Disclaimer: We are not Kelley Armstrong, we don't own Darkest Powers and we make no money from this.

"So not only has Mark been haunting you because you ripped out his soul, but a demon tried making a baby by possessing me twice. And you didn't tell me because you didn't want me to worry since I couldn't protect you. Am I getting this right?" It was always a bad sign when Derek's voice was this level. An even worse sign was how he wouldn't even look at me.

I hung my head in shame. "I was hoping to deal with the problem before it became a problem. But then it spiralled out of control when the banishing spell didn't work."

"So you tried dealing with this on your own instead of talking to me." I could see the wheels turning in his head.

"It's not that I didn't trust you with this or something," I said quickly. "I just knew you were going to go crazy because you couldn't protect me against something you can't see, touch or hear."

Reaching for his hand, I had a moment of panic until he took it. When I looked up at him, I could see he was struggling. "Did you ever think I need to learn how to do that?"

I was a bit shocked that Derek was revealing way more than usual. His green eyes bore into mine, like he wanted me to read everything he was thinking. The hurt, the confusion. It didn't take a mind reader to know what was going on in his head.

"Jaime and I have a plan," I told him, feeling incredibly guilty. "You can help, as long as you can read the spell."

He nodded. "I don't like that you kept this from me. I knew there was something wrong."

"I know. I tried telling you before you left. But the thing with Tori…"

Derek nodded again. "You just have to trust me with these things."

"Let's just hope that this stuff doesn't happen again."

Valefar showed up the next morning as I was getting ready for school. "So, little necromancer, you truly do not wish to spawn my child. Your lover must be pleased."

"We had a deal, Valefar. I shouldn't even help you."

"Ah, but we had never agreed to anything just yet." I felt his breath on the back of my neck. "Now, will you help me find a body in which I can live in, or will you deal with your ghost on your own?"

"I'll help you if you deal with Mark."

"Fine. Your ghost friend has been dealt with. He is no longer a threat to you."

"When I have everything I need, I'll call you."

After school that day, I called Jaime. She was on her way from Stonehaven to help me with our plan. Armed with spells and ingredients, I felt hopeful that things would go back to normal soon. Well, normal for us anyways.

I missed Derek. Not just in the sense that he had left for the weekend, but the closeness we had had. I vowed that when this was all over with, Derek and I would spend quality time together. Maybe we could explore our newfound intimacy. The idea of spending a whole afternoon and evening in bed with Derek was good motivation. I just hoped our relationship was going to be okay once this was all over with.

By six, Jaime was knocking on the door at Kit's place and Derek and I got into her car. We drove in silence to the hospital in the next town, where our plan to get rid of Valefar would start.

The hospital was a medium sized place that only had two floors. Jaime and I found a ghost willing to tell us the name of the patients who were brain dead and whose family did not come by often. There were only two, so we picked the younger one. Derek and I then made our way to the front desk and asked where the patient - Sally Fraser - was, claiming we were family. The nurse told us the room number, eyeing Derek as if she wanted to eat him up. He didn't even seem to notice, which just compounded my guilt.

When we got into the room, there was only a nurse, who left quickly to give us privacy. She glanced at Jaime on her way out, a look of surprise on her face. She must have recognized her, though part of me wasn't sure if it was because she was famous or not. Either way, she left us alone.

Jaime pulled out the ingredients we were going to need from her bag. A large spell book came next, which she handed to Derek.

"Read this," she said, opening the book and pointing to a spell. "This will trap him in the body."

"Isn't that the point of the first spell?" Derek asked.

"Chloe and I's spell is to let the demon have control of the body so that the soul can't push him out."

"Is there even a soul in her?" I asked.

Jaime nodded. "Technically there is. She's probably asleep."

"Probably?"

"Well, she could also be awake and trapped, unable to leave but unable to move. And since she's not dead yet, as in her soul hasn't left her body, I can't talk to her."

"But then how is she technically considered dead?"

"Her body is dead, but she is being kept 'alive' by machines, which is like a loophole to the rules. Souls must hate the modern world."

I looked at Derek. "If I ever become a vegetable, please pull the plug."

He nodded. "Same."

"Now," Jaime said, "let's get this started. The faster we get this over with, the faster you lovebirds can get back to normal."

Derek went to stand by the door, closing it slightly. I gave him a quick smile for encouragement before closing the curtain around us and Sally.

Looking at the woman in the bed, I felt bad for her. I didn't know who she was, or what led her to her current state. But the idea that her soul might still be alive in her, and that we were using her to get rid of a demon, made me feel sick.

Jaime pulled out a pair of scissors and cut a small piece of Sally's hair.

"I know this is hard for you," Jaime said quietly, placing the hair in a bowl. "But at least her soul will be released after this. So not only are you freeing her when her family can't seem to do so, but you are also helping you and Derek."

"Will she know what's going on?"

Jaime pursed her lips. "Chloe, I'll be honest: I have no idea what's going to happen. But I know that if we don't try something, the demon will win. Maybe not today or tomorrow but he will."

I nodded in determination. "Let's do this."

