“Angel?” He shook his head and looked out the window instead of at me. “I don’t think so.”
“Daniel, I really think you can use your powers for good. I thought that before you were even cured. I know you’re skeptical, and I know you’ve always felt that being an Urbat made you a monster. But Gabriel told me about the original Urbat, and the good things they were created to do. Like protect people. Like we’re about to do now. I think, together, we can be heroes.”
“Didn’t the quest to become a hero almost get you killed?”
“Only because I was trying to do it alone—or not exactly alone, but with the wrong help. But now that I have you to be a hero with me, it could totally work.”
A bubbling of hope trilled up my body into my heart, and I suddenly wondered, if I could convince Daniel that his powers could be blessing instead of a curse—that he could become a hero—then maybe there was a chance to convince other Urbat, like Sirhan’s pack, that they could do it, too. I could help them reclaim their blessings—just like Gabriel had said I could.
“I’ve never seen myself as a hero,” Daniel said.
“Maybe it’s time you start.”
I could tell Daniel was about to protest, but he then suddenly sat up in his seat. “He’s here.”
I looked up just in time to see Pete Bradshaw, looking all too alive, slink through the line of teens gathered outside the entrance gate. A couple of burly-looking guys stood aside to let him enter the farmhouse.
“Bouncers,” I said. “I didn’t think an Akh party would have bouncers.”
“I’m sure they’d want to keep people like us from crashing their fun.”
“Right.” I took in a deep breath and let it out in a puff. “So this is it? The end of our story with Pete Bradshaw? As much trouble as he’s given us, I never thought I’d be the one to kill him.”
Daniel put his hand on my arm. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“I’ve killed a demon before. He was a Gelal, but according to Talbot, Akhs die the same way. They just explode into dust instead of burning acid. It should be cleaner, I guess.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Daniel looked me right in the eyes. “I know Pete isn’t really Pete anymore. But we still knew him. You guys were friends once. Killing a demon wearing the face of your old friend, that’s got to affect you differently than just killing some random Gelal. And we both know what happened last time.…”
I bowed my head. “I know.” The first, and last, time I’d killed a demon, I’d experienced such a power rush that I’d almost lost control and given in to the wolf. “But I think I’m ready. I need to clean up the messes I’ve made.”
Because deep down, I knew Pete’s undeath had happened, ultimately, because of me. Even if I wasn’t the one who killed him the first time, it was my responsibility to do it now.
“Either way, I want you to wear this. Maybe it will help you avoid any side effects.” Daniel removed his moonstone necklace and handed it to me.
“Thanks,” I said, remembering what it had been like to go into battle against a demon without one.
Daniel opened the weapons pack that April had sent us with. He handed me a stake bedazzled with bright pink and orange gemstones, and he selected for himself a stake that had a gold wolf’s head attached to the end.
“Sure you don’t want the sparkly one?” I dangled my stake in front of him.
“I don’t do sparkles,” Daniel said. He cracked a smile for the first time since we left April’s. “But the whole ensemble looks pretty darn hot on you.”
“Wait.” I pulled down the black mask, adorned with three matching pink gemstones at the temples, over the upper half of my face. “What do you think now?”
“Cute, but I prefer seeing your face.” Daniel tied his own black mask over his eyes. Luckily, his was free of any sparkles. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”