Page 141 of The Devil's Trials

She squeezes my hands. “Of course. But if you’re going, so am I.”

My stomach sinks, my thoughts racing back to the last mission we were on together, the one where we nearly became demon food and Xander became the king of hell. After that, I vowed to never put Harper in that kind of danger again. She gets into it enough herself just by being a hunter. “No. No way. Absolutely not.” I can’t stand the thought of her being put in that kind of danger, and if I’m worried about her, I won’t be able to focus solely on saving my sister. “You remember what happened last time, right? The monumental disaster at Lucia’s compound?”

She shrugs. “So it’s okay for you to risk it but not me? Besides, I can’t see Xander fucking up that royally this time around.”

I shake my head adamantly. “I can’t take the chance of losing you too, Harper. Please.” I grip her hands. “I’ll need you to stay with my parentsand keep them as calm as possible. That’ll likely be just as difficult as what I’ll be doing,” I try to joke, but it doesn’t land as she just stares at me.

“I don’t want you going to hell period but Iespeciallydon’t want you going alone with Xander.”

I sigh despite understanding her concern and point out, “He’s my best shot at bringing Danielle back.”

“Are you sure there isn’t another way?”

Frowning, I shake my head. “I’m not sure, but there isn’t time to mess around trying to find one. She’s already been trapped there for over five years, and the thought of her having to spend any more time there…” I wrap my arms around myself as my heart rate kicks up, my eyes burning as I implore my best friend, “Please. Do this for me.”

Harper rakes her fingers through her hair, exhaling a heavy breath. She isn’t trying to hide how conflicted she feels in the position I’ve put her in. “Fine,” she finally says, her tone filled with reluctance. “Speaking of your parents. How are you going to tell them about everything?”

Her question triggers the sense of doom lingering just below the surface. I can’t stop the tingling sensation at the back of my throat, as if I’m going to be sick, or the way my hands get clammy and start to shake.

“Hey,” she murmurs, “deep breaths, Cami.”

All I can see is the looks of shock and terror on my parents’ faces as I tell them that their eldest daughter, who they believed dead for half a decade, was trapped in the underworld by the monster who killed her.

My heart pounds harder, as if it’s trying to escape my chest, reverberating in my throat. I try and fail to take a deep breath, the air getting lodged in my lungs as heat crawls up my neck, making my skin flushed.

Harper squeezes my hands, but they feel numb, and she says in a gentle voice, “I’m here. You’re safe. Just keep trying to breathe normally.” She mimics taking slow, deep breaths, and I try to focus despite the way my vision narrows, growing dark and hazy around the edges.

The heat from the fire feels too hot as I fight the feeling that the worst possible thing is about to happen, and the walls seem to be getting closer. I’m stuck here. I can’t move. Can’t breathe. I’m trapped in my own body as blood rushes through my ears, drowning out Harper’s attempt to pull me back from the edge of anxiety.

Control slips through my fingers like water, and I squeeze my eyes shut, gritting my teeth at the twisted knots in my stomach as bile burnsmy throat. Seconds feel like hours as fear claws at me, giving me nowhere to escape it.

“Come on,” Harper says firmly, standing and pulling me off the couch with her. “Let’s go outside for a minute. The fresh air will help.”

I let her guide me out of the living room and to the front door, where she opens it, and a blast of cold air hits me in the face. Walking outside, I’m finally able to pull a proper breath into my lungs.

After several slow, deep breaths, I finally feel my pulse start to calm.

“Better?” Harper checks.

I manage a nod, glancing around the quiet patio along the side of the house that sits outside the living room windows. It’s secluded by tall hedges, making me feel more secure as Harper keeps talking to me. Any patio furniture would’ve been stored away weeks ago, leaving the space open to pace around.

“Good. Keep breathing. We’ll stand here as long as you need.” She has her arms wrapped tightly around herself as our breaths fog the air. The cold air helped refocus my thoughts and disarm the anxiety charging through me, but now Harper and I are both shivering.

“I’m okay,” I tell her. “We can go back inside.”

She doesn’t argue, and once we’re on the other side of the front door with it closed, she rubs her hands up and down her arms over her sweater.

“Sorry,” I say, cringing. “Try to picture yourself on a beach somewhere warm.”

She freezes, cursing under her breath.

“What’s the matter?”

“I totally forgot. I was going to surprise you on Christmas. I booked an all-inclusive trip for us to Puerto Vallarta next month.”

My eyes pop wide, my stomach clenching with short lived excitement. “You did?”

“Yeah. I mean, we’ve talked about it for years, and I thought with everything that happened this year, a trip for just the two of us to kick off next year would be amazing. Of course, I couldn’t foresee you taking a trip of your own. When we talked about going somewherehot as hell, I didn’t think you’d take it so literally.”

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