Page 99 of Dating the Dealing Demon

Monty.

He barrels into Gilly, knocking her off me.

Now, she’s the one screaming in pain.

Good.

Monty rips at her wings, tearing at them as though they’re made of the chains he broke off me.

Gilly slashes at him, and he bites at her claws before burning the shit out of her face. Cutting off his flames, he flies to me, nudging me with his snout.

Ugh, he reeks of something vile. I could kiss him.

“It’s good to see you too, buddy,” I say.

Gilly staggers to her feet, and I can’t risk her opening another portal or siccing one of her monsters on Monty. Or me.

“Let’s finish this,” I tell Monty, and he gives what I take as a supportive screech.

Pushing past the agony of what feels like a thousand daggers still tearing my middle apart, I stumble forward. My palm has gone slick with sweat and blood, so I adjust my grip on the hatchet.

Don’t think about the gore, the violence, or the fact that I’ll be a murderer. Just concentrate on ending Gilly’s reign of horror and Theo not having to live with being the one to kill her. If he can live with me after I do this. If I can survive it.

Monty attacks, and I hack until she falls to the ground.

A shadow monster takes form beside me, his white eyes glowing and scary claws longer than my arms. He slashes and I duck, but not before the whir of those bone-like claws zip way too close to my head.

I go to my knees, knowing I don’t look like a cool superhero from an action flick or one of Meg’s games. No, I look like a woman on the verge of bleeding out. Monty covers me while I chop with the hatchet until I’m sure Gilly won’t be getting up ever again.

I’m covered in blue and red blood, muck, tears, snot, and whatever the hell might be dripping off the shadow monster. But it’s over.

Except the shadow monsters are still here, battling the demon army Theo brought with him.

Why couldn’t the awful monsters gopoofwhen I killed the villain like they do in the movies? The one closest to me is still very much alive and present.

Where is Theo? Why hasn’t he come back? Sure, he’s been gone probably a minute that feels like an eternity, but I need to see that he’s okay. That the shadow monsters haven’t killed my mate.

What kills shadow monsters? I remember my failed attempt at taking out Reginald with bolts of light magic, the way I burned from within after the Valley of the Gods, my friends talking about coming into their magic.

Imissmy friends.

Pain has me rolling to the ground away from Gilly. It appears I won’t be getting up again either. I press my hands to my stomach, but I can’t stop the bleeding. The pain—it’s less than it was before.

That’s good.

Exhaustion hits.

Or maybe that’s bad.

Through my tunneling vision, I can only make out parts of the shadow monster. Monty breathes fire at him, and he swipes at my little dragon.

I won’t lose Monty again.

I won’t lose Theo.

Even if it means breaking the promise I made him about not to using my magic. How many times has he broken his promise not to leave me? I can’t remember. Hell, I can’t think of much of anything except how loud the ringing in my ears is. The pounding pulse from earlier is gone.

That can’t be good.

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