Page 74 of Death Deals

But if I went with Monnie, I was dooming everyone else to an apocalyptic war they couldn’t win.

“Well, Jade? What will it be?”

The sudden flash of long blond hair had me tensing. Andre. He had snuck over to our side of the roof. Whether it was because he’d sensed my panic through our blood connection or his natural distrust of Cole, I didn’t know. And frankly, I didn’t care because I needed his help right now.

Monnie continued to stare at me, waiting on my response.

Andre stepped behind him. I glanced at him nervously.

Catching my shift, Monnie turned. At the same time, Andre rushed at him, taking him down to the ground with a grunt.

“He’s possessed!” I shouted.

Monnie’s red eyes flashed as they wrestled, his demon strength giving Andre’s vampirism a run for its money. Suddenly, the others rounded the unit, finding us.

“Demon,” Eli growled and pointed his spear dangerously close to Monnie’s neck. Both men stopped moving. When Eli gestured for Andre to move, he did and Eli took his place standing over him.

Monnie’s face—Cole’s face—twisted in disgust. “This guard dog doesn’t give up,” he spat and glared up at him. “Go ahead. Run me through, Guardian. Do it.”

Eli pulled his weapon back, aiming it for the middle of Cole’s and Monnie’s chest.

My hands whipped out, terror flying through me. “Stop! No!”

Eli paused, spear stopped mid-air, and glanced at me. “Jade—”

“You can’t,” I gasped. My chest was wound so tight, it felt like I’d explode at any moment. “He’s in Cole. You’ll kill him, too.”

His expression told me that it didn’t matter to him, and it shouldn’t matter to me, either. He had Monnie—the demon that was trying to drag me to Hell—right where we wanted him. Killing him would end my contract. His death would set me free.

But I couldn’t let him kill Cole, and Monnie knew that. He knew I wouldn’t allow it.

A smirk tugged across Monnie’s lips. His plan was working out just how he’d planned.

“Go on,” Andre urged Eli. “What are you waiting for, angel? Send the demon back to Hell.”

Sean pushed forward, panic making his words come out in a jumble. “We can force the demon out. We just need to perform an exorcism.”

An exorcism. Right. If Monnie wouldn’t come out willingly, we would just eject him out. No one had to die.

“Let’s go with that. I like his plan better.”

“Of course she does,” Arianna mumbled under her breath.

Still, Eli’s spear never wavered, the point just inches from Cole’s heart.

And really, it was Cole’s. It was his body I was looking at. His soul was in there, too, only suppressed by Monnie’s. Seeing his ruffled hair and boyish appearance with Eli’s weapon hovering so close made me ill.

“Do you know how to perform one, Sean?” Kay asked.

He nodded. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done one either,” he said.

“That’s a weird thing to brag about,” Arianna said to him.

He ignored her and continued. “We can bind him in a demon trap. It’ll hold him until I get what we need for the exorcism.”

“And if it doesn’t work?” Andre asked.

“Then Eli can spear him through the heart.” I turned to the Guardian. “I won’t stop you. No one will.”

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