Free Dead Drop by Carolyn Jewel Page A

that demons who’d been mageheld didn’t like to talk about it. They’d be fine, and something would happen to remind them, and it was like watching scars turn back to open wounds. She was watching that happen to Palla. There was no blood, but he was bleeding right in front of her.
    “It’s been a year since dit Menart died, and I got my freedom. A year. But it took me until now to find out where she is. Sorry if that doesn’t meet your expectations.”
    “That isn’t–” But she wasn’t going to argue with him about this. He didn’t need her giving him a hard time about something as horrific as this. “I said I’ll help you.”
    He didn’t say anything for a while, but she did get another stink-eye from him. “You have to take the money.”
    “No, I don’t.”
    “Yes.” He started the car, on this quiet side street where most everyone was home and if not in bed, then getting ready. They had no idea there was any such thing as demons.
    “Why?”
    “We do this, I don’t want you worrying about your fucking job or whether it’s going to take longer than whatever vacation you have coming. I’m not going to wait for your time off to get approved. I don’t want you stressing over paying your goddamned bills or taking the fucking bus home because you can’t afford a car with your bullshit job.”
    She slouched on her seat. “Excuse me for not making enough money.”
    He glared at her, and his glittering, unhuman eyes were hard. “I will have two million in an offshore account for you by morning.”
    “I thought you said half now and half after.”
    “Fuck that. If we fail, you won’t be around to spend it. And I won’t be around to be pissed off about it.”
    “There’s a comforting thought.”
    He made the turn onto the main road. “I don’t want to owe you any favors. When this is done, I walk away and we never have to see each other again.”
    She waved a hand. “You’ll just make sure I get killed by the end.”
    Palla went dead silent. She couldn’t tell if he was doing anything with his magic, but she could tell he was pissed off. She didn’t need a link with him to know that. If he’d said something like that to her, she’d be righteously pissed. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
    He took the next right and parked in the first available spot.
    “Now what?”
    He turned off the car. Gold and yellow sparks shot through his eyes, tiny whirlwinds of color. “You think I’d kill you so I don’t have to pay you.” He delivered his judgment in a low voice, and she winced. “Even though I’m not allowed to harm the magekind.”
    “You already tried once.”
    “You know why I did that. Get over it.”
    “No.”
    “Like I’d accidentally on purpose not watch out for you.” His low voice filled the car. “Drive off without you. Let you take a bullet through that soft human heart of yours. Forget to tell you to watch out for the step off the cliff.”
    “Why wouldn’t you when you were willing to be wrong about what would happen that night at Maddy’s?”
    He punched one of the buttons for the interior lights. “I can fix that.”
    “I don’t see how.”
    He grabbed her near arm, and she pushed herself straight on her seat, stomach nothing but a black hole of emptiness. He growled. “Stop it.”
    Her heart about flew out of her chest. This time he was going to kill her. He would. She yanked on her arm. “Let go of me.”
    His fingers tightened on the back of her elbow, not hard, but not gentle enough for her to break free. “Relax.” The word was ice-cold. “I’m going to make it so you believe me.”
    “No.” She fought for calm. “Don’t do this.”
    “I’m not going to hurt you, so stop that shit.” With his free hand, he slashed the side of a finger at a diagonal just below the crook of her elbow. She didn’t feel anything at first, and by the time it registered that he’d opened a nick in her skin and that she was bleeding, he’d swept a finger