw what they wanted me to see, and here I go, doing it again with Henry. I don’t know why I want him to be the good guy so badly. It’s not like he’s done anything for me these past few years. Yes, he brought me food and watched me, but that’s because he was told to. This is our first, actual conversation.

“Why are you here?” I ask.

“Because you’re here.”

“That isn’t an answer.”

“So ask me another question.” He shoots me a grin that immediately brings a rush of blood to my face.

“Uhm—”

You can’t even speak properly around him.

Impossibly, it feels like my face is getting even hotter. Do you want to take control?

We don’t know what will happen.

Well, do you want to think your questions, and I’ll ask them? I pause, struck with an idea.

When the amulet was as it should be, I was able to loan Aris parts of my body, like letting him speak with my mouth. He would have control of my lips, tongue, and vocal cords, while I moved the rest of my body. When I relinquished control like that, it would be his decision to give it back. I didn’t like doing it, since it gave him a lot of power, but I didn’t even know what power really was back then.

Aris listens to the idea, but I feel his disagreement before he speaks. We still don’t know what will happen, he insists.

The rules have changed, I agree.

It’s a completely different game. Hm. Maybe it’s true what they say—better the devil you know.

Says the devil.

Not many would take that as a compliment, but Aris flushes with pleasure. The feeling is a warm pressure on my heart, like a cat taking a nap on its owner’s stomach, a small and precious reminder that I’m not alone.

“Mary?” Henry prompts, and Aris growls at the interruption.

We should just kill him.

Aris.

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