“A reaper's soul,” the demon said again. He moved toward Greg, slow, curious, and the intensity of his attention was worse up close. Greg felt it in his essence. It was like being read.
“Reaper souls are barely a mouthful,” the demon murmured. He reached out as though to touch Greg's chest, and stopped.
His expression changed.
His head tilted and his eyes narrowed as he looked at Greg the way he'd looked at Dustin's soul. Except this time he didn't wrinkle his nose.
“What happened to you?” the demon asked softly.
Greg didn't understand the question. “Nothing happened to me.”
The demon smiled again, but this time there was no warmth in the expression. “Oh, somethingabsolutelyhappened to you.” His gaze flicked to Dustin and back. “I'll take it.”
“No!” Dustin's voice cracked across the cemetery. “Greg, you can't?—”
“Dustin.” Greg's voice came out steadier than he felt. “Your mother's soul or mine. That's the trade. And mine was never going to last.”
“In exchange,” the demon said, all business now, the delight back but underlaid with something darker, “for the reaper's soul, freely given, I void the contract with Catherine Wells. The protection lifts. Her soul reverts to her.” He studied Greg. “You understand what you're offering?”
“Yes.”
The demon extended his hand. Greg did not want to touch the demon, but he shook his hand anyway.
A sensation passed through him, cold and final, like a signature being written on something invisible.
The demon released his hand and stepped back. He straightened his jacket.
“Well,” he said. “That was genuinely surprising. I don't get surprised often.” He turned to Dustin. “Your mother is free. You're mortal again. Congratulations.”
Then he was gone. From one moment to the next, as if he'd never been there.
Dustin turned on Greg.
“What did you do?” His voice was low and shaking and his eyes were wild.
He was furious.
Oh.
Greg licked his lips. “I broke the contract,” he said.
“You sold your soul!”
“Your mother?—”
“Fuck that, Greg! She didn't ask you to do that. I didn't ask you to do that.”
“You were about to do the same thing.”
The words landed between them. Dustin's mouth opened and nothing came out.
“You offered your soul first,” Greg said. “I was standing right there. I watched you try to give away the most valuable thing you have, like it wasnothing.”
“That's different.”
“How?”
“Because she'smymother. You shouldn't have been involved in this! You shouldn't have had to sacrifice.”
