Page 97 of Death Wish

I had to hope so.

“Me in in your little Hell hole forever in exchange for them.” I added more force this time to show him I wasn’t playing around. “All of them.”

I didn’t trust demons. There was nothing to assure Xaver wouldn’t spin around and grab the other three after the deal was done.

Xaver’s gaze roamed over every face in the yard, and he frowned, as if I had spoiled his plans. When his eyes landed on me again, his expression twisted into something devious. Animalistic and unnatural.

“You’re willing to give up yourself and your eternity for these…blood sacks?” he asked.

“I’m not negotiating,” I said, staying firm. “That’s my offer. Take it or leave it.”

He scratched is sunken cheek with one talon, pretending to be in deep thought.

To mock me and my deal or was he actually considering it?

The tense moments dragged by, every second like a painful prick to my skin. I didn’t have a plan B. If this didn’t work, I didn’t know what I was going to do.

“Jade…” Laurence’s whisper came from behind me. “Are you sure?”

Absolutely.

“Is there another part of this plan we should know about?” Sean asked.

Nope. This was all I had.

“We could just light him up,” said Wyatt, his hold never wavering on his shotgun. It was still aimed and ready to go at any second. “Sounds good to me.”

I stayed locked on Xaver, waiting for his decision. Even though I was shaking on the inside, I had to keep the façade of complete calmness on the outside. Maybe if I made it appear like he was getting the better end of the deal, the demon would take it.

Glancing at the tops of Cole and Kay’s heads peeking out from the Hell pit, anger tugged at me. I didn’t like gambling with lives, and I was growing tried of whatever game Xaver was playing.

“Going once,” I said, holding up one finger. Testing him. When he didn’t even flinch, I put up two fingers. “Going twice.”

Disbelief flashed across his face. This wasn’t a joke. I meant business.

“Deal,” he said finally and snapped his fingers.

Kay and Cole floated out of the pit again. Once their feet touched solid ground, their eyes fluttered open, as if waking from a deep sleep.

“Wha-what’s going on?” Kay asked, rubbing her forehead.

Laurence hurried over to her and hugged her tight.

“Laurence?”

With Kay in his arms, he mouthed the words, “Thank you” to me over and over.

I smiled. “Get her out of here,” I whispered. “Wyatt and Sean will help you with the cure.”

Sean nodded and moved closer to them. “We will.”

When I turned back around, Cole was staring at me intently. There was heavy conflict behind his eyes. I doubted he knew I had been behind the motel door listening in to his conversation with Azrael. This was something else.

“Jade… I…”

I shook my head. “You don’t need to say anything. It’s done,” I told him. “Just please make sure you help Kay with the ritual. Promise me.”

“What did you do?” He glanced back at Xaver, who was grinning broadly. “No. No, you didn’t.” When his head whipped my way again, his eyes were wide. “You didn’t make a deal.”

---