Page 31 of Your Final Resting Place

He’d been right, there hadn’t been anything behind him, but Shadow had been lurking all around us, and he was here now, a huge smoky cloud of pissed-off incorporeal beast who really didn’t like loud, shiny things in his attic.

I frowned. “Sorry, I guess. This is probably going to hurt.”

Seb drew breath but didn’t get to scream because Shadow swallowed him. At least, I think that’s what happened. The sentient cloud of darkness whooshed over Seb in his white pantsuit, and must have taken a swipe at his soul, or some other integral part of Seb, because he froze, face locked in horror. Maybe Shadow had taken Seb to the nowhere place. I wasn’t sure how these things worked, but it didn’t look good.

I jerked at the knots holding my wrists and thrashed in the chair, finally working the ropes loose enough to yank my arms free. With that done, I had my legs untied in just a few seconds, and I was free.

I could have left Seb to Shadow. The gremlins would have dealt with his remains—no more Sebastien.

But Seb was on my Bad People list.

And after everything he’d done, it was time to make sure Seb could never be a risk to me, the ones I loved, or the hotel again.

“Shadow, I’ve got this.”

Shadow’s swirling mass thinned and ghosted into the corner, vanishing among cobwebs, leaving Seb panting. He dropped to his knees, swallowing great gulps of air.

“So, here’s the thing . . .” I began, then crouched in front of him. “I might have forgiven you some foolish decisions. Like you said, you were only trying to survive, and I know what that feels like. We’ve all done things—bad things—but Sebastien, some of the things you did? They’re unforgivable.”

Seb looked up and blinked pale, tear-brimmed eyes. “It’s not my fault,” he blubbered.

I wasn’t buying it. “The demons voted to let you live. I respected that, just like Zee did. But then you came back, and you tried to hurt me and mine again. You had your chance to do better, and you failed.”

“Wait . . .” he snuffled. “Wait, you can’t hurt me. The wards . . .”

I showed him the ring on my finger. “Oh look, we match.”

“How did you . . . It doesn’t fuckin’ matter. You kill me? He kills me? What have I got to live for anyway?”

“Shadow here can kill you without touching you, they don’t need a ring . . . And I’m not going to lie, I was going to end you and maybe stuff you up a chimney. But I’ve got a better idea.” I straightened, and looking down at Seb scrunched up on the floor, I almost pitied him. Almost.

“You’re going to let me live?” he asked. “I knew you were good, really . . . I did⁠—”

“Yeah, no. Do you remember how you left Zee’s friend on the hotel steps? How you killed her to get to him? You remember that, right?”

His face fell.

Mine brightened with a smile. “I’m going to send Gideon Cain a gift.” I turned my back on him and headed for the attic door. “Shadow, he’s all⁠—”

“Wait, no! You can’t do this! Zee will never forgive you!”

“I’m doing this for Zee,” I growled so low Seb may not heave heard.

“You have a heart?!” Seb barked. “You don’t have to do this! You’re not as bad as Cain says!”

I glanced over my shoulder, and nodded at Shadow’s form swelling inside the darkness. “No . . . I’m worse.”

Seb let out a desperate roar, and launched off the floor, wings and claws out, face twisted in murderous fury. There was no doubt in my mind, he’d have killed me.

But Shadow got to him first and swallowed all those screams.

CHAPTER 10

Zee poofed into the bar. “Erm, Kitten, why are people peopling in my room?!”

“Zee!” I flung my arms around him and crushed him tight. After “dealing with” Sebastien, I’d gone back to managing the at-capacity hotel, but as the night wore on, passing into the early hours of the morning, Zee and Victor’s absence gnawed on my heart.

“Yeep,” Zee wheezed, then sighed and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, hugging me back. It didn’t matter that we were surrounded by guests, after my brush with Seb I needed him squished close. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked, stroking my hair.