Page 66 of Death Wish

That got a smile out of her. “It’d be nice to meet you under different circumstances. Over drinks or something. If that’s allowed over there. I know I need one.”

“It is,” I said. “And that sounds good to me.”

I’d need one, too, after all of this.

Moving to the edge of the spirit door, she hesitated and glanced up at me. “If it wasn’t for you working with Masters, I’d even go as far as to say I like you.”

I laughed. Despite all that Cole had said about Marla, I was beginning to like her, too.

Then, sucking in a deep breath and holding it, Marla squeezed her eyes shut, as if she were about to dive into a swimming pool, and jumped through the door.

After smearing the chalk marks and sealing it closed, I peered back at Marla’s dead body and the pool of blood she lay in. She had said those two angry-looking men who had come into the shop had been asking about the Breath of Life herb, too. Then a couple of hours later a gaggle of Halfling demons attacked her in her shop.

Who knew about the demon cure besides us? And were these Halfling attacks because of it, or did someone just want us out of the way? Was it Xaver, maybe because we had the mother of his spawn hidden from him, or was it another demon?

Coincidence?

Too much had happened these past few days for me to believe in coincidences.

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