Page 201 of The Demon's Pet

I’m sorry, Simon. I’m sorry, Mor. I’m sorry, Griffin.

I sucked in a breath, still trying to push the blade back as it lowered to my neck and began to cut.

“I’m sorry, Sam,” I murmured, as if he could hear. “I just can’t do it.”

“He’s not here, you idiot,” Gabe said. “Too bad. I would have liked for him to see you die.”

A whistling sound interrupted us, and I looked up to see something speeding down out of the sky.

Something with black wings.

Sam, I realized as my heart leaped with joy.

But then I felt the blade cut farther into my skin and realized he was probably too late.

48

To my shock, the blade against my neck paused as Gabe looked up, now aware of the whistling noise and the blur of black flying at us.

It was coming toward us at almost supersonic speed, and when Sam landed, a huge explosion of dust and broken cement flew up under his feet, hiding him from sight for a few seconds.

When he walked out of the dust, wearing his black slayer outfit with the chains over his chest, he had both swords out and wore an expression that was more furious than I’d ever seen.

“You fucking bastard!” Sam spat at Gabe. “You coward. You waited for the moment I left, didn’t you?”

“Just a lucky coincidence.” Gabe stood, pulling his sword away from my neck. “Actually, I’m glad you’re back. You can die too, for betraying us. When you’re bleeding to death, you can watch me kill her.” Gabe pointed a finger at me. “Stay there.”

I crawled backward, looking up at Sam as pain still radiated through me, blood still leaking from my leg, which was struggling to heal.

“You okay, Cleo?” Sam asked, keeping his eyes, and swords, trained on Gabe as Gabe walked forward to fight him.

“Yes,” I rasped in a hiss. I could feel my healing taking over, my strength slowly returning, the demon in me cheered by him coming to my side.

Something in us was definitely connected because just seeing him made my heart feel stronger, made the fire inside me surge again, licking over my skin.

“You did amazing,” Sam said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner. I felt you through our bond.”

“Bond?” I asked, dazed.

“I’ll tell you more later,” he said, stepping back into a fighting stance. “I just have to take out some garbage.”

I lay back, trying to gather strength so I could push myself up to watch.

Two celestials with ninth realm power fighting was definitely something I wanted to see.

“Cleo!” Griffin shouted. “Cleo! Don’t die!”

“I won’t die,” I called back, waving a hand faintly.

“So,” Sam said, slowly circling with Gabe as I looked over at him. “You’ve gotten an upgrade.” He scented the air, then looked over at Bran’s body lying in the wreckage of the skeletal ruins. “Ah, I see. You took his dispensation.”

“And if I kill both of you, it’ll be permanent,” Gabe said, grinning.

“So celestial,” Sam said with a sneer. “You’ll do anything for power.”

“Wouldn’t you?” Gabe asked.

Sam slid a look at me. “Not for power. But I would do anything for her.” Then Sam leaped forward, aiming a diagonal slice across Gabe’s body with his black katana.

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