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Perhaps I could offer help instead of an apology…
“What bodies, exactly?” I ask, glancing between him and Griffin.
“Humanoid bodies,” Griffin says, a sarcastic ring to his voice.
“Obviously, but where? I found bodies in the keep when I arrived. I buried them in the woods.”
Griffin’s little tilt of his head, and the flirting smirk at the corner of his lips, causes an unsettling whirl in my gut.
“You buried them?” Asmo asks, his voice hardly above a whisper.
“Was I not supposed to?” I stare at him, brows drawn together, trying to read his expressions, but he gives nothing away. Most of the time, he seems to keep his emotions so locked down that it’s hard to draw lines.
“Can you show me where?” Asmo sets his napkin on the table, rising from the chair.
“Sure.” I suck in a breath when he pulls out my seat, not expecting it.I guess we’re going now.
The ghost boy floats back into the room, gliding through the air like a leaf in the breeze. His clothes are nothing more than tatters, stained with blood from unseen wounds. Even in death, he’s chosen to wear them still, instead of imagining himself in something less gruesome. Dark, sunken eyes peer at us from a gaunt face and I can’t imagine what it must be like to be lost and kept from finding peace for so long.
Asmo’s lips curve into a sly smile. "He won’t hurt you.”
“I know.” I ignore his outstretched hand, standing as I smooth the front of my tunic.
“Then why the face?”
“I’m just wondering why you need their bones.”
As we turn toward the archway, leading to the foyer, his hand rests against my lower back, not pushing, but there. And if I had any thoughts of turning around, or refusing to tell him where those bodies are, that hand tells me there’s no choice but to show him.
“We’re giving him and the others still wandering the woods a second chance at life.”
I halt, but his hand urges me on. “You can’t bring back the dead.”
“I can, and I will.” There’s not an ounce of hesitation in his voice. He truly believes it.
“You’ll be messing up the balance. A life given is a life owed.” I would know. My mother gave up hers for me.
“In most instances, yes. However, in this, they’re not fully coming back. They’ll be given bodies, and their undead souls will be tethered to this plane. Thanks to my magic, there’s a chance that that boy and the others could exist like the living withinthe keep’s boundary wall. They’ll still be able to move on if they make their peace, but until then, they’ll stay sane and live well.”
I tense. “What do you meanyourmagic?You’re a demon. No demon can manipulate the fabrics of life and death.” Stealing a glance over my shoulder, there’s such hope in that boy’s eyes, enough that it gives me pause. Do I have the right to deny him this? This life?
“You mean she doesn’t know?” Griffin chuckles under his breath, having taken the lead. “Oh, this just keeps getting better.”
“Know what?” Unease stirs within me as I meet Asmo’s knowing gaze. This night is shaping up to be far more complicated than I imagined it would be when I made our deal.
Still, he doesn’t answer, just nudges me along.
14
Valeria
I chew my lip.This is blood magic, and it goes against every waking instinct in my body. "Blood magic is forbidden for good reason," I begin carefully. Asmo merely lifts a brow, amusement dancing in his eyes. I press on. "There are always consequences, often deadly. You could lose your soul if you don’t sacrifice an innocent life to power the spell. I know you mean well, but…" The words die on my tongue, my eyes widening at the realization thatI’m innocent. I’ve harmed no one, and until recently I’ve obeyed the rules. He’s going to sacrificeme.
Suddenly, it’s hard to breathe. My breaths are short, shallow, and far too quick as lights burst in my vision. “I understand you want to bring them back but our lives are tethered. I die, you die.” I’m rambling, but I don’t care. My feet are rooted to the floor as I reach for my crystal pendant, feeling it hum at my touch. I’ll fight if I have to. I’d rather die doing so, than be offed like some lamb. “Sacrificing me will—”
Asmo whips me around to face him. “I’m not sacrificing you. Okay? Now breathe before you pass out.”
BREATHE.Something dark wraps around the edges of my awareness, encroaching and growing thicker, repeating the command over and over until I have no choice but to comply.
