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“No. Maybe,” Elyse said, confusion welling in her throat. “I don’t know.”
This had been a bad idea. Why did she ever think Killian would listen to her?
She sighed, trying her best to ignore his shaking head. “I don’t know much, but I’m certain it’s related to a demon. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t ever want to see that many innocent people killed again.”
The room fell silent. No doubt Manny and Killian were also imagining the carnage they’d witnessed, Sera replaying the visions in her mind. Elyse had meant what she said. Prestowne would haunt her for the rest of her life, however long that was.
It was Manny who finally broke the silence. “We will certainly look into any connections with demons,” he began. He threaded his fingers through his fair curls, pulling the long strands away from his eyes. “But Elyse, why meet with us just to tell us? You could have sent a letter or passed the information through Sera.”
“Because it’s not enough,” she said, her voice quivering slightly. “Whatever this is, it’s bigger than me, it’s bigger than the Royal Guard. I think…” She paused, steeling herself and focusing her gaze on Killian. “I think if we’re going to figure this out, we’re going to have to work together.”
Killian’s nostrils flared but he didn’t make a sound. He held her stare, throwing as much intensity at her as he could, but she refused to back down.
“If you think I’d so much as consider working with you,” he began, each word piercing and whetted, “then you’re even fucking crazier than I thought.”
The blow hurt, her heart capsizing. She’d expected such a reaction. Still, it made her feel small. She forced herself to match his intensity as she studied his face. Devil’s hooves, he was just as handsome as she remembered, which made it harder to see the guilt she harbored manifested in his features. His full, decadent lips were pulled into a tight line, unwilling to speak further on the matter. His impeccable jawline fluttered as he ground his teeth. He’d meant every word he said, that he would never work with her.
That was why she’d give him the one thing he wanted.
“What if I agree to turn myself in?” she said calmly.
Killian blinked, then blinked again. Manny looked between the two of them, waiting for Killian to respond.
“Right now?” he asked. He spoke softly but Elyse swore she could hear the subtle elation. “You’d let me walk you down to the palace and turn you in for treason right now?”
“No,” Elyse said, then quickly added, “but if you help me find whoever is responsible for Prestowne, I swear I’ll turn myself in.”
Killian opened his mouth to say something, but Elyse wasn’t done. “I’ll swear it with a blood oath.”
Sera looked down at her lap. She had tried to talk Elyse out of offering to turn herself in, insisting that there had to be another way. But Elyse knew it was the only way she could entice them to agree. It was the best chance they had at finding the killer.
Killian still remained silent. Elyse took in his expression, the calculating look in his golden eyes, and wondered what he was thinking. She wanted so badly to reach out and touch him. His usually clean-shaven face was stubbled, and she wished she could feel it, could press her cheek against his the way she used to. But that would be unfair. She knew she’d made his life hell, had broken him so badly that he might be beyond repair, that seeing her hanged might never be enough for him. But she needed him to understand that whatever pain she had caused him was nothing compared to the chaos that would ensue if someone was using demonic powers to slaughter entire cities.
When Killian spoke, his voice was so quiet it was nearly a whisper. “What would be the terms of this blood oath?”
Elyse sighed with relief—yet at the same time her stomach clenched. She realized that part of her had been hoping Killian wouldn’t agree, that she would be free from having to face the consequences of killing King Cyril. That had been a stupid fantasy.
“I will agree to turn myself in,” Elyse said, sounding more resolute than she felt, “and in exchange, you will help me look for whoever is responsible—for one year.”
“One year?” Killian shouted.
Even Manny gaped at her. “Our original agreement to find King Cyril’s killer had only been a week,” he pointed out.
Elyse smiled a tiny bit. She couldn’t help herself. “Maybe you should have driven a harder bargain.”
Killian snorted, a sound that undoubtedly meant something along the lines of, “As if it would have mattered.”
“Whoever is behind this is extremely powerful—and dangerous,” Elyse pressed. “It might not be so easy to track him down.”
“Or her,” Killian corrected with a sneer.
“Or her,” Elyse conceded. “But I’m not going to turn myself over to certain death without giving everything I have to find whoever is responsible. I won’t.”
For once Killian had no retort. Perhaps he knew her stubbornness. Or perhaps he could relate to her words.
“Is there any way to break a blood oath?” Manny asked. “Any way to get out of it?”
Sera shook her head. “It’s a powerful binding spell. Only death can undo the magic.”
