Page 96 of Possession

Just like that, I am in love with him.

“What happened?” I whisper.

A shadow passes over his face. “Your heart stopped.”

“What? I died?” I try to sit up at that, but his powerful arms restrict me; he isn’t done looking me over, and I soon give up to look around. It’s just the two of us sprawled in the courtyard, his body warming me from the weather.

“How did I… come back?” I ask somewhat awkwardly.

“Chest compressions, CPR—I zapped you once or twice.” He lets out a shaky breath. “I almost didn’t get to you in time.”

I take a moment to ponder this, my mortality. What if he hadn’t come? I imagine Henry finding me on the ground with cold dew on my face, hands folded on my stomach. Completely lifeless and removed.

Henry takes a breath. “Who did this to you?”

I wince, not ready to revisit what happened yet. “I’m surprised you didn’t think it was Aris,” I say, trying to stall.

Henry looks appalled. “Aris would never do this.”

I stare, not sure what he means by that. Aris wouldn’t hurt someone? Of course he would. Aris wouldn’t hurt me? But he has.

“But—”

“Who did this?”

I don’t want to say the name—would it summon him? Who knows what he’s capable of?“Jaegen,” I say after a pause.

Henry goes still, and his hold gets impossibly tighter. “What.” It isn’t a question; he spits the word out like a curse.

“That’s what he said his name was,” I say slowly.

“Did you talk to him? What did you say? Mary, Jaegen is dangerous.”

“I know. He made me—”

“What? He made you—?”

I can see where his thoughts are going. “No, he didn’t touch me or anything. It’s just—”

“He hurt you.”

“It was kind of, I don’t know, just his… presence that hurt me? It was…” There isn’t a word to describe my encounter with Jaegen. There is nothing to explain how something so much stronger sank its claws into me and ripped out a chunk of meat. “Overstimulating,” I finally say.

“He showed you his true form?” demands Henry, face contorting with rage. “Is he insane?”

True form? “I—”

He takes a sharp breath and sets me down carefully, turning his back to me as he begins to pace. Back and forth, back and forth. “I have to go,” he says abruptly.

“What?” I scramble to my feet, which wobble beneath me. “Go where?”

“I have to go!” he says again, and dashes back to the Institute.

I stare after him, confused as to what just happened. One moment he’s looking at me like I’m the sun, and the next he can’t wait to get away.

The mention of Jaegen obviously triggered something. Maybe he’s scared, or doesn’t want me involved. I wish he’d just tell me that.

I stand there for some time, waiting for him to come back, but he never does. Finally, when the cold has bitten me thoroughly, I walk back to my room with a hand over my heart as one does an injury. It doesn’t hurt, but I feel like it should; it stopped, and I died. This feels like something to tend to.

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