Losing Hope | {BOOK 4}

3| It's Over

I entered the bar, empty other than Crowley and two stunt demons.

"Eleanor! How did it go?" Crowley greeted me.

"Fine. Fine," I nodded my head. "Uh... he's dead, and you're right- I- I feel amazing."

"He?"

"Uh, Lester."

Crowley looked at me like I was insane.

"The client?" he asked. "You killed the client?"

"Does it matter? He was a douche. Now he's a dead douche."

"Of course it matters! The deal was one dead wife for one soul. The wife's not dead, I don't get the soul. It's math."

"Well... there you go," I turned to leave, sick of the conversation already.

"Hey! Don't you turn your back on me!"

Turning around, I fixed Crowley with a cold glare, shoving him backward to the floor. I chuckled as the two other demons smiled a little.

"Is something funny?" Crowley glared at them.

"No, sir," one of them replied, wiping the smile from their face.

"Good," the demon king clambered to his feet and got in my face. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, whatever I want."

"Really? Because I think you don't know what you want. Tell me, Ellie- what are you? A demon? If so, why isn't Lester's wife dead? Did you feel sorry for her? So maybe you're human. Except you have those pretty black peepers and you're working alongside me. Why don't you do us all a big favor and PICK A BLOODY SIDE?!"

"Or what?" I challenged him coldly. "Hmm? Go ahead. Make a move. See how it ends. I ain't your friggin' bestie, and I ain't taking orders from you. When I need to kill, I'll call. Until then, stay out of my way."

"Fine. It's over," Crowley nodded. "What can I say? Crazy ones- they're good for a fling, but they're not relationship material."

"Are you done?"

"We're done. You know what, Eleanor? It's not me. It's you."

He pushed past me, leaving the bar with his two lackeys on his heels.

⁘

I sat at the piano in the bar, plunking out a few notes as I got lost in thought. Grabbing the First Blade, I sliced open my palm, eyes flashing black as it healed instantly. Setting the Blade back on top of the piano, I resumed my playing as someone walked through the door of the bar.

"Hiya, Dean," I looked up. "Hey, Harv, why don't you go grab a smoke?"

The man who had been wiping down the bar looked over at me, then walked out, leaving Dean and I alone.

"Who winged you?" I asked Dean, nodding at his sling.

"Does it matter?" he asked.

"Not really. I told you to let me go."

"You know I can't do that. By the way, your, uh, pal Crowley... sold you out."

"Sounds like him."

I stood up from the piano, grabbing the First Blade and walking over to the bar to get myself a drink.

"Ellie, hold on a second," Dean begged. "You don't have to do this. Look, we know how to cure demons. You remember that?"

"Little Latin, lotta blood," I nodded my head. "It rings a bell. Did you ever stop to think that if I wanted to be cured, I wouldn't have bailed?"