But the shape saw what I was doing and motioned at me. I felt my blood run cold. He was taking away the virus that made me werewolf. He was curing me of the curse and killing me at the same time. Once human I would die easily, and he knew it.

I stood there wearing nothing but blood and my gun, pointing. “You are bound by the deal! The deal was YOU and me! YOU and me!”

The shape lowered its arm quickly as if some other force pushed it down. Then after a long silence the shape said, “This is me.”

I grinned and shook my head. “No it isn’t. Show your true self. That’s the fucking deal. I said plain sight. That means showing your true self, you bastard!”

There was a stunned silence as everybody froze in the shadows. There are few things that bind devils and demons, but one is the sanctity of the deal. I got this one on a technicality.

The huge shadowy form was an illusion for human eyes. I knew it. He knew it, and now everybody knew it. I set him up when I made him agree to fight me in plain sight. I used my wolf form, sure, but I never denied my power. Plus, he felt it inside me. The shadow, on the other hand, lied by omission. Slowly, the illusion faded and I saw the true Deal Maker on the floor in front of me.

I stared down at the master of darkness, revealed. No more than a foot tall, he looked like an overcooked rump roast with little black sticks for limbs, tiny, red eyes, and slits for his mouth and nose. Even though I was in pain, I started laughing.

The little thing on the ground waved its tiny stick arms at me. “So now you know. Still, I will prevail! I have always lived! And I always will! What can you do to me that hasn’t already been tried? You win this time, but I’ll be back and . . .”

The little thing on the floor went on and on. Billy was in shock at the demon he had served. I gave the kid a nod.

“You do it,” I said. “I’m too fucked up.”

Billy stepped forward and raised his foot high. He brought it down on the rump roast demon and splattered him all over the void. I scanned the darkness. All of the winged shapes had receded back into their demonic realm. Today’s invasion of the living world was officially a failure.

I patted Billy’s back as he helped me limp to the opening. “In case I didn’t mention it,” I said, “you’re still in a shit-load of trouble.”

“I know.”

“I mean, you can’t just go around killing people.”

“Yeah,” the kid said, “but I bet you’ve killed tons of dudes.”