Page 41 of Death Wish

When Cole tried to shift himself in the ripped chair, his body didn’t move. It was as if he were pinned to the seat by an invisible force. A spray-painted circle with obscure symbols marked the carpeting under the chair.

Some kind of magic binding Cole to his spot?

I moved toward him, but his gaze snapped to me in warning.

“It’s a demon trap,” he explained to me. “Meant to keep demons confined to one place.”

No wonder he wanted me to avoid the other spots like the one on the rug. Even though other symbols sprawled across the floor, who knew what they were capable of—what any of these other weird squiggles and loops across all the boarded windows and wallpaper were capable of. Hopefully they were just for protection and nothing painful. Like sending someone straight to a Hell dimension.

“So, it’s true. You are one of those…those things,” Wyatt spit.

Cole shook his head. “I have demon blood in me, yes. But I am not a full-blood. I’m a half—”

“A Halfling,” Wyatt finished.

He grunted. “No, I’m not.”

“He’s still before the full corruption,” I said, making Wyatt’s furious glare whirl on me. I’m sure Cole didn’t need my help with the explanation. I certainly didn’t know him any more than these humans did, but I couldn’t help myself from wanting to help him a bit.

“Do you have the Hellfire?” Wyatt asked, his hand tightening on the gun. “Is that what I saw before?”

Sean’s breath caught, as if he couldn’t believe it. “No way, Pop. He’s saved our skins too many times. A demon wouldn’t. That doesn’t make sense.”

Cole glanced away, ashamed. “I do have the Hellfire. But I work very hard not to use it.”

“Impossible.” Wyatt wasn’t having it.

“I’ve lasted this long without going full Halfling minion, haven’t I?” Cole said. “Those creatures outside… They aren’t me.”

“You’ll get corrupted. They always do.”

Cole’s expression hardened. Determined. “I prefer guns.”

Wyatt didn’t look convinced. “All your interest in finding Xaver makes sense now.”

Cole tried moving again in the chair, seeming uncomfortable.

When all his pulling and tugging didn’t work and he was still stuck in place, he sighed heavily. “I need the cure. To save Jade’s friend…and myself.”

There it was. His motivation for helping me. The truth behind it all.

I didn’t know why it hurt to hear, but it did. Maybe I was madder at myself for not seeing it sooner. In hindsight, it was the obvious answer to why he would be going through so much to find Kay a solution.

He didn’t want to help Kay. He wanted to help himself.

He was using me.

Fury bubbled up from somewhere deep within. For him and my own stupidity.

Sean’s calm voice snapped me back to the present. “We’ve been through every book and scroll. There is no cure. We’ve told you this.”

“There is one! There has to be,” Cole said, his blue eyes wild.

He’d become obsessed. But did I blame him, really? Find a cure or become one of those disgusting shadow creatures? Yeah, I’d pick cure, too.

That didn’t excuse him for trying to secretly use me to do it.

“And who is she?” Wyatt snapped, gesturing my way.

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