Page 92 of Malice

Oh, shit.

Silently putting the notebook down, I tell myself it’s now or never and I move fast before I can think twice. I emerge at the top of the stairs that lead down into the warehouse. Marco is crouched near the cracked concrete, reaching into the crevice left behind when the door was broken open.

Vivian snaps her head up and her eyes go wide when she sees me. She’s holding something—and immediately pulls it tight to her chest.

The key.

“Here a little earlier than we expected,” Marco says, pushing up onto his feet.

“Stop,” I say, holding my hands out at my sides. “You have no idea what you’re about to do.”

“Yes,” Vivian says coldly. “We do.”

“There’s no coming back from this,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “You can still stop. You can still choose to do the right thing.”

“This is the right thing,” Marco snaps. “It should have been done years ago. Things have gotten out of hand. It’s time we take the power back.”

“You’re not taking anything back,” I say, my heart pounding. I step closer, scanning them for weapons. Vivian looks unarmed. Marco has a pistol at his waist, along with knives and throwing stars strapped to his belt.

“The demon will turn on you the second you release it. It’s not going to give you power or work with you. Demons lie. You taught me that.”

“We taught you a lot,” Marco says. “And you have no idea what it was like having to include you. Pretend you weren’t worthless witch scum.”

“I don’t believe that,” I say calmly, refusing to take the bait. “There were times you cared. Times you loved me. Times we were a family.” I take another step forward. “We can still be that. Even without me.” I take another tentative step forward. “You can have your family back. I can make sure everyone goes home. Just give me the key.”

“Liar,” Vivian spits, her gaze locking onto mine with pure hatred. “I can’t have my family back. They’re not all here anymore.”

“She’s not lying,” Antonio says. He steps through the burned-out opening where the garage doors once stood. Vivian gasps, looking at Antonio with awe. The sun is setting, and it’s getting dark in here. Still, without the cloak of darkness, a newly turned vampire couldn’t be standing there right now.

Vivian’s grip tightens on the key. Then she looks at him. For a fleeting moment, I think this might work.

“This is for the family,” she says.

“How?” Antonio demands, shaking his head. “This isn’t for the family. This is for you.” His voice breaks. “Mom… don’t do this. I died once. You lost me. Don’t lose me again.”

Vivian’s shoulders slump and her lips part. Her fingers go a little slack around the key and she looks at Marco. My heart jumps. She’s not going to do it! She can’t. She won’t…she wouldn’t risk Antonio again.

Then Marco gives her a small nod and my breath catches in my chest. Is it over? Are we getting the key? We can still fix this. I have enough days left before the contract is up. We can come up with something to stop the demon and free my soul.

There’s still time.

But then Vivian extends her hand, tearing her eyes away from Antonio. Marco steps to her and pulls the vial of my blood from his pocket. He uncaps it and pours it onto the sigil.

Chapter

Forty

Eyes wide, I freeze, watching. Waiting. And absolutely nothing happens.

“No!” Vivian screams, shaking the little metal pendant in her hand, coating it in blood.

“It’s not going to work,” I say. “My family was very specific with that spell.”

“We need it straight from the source,” Marco says and lunges forward. Antonio catches him, shoving him back.

“Stand down,” Marco tells him, voice thick with vitriol.

“You are not touching her,” Antonio says back, squaring his shoulders as he stares right into his father’s eyes. Marco doesn’t back down but instead goes to reach for his pistol. With one quick flick of my wrist, I send it flying and it skids across the ashy cement floor, clattering down into the crack in the cement.