Heaven's Key (Demon Hunter Book 1) Read Free

those eyes were.
    I jabbed the fork into his middle and my arms flung in the air as the little demon leapt from her shoulder a second too late. Barely keeping the creature under control, I lunged forward and, with one swift motion, we both plunged into the bath.
    The water began to bubble and steam. The fork was slippery and hard to control, so I grabbed the Nybbus with my hands to keep it under the water. It should have been dead by now. A claw sliced into my arm. Ignoring the pain, I gripped him harder. If he didn’t die soon, I was going to lose the fight.
    The tub was now red from my blood and the demon was doubling his efforts. I leaned in further, hoping my own weight on his body would get him under control. He was bucking and hissing for all he was worth.
    “Jael, move. Let me help, for fuck sakes.” Cole let go of Ms. Harwood and positioned himself over me. I leaned to the side and he grabbed the demon. The two of us easily kept him under the water. Eventually, the fight left him and he dissolved.
    My hands had been holding on so tight that my nails dug into my own palms. The long cut on my arm was oozing blood. I was starting to get a little lightheaded. Cole jumped up and snatched a towel from across the room. He had to pull me from the tub and wrap it around my arm. Shaking my head and trying to focus on what was going on, I put pressure on the wound with my good hand.
    “Come on; I’m getting you to the hospital.”
    “No, I’m fine. It hurts like a bitch, but I’m fine. Pack up our gear and I’ll help Ms. Harwood back into bed.”
    Cole stared at me, his jaw tensing, and then he turned and started to gather everything up. It took every ounce of strength I had to get up and some I didn’t have to help the old woman. Deep down, I knew I was being stupid-stubborn. I was losing a lot of blood, but I hated hospitals, and if I could avoid them, I did at all costs.
    Ms. Harwood was a little stronger than she had been, which was good because by the time I got her to the bed, it was hard to tell who was helping who. I tucked her in and then sat on the edge to catch my breath. The cut was screaming with pain, bad enough I was tempted to chop the whole arm off and be done with it. I’d regret it later, but it felt like someone was holding a blowtorch to my arm.
    The old lady grabbed my good arm. “I know you think I’m a vain old fool and I won’t disagree, but this was all I had when I was young and to have it back, if only for me to enjoy…” She shook her head, trying to hold back tears. Her hand searched through the covers and came up with a cell phone, fingers flying surprisingly fast over the keypad.
    “I’ve let Juanita know that you’ve done the job and to give you the bonus. It should be more than enough to get you stitched up.”
    That was all I could stand of her. She ruined her health, I was hurt, and as long as she had her looks and money to make me go away, she was fine. I immediately left the room and waited for Cole outside. We walked silently to the door where the maid was waiting for us with a small canvas bag. Cole grabbed it from her and we left.
    Cole had my bag and I tried to fish my keys from the back pocket with one hand. He let me try for a minute before he pulled the bag from my reach.
    “You can’t drive like that. You know that, right?” He was angry and I didn’t know why.
    “I can’t leave my car here; it’s full of all my gear.” There must have been something he saw on my face because the anger melted away to be replaced by frustration. He grabbed the back of his neck and squeezed before he retrieved the keys and unlocked the car.
    “I’ll drop you off, then I’ll get a cab back here and pick up the Cat. My first aid kit should have what we need to fix you up, but if you can think of anything else we’ll need, then let me know.”
    I was mad at myself for screwing up with the Nybbus. I had broken one of my cardinal rules. Never let your guard down. Now I had to