Page 58 of Death Match

Michael’s voice added in, “There’s one more Trial for you, Jade.”

That surprised me. Eli had just said that kind of information couldn’t be disclosed, yet here Michael was bending the rules. I guessed you could do that sort of thing when you were running the joint.

Or maybe it was a bit of compassion after what I’d just endured? A reward for beating three Trials already? Not sure. But Eli’s silence told me he was just as confused as I was by Michael’s admission.

One more Trial. I had one more left.

Okay. I could do this.

Bitter coldness began to curl my toes and travel up my legs, signaling the start of another piece of my final memory. Because of the whole ordeal with Kay, I had almost forgotten the perk that came with finishing each one of these Trials.

As the cold spread and my vision blanked, my pulse raced with a combination of trepidation and anticipation. Time to find out more about who Jade Blackwell was during her life.

When everything came into focus again, I was back on the street where living-Jade’s building stood, but I’d landed across the way this time, near the stop where those thugs had hung out. They had moved on from the looks of it. The steps were macho-men free. I felt my chest loosen with relief.

Turning, I spotted my living-self walking my way, still wearing the same jacket and messenger bag that I knew concealed the bruises underneath. The same clothes and darkening sky meant I was most likely viewing the same day.

Could this be the moment I died?

With hands stuffed in her jacket pockets and head down, living-Jade trudged forward. I stepped aside to let her pass, and as she did, a male’s voice called from nearby.

“Hey,princesa!”

Both our heads snapped up at the same time to find the wannabe gangster, Gerald, and his groupies coming out of the building’s vestibule and hurrying down the steps.

So, they hadn’t moved, like I had originally thought. They’d been waiting for her—me—to come this way again.

I ground my teeth at the name they’d given me. I didn’t know Spanish, but it didn’t take a genius to know he had called me princess. Condescending idiots.

It seemed to have pissed living-Jade off, too, because she threw them a glare and started walking again, a little faster this time, but the four guys rushed to block her way, forming a human wall.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Gerald asked, crossing his arms. I hadn’t noticed before, but he was wearing a jean jacket with the sleeves cut off so that his muscles were on full display. He made sure to flex them as he spoke. Because intimidating a girl who was minding her own business and walking home was that important to him.

Must have a micro-penis.

When Jade didn’t answer him, he called out again, “Oi! I asked you a question!”

“Home,” living-Jade scoffed in return and turned to cross the street. One of the other thugs—a guy with an oversized white T-shirt and baggy jeans—snatched her by the arm and jerked her back to the sidewalk.

Something tickled the back of my head, and anger flared instantly. Just like those little moments when I was grabbed by demons or Tristen, the level two sorcerer I’d reaped way back when.

That same rage was in living-Jade’s eyes, too. Her gaze flicked from her arm where the jerk held her to his face, which bore a pleased smile. He wanted to see her react.

“You have one second to let me go, or you’re going to regret it,” she growled.

I swore I saw a muscle in her jaw twitch, like she was grinding her teeth. The sudden pain in my temples told me I was doing the same thing.

The bastardlaughed.Actually laughed, head thrown back, spit flying and all.

Then, in one swift motion, living-Jade twisted, threw her arm over his to break their contact, then threw an elbow to his nose. There was an audiblecrackand blood spurted. I laughed in surprise. The jerk cried out and cupped it with his hands, but the blood flowed through his fingers, staining his white tee red.

I didn’t feel a lick of remorse. I mean, she—I—had warned him.

“Fuck, don’t just stand there,” he croaked as he looked at his friends for back. He winced from the pain. “Yonny, what the fuck man. Get your bitch.”

That’s when every hand grabbed for her. Living-Jade used her messenger back as a weapon to block them and bat them away. Gerald managed to get ahold of her jacket and yanked hard, causing the seam to split at the shoulder and reveal some of the deep purple and blue bruises.

Seeing them, Gerald paused in surprise, but it was just enough time for living-Jade to untangle herself from the group and run into the middle of the street.

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