Page 15 of The Girl Who Only Died Once

If that’s what the demon is after.

It’s hard for her to think that there’d be anything else kept in a place like this. Even though she knows these carved away hideouts are usually multipurpose, nothing in her research would indicate that there was anything that a demon would be interested in. Some paperwork, some prisoners, but not…not anything significant.

Chloe’s hand moves to her bag, tugging out a Five-Hour Energy and strip of fruit leather. She doesn’t feel low on power, but she definitely feels odd.

That little knockout is the first time she’s slept since she was brought back.

She hesitates halfway through tearing the plastic around the five-hour energy shot, then scrambles to grab her phone.

It’s full of blinking messages. And it’s been three and a half hours since she last checked it, giving her a good timeline for how long her impromptu nap took away from her.

DELINA (9:18 AM): What exactly is creepy?

DELINA (10:01 AM): Okay, you saying that and then not responding is bullshit.

MAISON (10:25 AM): Human illusion or Demon, can you tell?

DELINA (10:39 AM): I can tell you’re still alive, but this isn’t cool.

Chloe sighs, letting her eyes flicker to the skull, then back to the phone and the people she owes emotional answers to.

CHLOE (12:58 PM): Sorry, phone lost contact. I’m roughly 50 feet underground, so it was bound to happen.

It’s better than saying she got knocked out by a demon and left with a skull. They’ll worry less.

DELINA (1:00 PM): I thought you got Axel to walk you through how to get always-signal?

CHLOE (1:01 PM): Turns out there are limitations.

Again, another kind little lie, but she shoves her phone into her pocket once again, downing the energy shot and scarfing down the too-sweet fruit leather.

Everything inside of her tingles with something between excitement and fear.

Careful, she taps the pen light in her hand again, flicking back over to a battery, and it cooperates, easy as anything in her palm. No loss of ability, no loss of dexterity, no other side effects.

So she digs out her trustworthy bottle of ibuprofen from her bag, popping a headache dose, and pushes herself up to standing.

And doesn’t wobble.

Still, the eye sockets from the skull seem to follow her, too perceptive.

Impulsive, she snaps a picture of it, sending it to Delina. If nothing else, bones should entertain a Necromancer and get her off her back.

It sends without any issue.

DELINA (1:07 PM): What happened to no signal?

Fuck.

CHLOE (1:08 PM): Sent that a while go, must’ve just connected.

And with one last look to the skull, which has of course remained in place, she strides through the patch of light and to the next ladder.

There’s a lock, pristine and open, hanging on the trap door.

Figures someone would have done the one fun part of all of this and open the only lock she’s seen in the place.

The demon’s footsteps down are far fresher than before, and the bright light continues down, though the hallway takes a sharp turn, obstructing her view further.

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