Page 75 of Death Deals

“It’ll work,” Sean assured. Cole was his friend, too. He didn’t want to see him murdered.

A few more tense moments dragged by with no change in Eli. He glared at Monnie with hatred burning in his hazel eyes. He wanted to stake him so badly. I could see the war raging inside him—his duty versus his devotion to me. And right now, he wasn’t sure which one reigned over the other.

Eli jerked his weapon away, the golden spear vanishing into thin air, decision made.

Relieved, I let out all my held breath.

Before Monnie could move, Eli seized him by the shirtfront and wrenched him to his feet. “We need a place to put him,” he said.

“The hotel’s basement,” I replied before he could change his mind. “The vampires held prisoners down there before.”

Andre pressed his lips into a thin line, obviously not happy with our choice to keep him alive.

With rough hands and jerky movements, Eli shoved Monnie toward the door. To my surprise, Monnie didn’t fight him, only went along with the same pleased smile on his face, which only heightened my anxiety.

I couldn’t help but feel like we were falling right into another one of his traps. Like some fucked up game of chess, he always managed to stay one step ahead of me. But what other choice did I have? Icouldn’tlet them kill Cole. Even if it was to save me. I just couldn’t.

I’d never forgive myself.

Sean’s exorcism was our only option. If we could pull Monnie out, then he would be free game.

This had to work.

Ithadto… because deep down, I knew, for Cole’s sake, there was no plan B.

Down to the basement, we went. The ride was eerily quiet, and like before, Monnie didn’t struggle. He took his captivity with a smile, even allowing Eli to bind him to a chair with the chains as Sean spray painted the symbols for a demon trap around him.

Magically and physically bound with the promise of an exorcism pending, you’d think he’d have been tenser. At least break a sweat. But no. He appeared to be enjoying every minute of his time at the Hotel Piazza like it was an unplanned vacation. It was unnerving.

As Sean searched for the things he needed, Kay and Arianna helped bandage my wounds. He joined us back in the basement sometime later with three water bottles, a large leather-bound book, three tea-light candles, matches, a mirror, and a handgun.

“Sorry, it took a bit. I had to ask the front desk for white candles, and this was all they had.” He set the candles in a triangle around the demon circle with the topmost point at Cole’s back and the two others by his feet.

“Is the color significant? White candles?” I asked.

“White symbolizes purity and enhances good magic,” Arianna chimed in. “We use them a lot in spells, too.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Sean replied.

“And the rest of it?” I asked, pointing to the bottles. “In case you get thirsty?”

“Holy Water,” he said. He tossed one toward Andre, who had been hanging out behind Monnie and Cole since we’d gotten down here. He caught it with ease.

“What do I do with this?” Andre asked.

Sean put down the other two bottles. “Dowse him with it.”

Monnie’s head whipped to the side, trying to get a good look at Andre, but since he was stuck in the chair, he couldn’t get one. “Don’t you dare, vampire,” he snarled, his voice strangely both his and Cole’s mixed together.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Andre twisted the cap off and poured it all over him. The second the Holy Water touched Cole’s skin, blisters bubbled and he threw his head back and screamed.

Andre grinned. He might have been getting too much enjoyment out of his part in this.

Sean picked up the thick book and opened to a random page. When I peered over his shoulder, I realized it was a Bible, but not exactly a Christian one. Its overall set up looked much older, and some of the words had been either scribbled out entirely, highlighted, or marked with notes in the margins. Modifications he—and maybe his father—had made during their attempts before.

“No cross?” Kay asked as she fiddled with the rosary around her neck. “Don’t priests normally hold crosses when doing these things?”

Sean snorted. “Maybe in movies.”

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