Summoning Valefar was easy; he had been waiting for me to call him. "Ah, little necromancer. I see you brought in some help. Couldn't do it on your own?"

"She just wanted a second opinion," Jaime answered. I was surprised at her moderately differential tone, so different from her usual flippant self.

"Chloe might have denied my offer to spawn my children, but how about you? You're very pretty and still fertile." If he would have had a face we could see, I'm sure he would have been checking her out.

Jaime made a face but still seemed somewhat pleased by the compliment. "No, thank you."

"What a pity," Valefar said. "Fine then. Proceed."

I started mixing the oak ash with sea water, then added some crushed quartz. Jaime started chanting in a language I didn't know but I had a feeling most spells were in the same language. Latin maybe? But now wasn't the time to ponder, since I had to get the mixture perfectly. I added the last ingredient, a coil of shed snake skin, and a blue flame ignited for a second.

The woman on the bed suddenly jerked and she started clawing at the tube in her mouth. I could hear Derek's low chanting in the background and my heart started beating wildly in my chest.

"You tricked me," said the low, raspy voice coming from the woman in the bed. Her head turned towards us, her eyes glassy and unfocused, the orange dulled.

I could see the body thrashing, as if Valefar was struggling to get out. I stood watching it happen, shocked and unable to move. Jaime was the one who moved to pull the plug of the machines, essentially killing Sally Fraser. Derek ran in to grab me and we rushed out of there just as the alarms started going off. We narrowly missed being trampled by doctors and we left the hospital without a backwards glance.

The drive home was silent, much as it had been on the ride there. I was still a bit shell shocked from having seen that poor woman's body thrashing on the bed.

I hoped for her sake that she didn't feel a thing and that her soul had already crossed over.

That night, I was too shaken to go home, so Derek put me in his bed with a shirt and a pair of boxers of his. But as he went to leave I stuck out my hand, silently asking him to stay with me.

He lay down next to me, wrapping me up in his arms. Only when he kissed the top of my head did I finally start relaxing.

"She was innocent," I said. "She had nothing to do with this fight."

"The woman?"

"Sally," I replied. "She had a name. She had family."

"Chloe," Derek pulled me away from his chest so I could see his face, "she was already dead. Her family was keeping her alive with machines. That's not a life, you even said so yourself."

"I know, I know," I said. "I just…" I blew out in frustration. "I feel like she was an innocent bystander. And we pulled the plug."

Derek smoothed my hair. "Listen to me. You told me that if you were ever like that, that I should pull the plug. Don't you think that this Sally Fraser would have wanted the same thing?"

"I guess so," I said.

"So just think of that. You did her a favour." He kissed me softly. "Now I think it's time we sleep."

I nodded, getting comfortable in his arms. But sleep wouldn't come. I opened my eyes and saw that Derek wasn't sleeping either.

I leaned up to kiss him, and he kissed me back. But we didn't break away after a moment. The kiss continued. Derek slowly moved me to my back, putting some of his weight on me. I opened my legs to give him room between them.

The kisses stayed sweet, nothing hot and heavy about them. But it was building a fire in us both, which I could tell by the way Derek started slowly rocking into me. His hands found their way to the hem of my shirt and he slowly moved it upwards. I could feel him stroking my skin softly, as if he was afraid I would break. I leaned up to let him know he could take it off me.

His shirt came next so that when he leaned down to kiss me again, our skins could touch. The heat of him made me crave him closer.

I felt his lips move downwards to catch my nipple in his mouth. His soft tongue flicked against my skin and I squirmed at the feel. Derek continued this for a few minutes on each nipple before moving downwards.

Shimming down the boxers I was wearing, Derek put his nose right where my panties were wet. He inhaled softly and shuddered. He nudged me, teasing me, before using his finger to move the material away. His tongue shot out to lick me and he groaned in approval.

He moved to take off my underwear and the moment they were off my leg, he was right back between my legs. He put his finger inside me, slowly sliding in and out. Once I was thrashing on the bed trying not to moan, he put his mouth back, this time concentrating on my clit. His tongue teased me relentlessly until I shattered apart.

"Derek," I moaned softly, "be inside me."

Derek pulled off his pants and boxers, springing free his erection. Reaching over to his bedside table, Derek pulled out a condom and put it on. He positioned himself between my legs and slid into me. He groaned, clearly enjoying the feeling. He went slowly at first, but gradually gained speed. I had to bite his shoulder to stop from moaning.

His body suddenly spasmed with his orgasm and I heard him groan my name into my ear.

We stayed still for a moment, relishing in our lovemaking, before Derek rolled off me. He grabbed a tissue from the bedside table and handed it to me before taking another one for himself.

He helped me get dressed into his clothes again and he put his boxers back on.

"I know we need to talk," I told him as he cuddled up to me. "But can we just do it tomorrow? I'm too tired to talk now."

He kissed my head. "That's fine with me. It's been a long day."

I had to agree.

But as I dozed off, I heard a sound I wished I would never have heard again.

"Chloooooe, I'm baaack!"

Oh. My. God.