Page 32 of Death Trap

Super.

What could I do? I had a gun with limited bullets, a power I couldn’t use without pain, and a death touch that didn’t work on the already dead. I was basically useless, too.

Glancing at my wrist, I realized I had one more tool that could possibly save our skins. My watch. In my urgency, I pressed the distress button twice, just in case one time wasn’t enough. The screen didn’t light up, didn’t blink, didn’t even beep. In that instant, any hope I had of being rescued by Simon and the other reapers vanished.

“Well…” I began slowly. It was time to make something out of this shitty situation, which was my specialty. “If we can’t go back the way we came, I guess there’s nothing we can do but go forward?”

I started walking down the hall, but Eli’s hand was quick to grab me and pull me back. When I glanced at his hand clutching my upper arm, he jerked away with an apologetic look.

“It may be safer to wait for the next elevator to come and try to catch a ride back that way,” he said.

My eyes widened. “Do you have any idea how long that could be? Azrael was the only angel in the afterlife and so the only one with access to the elevator. With him gone, it could be forever before another one comes down. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to.”

Eli looked down the hall and hesitated. I wasn’t sure traveling through Hell was a good idea, either, but it was the only one we had right now.

“Besides, who knows how long it’ll be before a demon finds us here? We’re just sitting ducks,” I added.

He nodded. “As much as I don’t like it, you’re right.”

“Don’t like that I’m right or that we can’t stay here?”

He gritted his teeth. “Both.”

I could understand that.

“But Jade, you’re my responsibility. No matter what foolishness you’ve gotten us into this time—”

“Hey, I have a good reason,” I interjected.

Wait. This time? I’d done something like this before?

Well, at least I was consistent.

“As your Guardian, it’s my job to protect you,” he continued.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I’d never had anyone looking out for me before. Besides Simon’s mentoring in the beginning, I was always on my own. Free to destroy things for myself, and boy, was I good at that. He’d said something like this before, and honestly, every time I heard it, it made me uncomfortable. It was like he was pledging his allegiance to me, like I was a queen or something. It freaked me out. I didn’t want anyone risking their life for me.

“You need to stay by me. If things get bad, you must leave me behind and get yourself out of here. Don’t try to help me. It could cost you your soul.”

“What?” I rasped in disbelief. Was he out of his mind? What was he saying? He expected me to just leavehim if we were fighting demons? “Why are you talking like that?”

His brows knitted together. “You need to know what to expect. Just in case.”

“Just in case what, Eli?” I met his stare head-on.

“You are the one who’s important, Jade. I’ve told you that. You’re the one who needs to keep going. Not me.”

Even though I didn’t know Eli—well, couldn’t remember him—I wasn’t going to just run away with my tail between my legs if things got ugly. Did he know me at all? I wasn’t that type of person.

“I don’t know who you remember me being, but I’m not going to leave you anywhere. If we need to fight, we’ll do it together. And we’re leaving heretogether.Do you hear me? None of this ‘save yourself’ bullshit. It’s not my style.”

A whisper-smile captured his lips. “You haven’t changed at all.”

That was a relief. Glad to know I wasn’t gutless before being a reaper. “Thank you.”

Frowning, he looked away, inner pain suddenly crossing over his face.

“What is it?” I asked, confused by his change.

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