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I let out a long sigh—one I’ve been holding back along with secrets ever since Theodopolis made me an offer. “The dealing demons. They don’t just deal in matches,” I explain. “They trade in all kinds of vices and cravings—lust, power, wealth, sport. If you lost the trials, I bargained for Jace and I to be spared of execution.”
“What?”
I can’t tell who asked the question first, Rosemarie or my twin. She sounds shocked. Him? He’s pissed.
Holding up a single claw, I continue, “The demons would take us from this realm before we could be shattered in our stone forms.”
“You lied to me,” Rosemarie whispers.
“And do what with us?” Jace asks, his voice cold.
“We’d compete in their underground fights,” I confess.
He snarls. “The ones where they bind your wings, stick you in a cage, and have you fight to the death?”
Rosemarie gasps.
“It gets worse,” he tells her. “We’d be blood slaves, doomed to resurrect with each death and fight again so the demons can make money off the betting.”
She presses her lips together, not looking his way. Gods, I wish she’d stare anywhere but at me when the first tear falls.
“In addition to being a fake tour guide to lure women to be matched, Theo deals in slavery?” she asks.
“Not him, no,” I admit. “He’s a royal. A prince. He deals only in matches as far as I’m aware. Another demon offered to buy our contract. Besides, Theodopolis was convinced you’d take the crown with the proper motivation.”
“I see.” She twists her hands in her lap. “And if I become queen, what do you owe him then?”
“Nothing,” Jace says. “Yeah?”
But I can’t agree. “We’ll help him if the portals fall, if monsters escape the After Worlds. He thinks someone’s trying to free monsters that the old gods imprisoned there.”
“Like the wyvern?” Rosemarie asks.
“The monsters sentenced to eternity in the After Worlds are bigger,” Jace tells her. “And infinitely worse.”
Her eyes go wide. “Could they escape?”
I meet my twin’s gaze. “The Bridge at full power would prevent it, but now? I don’t know. If it does happen, we would be forced to fight anyway. All gargoyles would. It wasn’t a hard promise to make since we defend the Bridge and its queen to our deaths.”
“So why keep it from us?” she asks. “If it wasn’t a big deal, you would’ve told me. You certainly should’ve told Jace.”
“Can you forgive me?” I ask. I need to know. “Tell me what I can do to fix this. We can face this together, right?” Or why would she have bothered to defend us to the entire keep? “I mean we’re mates.”
She stands. “I need time to think.” I open my mouth to agree, but she says, “Alone. I’ll find you when I have an answer.” With that, she leaves us both, only allowing Hudyakis to accompany her.
I look to Jace. “But she’s our mate.”
“You lied to her,” he says. “You can’t build a mating bond on half-truths. Not even the gods or the Fates can do that.”
“I didn’t see this coming.” It’s not an excuse, but it’s the best explanation I’ve got.
His jaw clenches. “It’s about time you stop thinking and try feeling your way through the hard parts of life like the rest of us. Before you’re left with nothing but your thoughts to keep you company.” He storms out of the room.
I’m left alone, and I can’t help but wonder if that will become a forever condition.
32
ROSEMARIE
