Hold Tight

“It’s two more years than some demons offer.”

“Thirty years,” I countered.

He chuckled and stepped in front of me again. “I’ll tell you what, because I like you, I’ll give you ten.”

Counting on a witch’s soul being an extremely hot commodity in hell, I said, “Thirty’s as low as I’m willing to go.”

“Then you’ll want to hurry back to the hospital so you can spend some time with Chase before he dies.” Caden turned and walked away.

Guilt over having put Chase in ICU in the first place gnawed at my conscience as my heart crumbled with grief.

“Wait. Twenty. Please.” Even as I begged, I tried to convince myself that it would be okay. I’d still have plenty of time to graduate high school and college and figure out what I wanted to be as an adult. I was doing a poor job of fooling myself, though. I’d only be thirty-six when my debt came due.

Caden faced me, a coy smirk etched into his features. “Deal.”

“Is my brother better?” I asked, not sure how it all worked.

“All deals have to be sealed.”

“Do I sign something or do we shake on it?” I held out my trembling hand for good measure.

He strolled closer. “I’ll accept a handshake from a guy, but when it’s a pretty girl such as you, I prefer something more intimate.”

Ignoring my outstretched hand, he put his fingers under my chin, tilting my head up. For a demon, he had a soft touch. I wanted to protest, but my voice seemed to have left my body. His lips met mine, and shame flooded me as I let it happen.

This is a business transaction, I silently reminded myself.

Caden wrapped an arm around my back, yanking me closer as his tongue coaxed my lips apart. Snowflakes hit our skin and melted immediately. His smoky scent was intoxicating.

I will not enjoy this.

But even as I thought it, my mouth moved with his. I did not just think Caden smelled nice; I liked the feel of his lips. It had been so long since I’d been this intimate with a guy without the threat of being shocked. I missed not having to focus on my powers. I missed being able to get lost in a kiss.

A tear ran down my temple and forged a path past my ear. If it was out of pleasure or betrayal, I wasn’t sure—because, despite his elevated temperature, his touch froze every muscle in my body. No way would I tell Isaac that this was how I had sealed the deal with the crossroad demon.

As abruptly as Caden had held me tighter, he broke our kiss and stumbled backward.

I dragged the back of my fingers over my mouth as if I could erase the memory of his lips on mine. Caden didn’t seem to notice.

“Deal’s off,” he said, taking another step back as if I had the plague.

“What?” I did not just kiss another guy for nothing.

“Your soul—it’s not yours to give.” Wonder oozed from his words. “Someone else holds its title. No soul, no deal.”

“No one holds its title,” I snapped. But that wasn’t entirely true—not if I’d bound myself to Isaac to keep Reed from being able to feed off my aura. “Omigod.”

My whole world crashed down on me, forcing me to my knees. I buried my face in my hands and cried.

As unexpected as my mom’s death was, it hadn’t been sudden. I’d had time to realize that she was slowly fading from my life. That this person I loved and needed would soon be gone. Time to realize she would never sing and cook again, and she would no longer be there when I got home from school to listen to me ramble on and on about my day. But Chase…this was happening too fast. The little brat who’d wormed his way into my heart with a contagious laugh and silly smile wasn’t going to sit at our kitchen table ever again. The kid who had Mom’s eyes, who reminded me every time I looked at him that although she was gone, Mom had given Dad and me something very special to remember her by. I was losing that gift.

Caden bent down and dried my cheeks with his thumb. “Things happen for a reason, Madison. You’re not meant to make this deal.”

I continued to weep.

“A broken heart mends. You’ll mend,” he added.

A life lesson from a sympathetic demon. Never would I have believed a creature of hell could display such a human trait if I hadn’t seen it myself.

Caden’s eyes were no longer red but the dark chocolate brown I was used to. He bit his lip and glanced away. A moment later he said, “I shouldn’t do this, but I like you. You’ve got fire.”

I sniffed, waiting for him to go on.

“I’ll heal your brother in exchange for your services, no questions asked. Plus, when I ask you a direct question, you will tell me the truth. No more lies.”

I didn’t remember ever lying to him. Wiping my nose with the sleeve of my top, I asked, “What will I have to do?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” he replied. “But having a witch at my beck and call will come in handy.”

“I won’t kill for you,” I said. I wanted my brother back, but that didn’t mean I could take another person’s life.

“I can do my own slaughtering.”

“And my brother will be his old carefree self?”

“He’ll be as good as new. Do we have a deal?”

Being at his beck and call was a better deal than my soul and twenty short years to live no matter how you looked at it. “Yes.”

“I want to hear you promise.”

As if I would double-cross a demon. But he knew what I was, which stood to reason that he knew that one little word held more weight for me than it did for the average person.

“I promise.”

This time when his lips touched mine, it was tender and for less than a heartbeat.

“I’ll be in contact,” he said.

I pushed myself to my feet. “When will Chase be better?”

Silence answered me. I spun around. Caden had vanished.

With him gone, there was nothing providing relief from winter’s chilly grip. My teeth chattered, and my body shivered. It was eerily quiet, leaving me with the feeling I may not have gotten off as easily as I’d thought.

Chapter 22 Miracles

I ran into my brother’s hospital room, stopping short of his bed. My hand flew to my mouth as tears of joy flowed like the Nile.

“Hi, Maddie. Why you crying?” he asked. Hearing his voice dissolved the growing lump in my throat.

Chase’s bed had been positioned so that he sat upright, and the bandages around his forehead had been removed. He already had a Matchbox car in his hand. Dad sat next to him holding a miniature SUV. My friends were near the window.

“Hey, squirt.” I rushed closer and kissed his forehead. “How are you feeling?”

“Hungry, but the lady won’t let me eat anything.”

I brushed his bangs out of his eyes with my fingers. “Don’t worry. They’ll change their mind once they see how great you’re doing.”

In my peripheral vision, I saw Isaac and Josh glowering, arms folded over their chests like security guards at a club. Kaylee sat on the edge of a chair, watching me through bulbous eyes. It was obvious they knew I’d had something to do with Chase’s miraculous recovery.

“Um, I’m sorry I took your car without permission,” I said to Josh, not in the least bit remorseful.