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“It’s not my story to tell.” He dresses as quickly as I did. I’m mildly amused to discover that his clothing options are more of the same—fitted pants and a loose white shirt. Malachi really is as eclectic as Wolf when it comes to his clothing, even if his style is more understated. Slightly. He turns toward the door. “But if you ask Rylan, he might tell you.”
“I will.” I follow Malachi back into the living room. One of the other men has got the fire going, and the cozy impression of this room only gets stronger with flames sending light dancing across the ceiling and walls.
Wolf is once again dressed in his customary trousers, suspenders, and graphic T-shirt. Rylan surprises me, though. I half-expected him to have a suit on, but he’s got lounge pants and a knitted sweater. His feet are bare. I stare at them for a long moment, my chest feeling strange. It’s such a small thing. Bare feet. People go barefoot all the time. I don’t know why the sight of Rylan’s bare feet has my heart beating oddly against my ribs.
I drag my gaze to the fire. A much safer subject.
Wolf claps his hands and rubs them together in something like glee. “Now. Let’s get down to it.”
Chapter 11
When Wolf finishes detailing the terms of the demon bargain, the silence is thick enough to cut through with a chain saw. Rylan is so still, I don’t think he’s breathing. Malachi keeps clenching and unclenching his fists.
I shift in my seat in the middle of the couch. “We didn’t promise anything.”
“And you won’t.” Rylan cuts in before Malachi can say whatever he’s stewing on. “Those terms are unacceptable.”
I straighten my spine. “Everyone in this room is making sacrifices to ensure I become heir so we stop being hunted. I’m willing to make sacrifices, too.”
“I swear to fuck, Mina—”
Again, Rylan cuts off Malachi. “There are too many potential pitfalls. Time moves strangely in the demon realms, which is something Wolf already brought up. Beyond that, we don’t know how your seraph bond might work with demons.” He shakes his head. “If it tries to bond with whoever bought you at auction, they will kill you before letting themselves be bound. The cost is too high.”
“We can bargain on my safety.” I don’t know why I’m arguing this. Ultimately, he’s right. No matter what my feelings on the matter are, if all three of them are in agreement, then I need to listen to their opinions. Rushing forward because I feel guilty is foolish. “There’s room for negotiation.”
“It won’t save you.” Malachi crosses his arms over his broad chest. “The demon who kills you will face punishment, but you’ll still be dead.”
I open my mouth, but change my mind before I tell him it’s a reasonable risk. Judging from the look on his face, he won’t thank me for saying as much. “If you’re all in agreement…”
“We are.” Malachi’s words sound like a threat.
Rylan nods. “It was a far-fetched option at best. The cost is too high.”
“You know how I feel, love. The only way I’d agree is if Azazel took you for himself, and he won’t. He’s focused on another.”
I sigh and slump back against the couch. “Then I guess that option’s out.” Which leaves only the path we’re on. Get pregnant. Become heir. Commit patricide. “What did you two find out from my father’s hunters?”
“He knows.” Malachi says the words so simply, it takes several beats before they sink in.
I push to my feet, earlier exhaustion forgotten. He knows. “What does he know?”
“That you’re enough seraphim to have their power and all that that entails. He suspects you bonded with at least me, if not the others, but he doesn’t have a way to confirm it.”
This is bad. Really, really bad. “How? How could he possibly know that much?”
“Your magic left a signature of sorts when the blood ward broke.” Wolf rubs his temples. “It’s not something I considered, but even if I had, it couldn’t be helped. Your father isn’t old enough to know what you are, but apparently my cousin decided to embrace his ambition further and handed over the information for a hefty sum.”
Rylan crosses his ankle over his knee. Of all of us, he looks most normal. Which isn’t to say he’s relaxed; I don’t think I’ve ever seen Rylan relaxed, even if he’s wearing something casual right now. He leans back. “Ultimately, this changes nothing. If he wasn’t aware of Mina’s bloodline before, he would have become aware once he caught her again. The plan remains the same.”
“Does this mean you’re going to actually participate?” Wolf drawls. He snaps his suspenders in a steady rhythm, his eyes cold. “Or will you continue to play the martyr and whine about how you didn’t want this?”
