Page 94 of Death Wish

Xaver’s glowing red eyes bore into the human standing off in front of him, as if he couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. Then, amusement toyed with his beastly features. “You’ll need to let me out of this trap first.”

“Fuck no,” Wyatt yelled immediately.

“No way,” followed Laurence.

Xaver turned toward Sean. “How about you, pretty boy? You want to be a good kid and let me out?”

Another loud bang of a gun, this shot skimming the side of Xaver’s neck. Instantly, the skin sizzled.

In one swift motion, Wyatt popped the empty shells out and reloaded. “Don’t test me, demon.”

I admired his need to protect his son, even if Sean was more of a man than a boy. There was no doubt in my mind he knew his way around a weapon, too. Especially growing up with a father like Wyatt.

I wasn’t proud of myself, but in that moment, I wished Cole were here. He would know what to do in the situation we were in. Better yet, he would have something special in his backpack that could maybe save the day.

Who knew where he was. Probably still at the motel or roaming the streets of Fairport trying to find me for his contract with Azrael. I ground my teeth at the thought.

Fuck him. I didn’t need him. Or his stupid backpack.

“Let him out,” I said.

Every head whipped my way. It felt as if I were pinned into a corner. What other option did I have? Every second counted now. Tomorrow was the solstice. There wouldn’t be another time to summon Xaver to collect his blood and perform the cure ritual.

“Are you out of your mind?” Wyatt said in a harsh whisper. “The first thing he’s going to do is come after us.”

“We’ll keep our guns on him the entire time. If he tries anything funny, blast him.”

“I don’t know about this, Jade…” Laurence said. “There has to be another way.”

“What if he runs?” Sean added.

I eyed the demon before us, who was grinning wide enough to show every single pointed tooth.

“He won’t run,” I said. “Not when he hears that I have a deal for him.”

“A deal…?” Xaver’s pointed ears perked up at that. What was it with demons and deals? I thought that was just a rumor. “What kind of deal?”

Cautiously, I approached him and the demon trap. Like I did with the spirit circles, I smudged one of the outermost lines with my boot, deactivating the magic binding him to the spot.

I held my breath, praying I wasn’t wrong about this and my promise of a deal was enough to keep Xaver earthbound. More importantly, I hoped I hadn’t just signed everyone’s death warrants by letting a powerful demon go.

Slowly, Xaver stepped out of the trap. His gaze stayed locked on me the entire time.

Okay, light power thing. Whatever you are. Get ready. I might need you here. I called to the white energy inside me, praying I would somehow be able to control it this time and it would listen to my pleas.

Laurence held his fireball, and Wyatt and Sean aimed their guns.

Xaver crossed the yard until he got to a flat, grassless area. Then, he held out his hand and pressed his claws into his palm. Black goo flowed from the self-inflicted wounds onto the ground.

Was that…his blood? Gross. It looked like tar. Smelled like it, too.

Walking in a small circle, he let the sludge spill.

The dirt in the center quaked before falling away completely, leaving a bottomless crater in the earth.

I stepped back. The last time a hole had opened up in Wyatt’s yard, a bunch of Halflings had crawled out and tried to kill us.

Instead, Kay floated up from the pit and hovered there in midair, out of reach.

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