AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sabina,” she began, her voice serious, “I was ready to die that night in Budapest, but your father showed me that I could channel my sadness and use it for the greater good. Stopping Cain is worth any price paid to the gods, or anyone else for that matter.”
I should have warned her. Should have told her that Cain wasn’t the only enemy looking for her. But instead, I took the coward’s way out. “I need to go find Adam. Good night, Nyx.”
The glow in her eyes dimmed and a disappointed grimace turned down the corners of her mouth. But she nodded and said quietly, “You too, Sabina. Please don’t tell Tristan about our conversation. He can be quite… fiercely protective of his privacy.”
Not a problem, I thought. The last thing I wanted was to have a heart-to-heart with Tristan Graecus. I nodded. “Understood.”
With that, I turned and walked away from my chance of getting Asclepius off my back. But at least my conscience was clear. Now that the decision was made, I felt lighter somehow, clean.
Ironic that the first time I’d ever walked away from a kill also marked the moment I might have ensured all our deaths. Because unless we figured out a way to stop Cain before Asclepius’s deadline, he was coming for us.
Chapter 25
I walked back into the bungalow with my shoulders slumped. Adam stood in the kitchen, drinking wine from a bottle.
“Oh gods,” he said, his tone defeated. “What did you do?”
I squinted at him. “What?”
“Nyx. Did you do it?”
I shot him a give-me-a-break glare. “Of course not.”
He perked up. “Really?”
I briefly considered acting affronted, but he’d see right through it. “Don’t get me wrong. I thought about it. But then she told me this sob story about her dead parents and how Tristan saved her from committing suicide.”
Adam frowned. “Wha—”
I waved a hand. “Long story. Anyway, I couldn’t do it. She’s so… nice,” I said bitterly. “And as much as I hate to admit it, you were right. There has to be another way to get Asclepius off my back.”
Adam sighed and set down the wine bottle. “Come here.” He opened his arms.
I walked into them and went limp against his sturdy weight. “We’re doomed.”
He pulled back and tilted my chin up. “No, but you do have to tell Tristan what’s up.”
I groaned. “Like I said, doomed.”
“I know Tristan’s not exactly easy to talk to, but he’s easier to reason with than the psychotic killer who wants to kidnap the Queen of Irkalla.”
“True.” I sighed. “Okay, I’ll tell him tomorrow. When the time is right.”
He shot me a dubious look.
“What? It’s not like I’m going to blurt it out before the test. ‘Hey, Dad,’ ” I mocked, “ ‘a healing god wants your girlfriend dead or he’s going to sell us out to your mortal enemy.’ ”
Adam chuckled. “Okay, maybe you have a point.”
I nodded and looked around, realizing we hadn’t been interrupted by a certain demon’s snarky commentary. “Where’s Giguhl?”
He opened his mouth to reply, but the door flew open and the Mischief stomped in. Judging from his thunderous expression, the talk with Valva hadn’t been friendly.
He stomped across the room and dropped into the armchair adjacent to the couch. “Well, that sucked ass.”
“What happened?” I asked as gently as I could.
The demon leaned forward and put his horned head in his claws. “She wants me back.”
Adam and I exchanged a worried look. “And?” the mancy prompted.
Giguhl looked up, his expression tortured. “And I told her no way. Been there, done that, have the scars to prove it.”
“Good for you,” I said.
He grimaced. “Don’t get too excited. She told me a lot of stuff. About why she had to break it off with me. About how she still wants my body. I don’t know”—he scrubbed a claw over his face—“she sounded pretty convincing.”
“Of course she did.” I rolled my eyes. “She’s an excellent actress.”
“Yeah, but part of me wants to believe her.”
I was pretty sure I knew exactly which part he was thinking with. “Well, don’t listen to that part. It only gets you in trouble.”
Giguhl shot me a bitch-please look. “I was referring to my heart, gutter brain.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sure.”
“Okay, I’ll admit she still makes the Pitchfork vibrate, but it’s not just about sex. I loved her.”
“It’s only natural you’d be having doubts,” Adam said. “She broke it off with you without any explanation. Of course you’d want to believe she was forced into it. But you have to use your head here, G. If she’s telling the truth and you get back together with her, how long until Mommy Dearest calls her back again?”
The demon stilled. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Well you should. Do you really want to risk her breaking your heart again?”
He sighed and shook his head. “No.”
I relaxed a fraction. “Good.”
Giguhl flopped back against the chair with a groan. “I don’t understand females at all.”
“Amen, brother,” Adam said with a wry smile.
“Hey!” I protested.
The mancy shrugged. “What? It’s true. It’s like you know from birth how to f**k with our heads. Back before you succumbed to my charms, I didn’t know what the hell was going on.”
“It’s true, Sabina. You were a major tease. Just like Valva.”
My mouth dropped open. “Take that back!”
The Mischief demon grinned at me. “Truth hurts, don’t it?”
I crossed my arms. “Whatever. I’m just glad you’re not getting back together with her. You can do way better.”
“I don’t know, Red. Before she ripped out my heart and stomped on it with her stilettos, I couldn’t believe my luck that such a megababe was with me.” The demon sighed and rose. “Anyway, I’m gonna hit the sack.”
After we’d said our good nights, he lumbered toward his room with drooping shoulders. Seeing it made me want to find the Vanity demon and kick her ass. How dare she show up and screw with his head like that?
“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t.”
