Chapter Six
“You promised.”I wiped at my stinging eyes and straightened myshoulders.
I was not going to lose him before Christmas. I was not going to lose him atall.
“Delaney?” Jean said. “Myra should be there in aminute.”
As if summoned by her voice, there was a knock at the door. Myra must have been closeby.
I jogged over, glanced through the peep hole, then let Myra and the demon who stood beside her into thehouse.
“Bathin is going to find him and bring him back,” Myra said before I’d even shut thedoor.
“This is news to Bathin,” he said. “We do remember Bathin is a demon and doesn’t like to do helpfulthings?”
Myra’s eyes went hard and glittery while her eyebrows lowered. “We know Bathin will do this because it’s an order and requirement if he wants to remain inOrdinary.”
“As if you would let me leave, Myra Reed. I own your pretty sister’s very prettysoul.”
Yeah, like I said, sometimes the supernaturals named a high price for a favor. I still hadn’t found a way to get my soul back, though I was working on it, and so wasMyra.
“Don’t care,” I cutin.
“Ryder is injured, in his truck, somewhere near Three Fingered Jack. The highway’s blocked, and Jean hasn’t had any luck getting hold of search and rescue. Name a price, Bathin. Let’s get thisrolling.”
Finding people and moving them was one of Bathin’s powers. He’d already rescued a kidnapped vampire who’d been sunk beneath the ocean in acrate.
Finding a truck in a snow storm shouldn’t be nearly asdifficult.
“What will you give me if I do this little favor?” heasked.
“No,” Myrasaid.
“A favor in return,” Ioffered.
“No,” Myra saidagain.
The corner of Bathin’s mouth slid up into a sexy grin. “Choices, choices ladies. Yes orno?”
“One favor,” I said again, “from me, to be collected within one year’s time. It can be anything you want, as long as it doesn’t break any of Ordinary’s laws, nor go against my own moralcode.”
“Anything I want?” His grin turned a littlepredatory.
I had to wonder how I always ended up bargaining away parts of myself for the good of others. I’d like to say it came with the job of being Chief of Police in this oddball little town, but I knewbetter.
I would bargain away almost anything forRyder.
“Don’t.” Ryder’s voice was distant, but still clear. I pressed the phone harder against myear.
“It’s okay,” I said. “Myra’s here. She won’t let me break the don’t-do-anything-stupidrule.”
“Bargaining with a demon is the reason wemadethe rule,” he remindedme.
The last few words faded a bit, as if he was having trouble getting enough breath in his lungs to speak. “It’sstupid.”
“I know. But it’s going to be okay. You just stay awake and keep breathing. You’re going to be homesoon.”
“I’ll do it,” Myra said. “Foryou.”
