Page 155 of Death is My Ride or Die

“Great, that doesn’t sound ominous or anything!”

Ace staggered to us, panting, and splattered with blood. “Let’s all focus on thecurrentissue at hand, shall we?” He jabbed a finger across the room to Death, who happened to be punting a demon head soccer-style into a wall.

“We’ll need your help to get him to resurface,” Malphas said to me. “He’s still in there, Faith.”

“And how do I do that? Kiss him on his big, fanged, covered-in-demon-gore mouth and snap him out of it?”

“Do what you did on the roof,” Malphas said as he thrust his sword backward under his armpit and into a creature coming up behind him. He pulled the blade out and turned to slice off its head before pivoting back around without breaking a sweat. “Try not to get your face eaten off, though, yeah?”

Ace scoffed, his eyes glowing white as he shouted a command at another demon, bringing it to its knees. “Can we be serious right now?”

“Agreed,” I said firmly. “We need to work together. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re kinda the Dream Team.” I motioned to Ace and Malphas. “Or at least you two are, and I intermittently come in clutch.” Then I stuck my hand out in the middle of the three of us for an epic huddle break. “On three: ‘Get Death’s pruner back!’”

Malphas looked at Ace. “What is wrong with her?”

“So many things,” Ace said with a shake of his head. “I will work to keep Ahrimad contained with another cocoon of magic. Long enough for you, Weirdo, and the rest of the Scooby gang to euthanize Grandpa Time.”

“That was funny,” Malphas admitted with a stiff, soldier-like nod. “Funnier than what Weirdo said.” He put his hand forward. “I’ll break on that.”

I unenthusiastically broke with them, realizing my new nickname had become “Weirdo.”

“Wait,ma chérie,” Ace said, clutching my hand. His eyes carefully searched mine, and I could see the hesitation as he chose his next words. “See you on the other side.”

A small drop of dread landed in my stomach, as I didn’t quite know what he meant by that.

Just then, a demon manifested behind Ace, hulking and seething. It threw out its massive arm and shoved Ace into the hard marble floor. With little time to react, I tried to punch my fist forward at the creature, as I’d been doing, but no light fired.

I shook out my hand, panic rising as the creature opened its jaws in a howl, putrid saliva dancing between its fangs. “Dude. Breath mint.”

Darkness spread like an aura from behind the beast, and its whole body jerked. Death stood behind it with his fist gripping its bloody backbone.

What had seemed like Death saving me from certain death turned into a nightmare once he looked down at me with a feral, empty look in his eyes.

“Cupcake,” I said, trembling.

Death dropped the spine in his hand with a low, predatory noise. I stumbled over my feet as he stalked toward me, his movements so fast they blurred in my vision.

Suddenly, a massive piece of marble hurled into Death’s side, knocking him slightly off-balance. A roar unleashed from his mouth as Malphas manifested and drew his sword.

“Can’t let you kill your girlfriend, son. She’s goofy, but I rather like her.”

“Liar!”Death hissed.

Death lunged for Malphas, swiping out his claws at a speed that Malphas barely evaded.

“I know there’s a lot you’re processing,” Malphas said. “Don’t give up because of me. Giving up means that Ahrimad wins.”

Another swipe of deadly talons forced Malphas to fight back as he disappeared and reappeared behind Death. His sword sliced into the back of Death’s legs, nearly bringing him to his knees. Faltering, but refusing to fall, Death released another thunderous roar.

“Remember who you are!” Malphas shouted. “You’re in control!”

Death straightened to his full height, towering over Malphas. “Murderer . . . ”

Shadows twisted down Malphas’s blade and ripped the weapon straight out of his hand. Death moved his head sharply to the side, and the shadows punched into Malphas’s torso, slamming him into the ground.

A shoe bounced off Death’s head. Ace’s shoe. Death’s horned head snapped toward him, and he snarled. His feet launched into the air as he pounced off the ground, landing in front of the warlock like a monstrous cat. Ace crawled backward along the ground, clutching at his shoulder, which he’d landed on, his face tight with pain as he tried to pick himself up. Death plucked him up by the shirt like he weighed nothing, pinning him to the wall as his long, black fingers gripped Ace’s jaw. The fast drum of my heart pounded my vision as I watched, frozen. Deadly fangs elongated—

“Cowabunga!”I leapt onto Death’s massive back, grabbing two fistfuls of his hair and yanking his skull backward. Darkness flashed in front of me as Death abruptly transported, taking me with him. I choked on my breath as we reappeared elsewhere in the room.

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