“They’re for Lucifer.” Valac lifted his gaze from the table. The silver in his eyes looked like glowing bullets, and there was an emptiness in him that made my soul shake.

“Lucifer,” I repeated. “The same Lucifer you’re hiding from.”

“We’re not hiding from Lucifer,” Stolas corrected. “He knows exactly where we are. We just don’t want him to find out that we’re trying to help people instead of corrupt them. You see, he wants us to send more souls to Hell. It’s getting too empty for his liking.”

“Right, of course,” I said as if that wasn’t one of the craziest things I’d ever heard in my life. How had I gone from feeding pancakes to a pigeon to this?

“So, now you understand our dilemma.” Caim ran a hand through his midnight hair. “If you want to walk away from this, no hard feelings. But it’ll suck for us. We’ll need to find another human to replace you if we want to get Az inside that ball, and it’ll look a little sus.”

“Az never dates anyone,” Stolas added. “To go from one girlfriend to the next in a span of a week…”

“Not to mention you’re currently living with him,” Valac said so softly that I almost couldn’t hear him over my pounding heart.

I closed my eyes. “I need a minute to think.”

The demons all fell silent. I wasn’t seriously considering this, was I? Serena and I had just been talking about convincing Az to destroy my contract. And here was the perfect opportunity. I hadn’t even needed to convince him. He’d offered. All I would have to do was say the word, and I’d be free.

Free from all this danger and supernatural insanity. I’d move back in with Serena and continue my life as a drifter. Drink mugs of wine in front of the TV every night. Better than the alternative. Death by demon.

But…these guys clearly needed my help. I was Az’s ticket into this horrendous sacrificial party. If I walked away from this, he might not get an invitation, and the murders would continue another year. Could I really let twenty people die because I was too afraid?

Fuck. I couldn’t. Sometimes, I really hated being me.

When I flipped open my eyes, I found four demons staring at me. I jumped a little and glared when Caim cracked a grin.

“Honestly, you guys are creepy sometimes,” I muttered.

“That’s rich, coming from a human,” Caim replied with a chuckle.

I glowered at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Will you two stop flirting?” Az asked in a voice as hard as steel. Shadows rippled across his jaw.