“Listen, Sebastian,” I said. “Frankly, we’re out of options here. Either you let us pass through the portal, or you walk away from Gray’s contract and move on to another witch. After all, you seem to think there are plenty left.”
“Gray is the key toeverything,” he muttered, almost to himself. Then, “Tell you what, son. I believe I will allow you to pass through my portal after all. My guards will ensure you’re not harmed en route.”
I nodded my thanks, letting him pretend it’d been his idea all along.
I didn’t give a fuck about who took the credit. I gave a fuck about saving my witch from that nightmare.
“You will retrieve the witch,” he continued, “and bring her back to me, body and soul intact.”
“Technically, you’ve only got a claim to her soul,” Darius reminded him. “Upon her death, which hasn’t yet come to pass. Unless I’ve misunderstood the terms of the contract?”
Sebastian narrowed his eyes at Darius, but then he nodded. “Very well. You shall be escorted to the portal. The guards will wait for your return to escort the three of you back to me. I’m very much looking forward to introducing myself to Gray. It’s never too late to start paving the way for a good working relationship.”
At that, I let out a laugh. “Yeah, I don’t think so.”
Sebastian knew as well as I did that bringing Gray back through the hell portal was not an option. Darius and I could handle it, but her human soul could very easily be trapped in hell, especially since she was already sworn to him.
He was so fucking transparent.
“Darius and I will return through the portal,” I said. “Gray will be exiting by a different route.”
He stared at me a long time, trying on his very best poker face. He’d been trampling me most of my life, but this was one thing I wouldn’t bend on, and he knew it.
He drained the last of his bourbon and sighed. “Very well, demon. I’ll have my people draw up the papers for you to sign, and then you and your vampire will be on your way.”
I nodded. Sebastian never made a deal without getting it in writing.
“Signatures won’t be necessary,” Darius said to me. “Our generous host is offering us passage through the portal as a show of good faith that we will collect Gray and return her to the material plane, so that when she ultimately passes, her soul will be his to claim, per the terms of her contract.”
Sebastian laughed his oily, car-salesman laugh. “Vampire influence has no effect here, but I applaud the effort.”
“That is no influence, Prince. Merely a fact.” Darius offered an icy smile, then headed for the door.
“Ronan?” Sebastian asked. “A word, if you don’t mind?”
I looked to Darius, then nodded.
“Don’t sign anything, hellspawn,” Darius warned as he opened the office door and stepped out into the hallway. “Come find me when you’re ready.”
“Where you heading?”
“Poker table.” Darius grinned. “Despite Sebastian’s claims to the contrary, I’m betting there are still some places where vampire influence isveryeffective.”
* * *
Sebastian shut his office door and turned to me, malice glinting in his eyes. “You don’t even know if the witch will be able to find another exit, let alone where it will lead her.”
“That’s a chance we’re all willing to take.”
“If you fail, she’ll be trapped in misery. Or worse.”
“I understand the risks.”
“And you speak for her, too?”
“I’m sure she’d agree with me on this.”
His eyelid twitched—the only indication that this was getting under his skin. “If you change your mind, son—”
