Page 77 of Death Deals

“No.” The word shot from my mouth before I could register it. I didn’t want to leave Cole, not even for a second. Just in case.

Just in case what, Jade?

I didn’t even want to think about the answer. Not like I could do anything if it did happen, but still, I needed to be here.

Suddenly, Cole’s shouts silenced and the last of Sean’s words snapped from him like the crack of a whip. The sharp stillness in the room was deafening, and slowly, I turned to see Cole slumped in the chair, his head hanging to his chest. Only its small rises and falls confirmed he was breathing. Barely, but he was.

I crept toward the circle. “Did it work?” I asked.

“Jade.”

Despite Eli’s warning, my feet moved me closer to the chair.

“C-Cole?” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Are you there?”

I reached out to him.

Before I could touch his shoulder, his head snapped up and he glared at me with glowing red eyes.

I pulled back, heart hammering against my ribs.

“Monnie,” I growled as anger replaced all my fear.

“In the flesh,” he replied then chuckled. “What? Were you expecting someone else?”

I backed out of the demon trap.

“I-I don’t understand. It should have worked,” Sean said, going over the notes in his Bible again. Confusion knitted his brow. “Everything was done right. Everything.”

“Yes, and I’d say it was quite invigorating. But you’ve never exorcised a demon quite like me before.” Monnie’s gaze flicked back to me, and he smiled. “I’m special, right Jade?”

Yeah, a real special pain in the ass.

Had it all been an act? Even the part with Cole calling for me? His voice… His eyes changing color… I just didn’t know.

“A few white candles and some outdated book of nonsense. You’ll have to do better than that, boy.”

“I’m not giving up. We’ll keep trying.” Sean looked at me for some kind of reassurance that we were doing the right thing. “We have to.”

“You’re wasting your time,” Monnie replied.

Andre peered at Eli. It was clear they were both on board with ending this now. More quickly and efficiently.

Sean flipped through his pages and scanned the text, searching for another solution. “It should have worked.”

Cole’s eyes—now a fiery red—reminded me how close he was to Hell being his final destination. Without the cure, he had no chance.

I couldn’t let that happen.

“Do it again,” I ordered and tossed another one of the Holy Water bottles to Andre.

As he poured the water over him, Cole yelled and kicked at the ground. His skin peeled and bled, oozing black slime. Sean took his cue and lifted his hand, ready to start the painstaking ritual from the beginning.

Three more tries and it became clear we were only giving Cole a slower, more agonizing death. Monnie wasn’t budging, and by the end, Cole’s skin was charred and blood leaked from his ears, nose, and eyes. We were killing him.

After hours of exhausting Sean’s resources, we decided it was best to break for now. Everyone was exhausted and banged up from the battle with Monnie’s Halflings, so it was agreed we’d rest and reconvene after to discuss a new plan. And bywe, I meant them. I knew sleep would never come for me. Instead, I stayed behind, sitting with my back against the wall, watching Cole’s unconscious form slumped in the chair.

I rested my forehead on my hand, racking my brain for another solution—anything—that could save him. But the only thing I could come up with was giving myself up to Monnie and his deal.

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