Until, just when it seemed Grace might be getting the better of Mei, Mei suddenly came on full force with an attack of unseen blasts that caught Grace off-guard and made her stumble back. With inhuman speed, Mei reached forward and ripped the choker from Grace’s neck. Equally fast, she threw it toward me and then turned back to block Grace, who seemed to realize the end was near.

I grabbed hold of the necklace with trembling fingers and pulled off the crescent-shaped piece of the seal. I placed it next to Dante’s half, unsure what to do, but as soon as they were close enough, they merged together into one whole disc.

“Put it on the box,” said Roman. “Hurry.”

I pressed the seal onto the box’s top, and again, it seemed to know what to do, embedding itself in the wood’s surface, almost like it melted. And with that, there seemed to be no other option. I opened the lid.

The power that blasted out of it knocked both Roman and me backward, and at the same time, I felt a different sort of power snap into my body. The strings that bound my soul to Hell reattached. My immortal essence coursed through me, and with it, I felt all the other abilities Hell had granted me return. I felt strong. Charged. Invincible. My senses tuned back in to the unseen world, and the blast of powerful immortal auras filled the air.

And there, in the rain, light and color slowly coalesced out of the box and into a man-shaped form. A few minutes later, it took on a completely human appearance. One that looked like John Cusack. Grace and Mei halted their attack, both staring.

Carefully, hesitantly, Mei then took a few steps back. Jerome paid her no attention. He was focused on Grace.

“Oh man,” I said softly. “You are so fucked.”

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

To her credit, Grace didn’t cower. She stood firm, regaining her composure as she matched Jerome’s stare with one of her own. In fact, she regained enough of herself that she remembered to avoid the rain. The drops parted around her, much as the fire had parted around Roman. Her suit and hair were dry again, crisp and perfect.

“You would have done the same thing,” she told Jerome.

I couldn’t see Jerome’s face when he spoke. “I wouldn’t have got caught. You did. You failed.”

“You should be impressed with my ingenuity.” She crossed her arms, almost defiant. “I’m useful to you.”

“You are meaningless. I could blight you out of existence, and no one would think twice about it.”