“Say it,” I whispered.
“Oh, for the love of all that is unholy.” Sebastian slammed his hand on the table, making the candle flame flicker. “You two are pathetic. It’s your own damn fault for giving into this temptation anyway. I’m doing you both a favor by putting an end to it.”
I closed my eyes, willing myself to remain calm. Grief and misery were banging on the door of my heart, but I couldn’t afford to let them in. Not with so much at stake.
I couldn’t afford to lose it. I needed to hold on to that damn sword and figure a way out of this.
Opening my eyes, I looked across the table at my grandmother. “Could I speak to the Prince alone please.”
“No,” Ronan said, at the time Deirdre said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Ignoring the protests, Sebastian nodded, gesturing for Deirdre and Ronan to show themselves to the door.
Deirdre went first, and Sebastian’s eyes never left her. For a brief instant, I saw the flicker of something almost human on his face. It was gone in a blink, but not before he’d given me another clue into his motives.
I had no idea what it meant. Only that what I’d seen was unmistakable.
Sebastian was in love with my grandmother.
“Gray,” Ronan called, and when I looked at him, I saw the trepidation in his eyes. The worry. He didn’t want to leave me alone with Sebastian, but I couldn’t think straight with him in the room. Not after what I’d learned—what his deal meant for us. I needed to stay focused on Sebastian, on what I could use as leverage to buy myself some more time.
For so long, Ronan had been my rock. My protector. My best friend.
But at the moment, he was no more than a distraction. One I couldn’t afford.
He lingered at the threshold with the two hellhounds, awaiting my response, refusing to join Deirdre in the hallway. But in the end, Sebastian showed him a single raised eyebrow, and Ronan caved.
I knew he would. That’s how it was in this place. All of us were bound to Sebastian, forced to follow his orders or risk the life-altering consequences.
For now.
Twelve
Gray
Finally alone with the man who’d bought my soul, I squared my shoulders, sat up straight, and got right to the point.
“I’m sure you’re aware that witches and the supernatural community at large are facing a massive new threat,” I said. “Those who haven’t been murdered outright have been taken prisoner, experimented on, tortured, and worse—used to create hybrid breeds and unstoppable supernatural weapons.”
Sebastian stroked his goatee. “And you’ve come by this knowledge, how, exactly?”
I gave him the rundown on Jonathan and the prison—the horrors we saw there. “I don’t know how or when, but the hunters are planning to unleash pure chaos. The entire supernatural community is in grave danger, as are humans.”
Sebastian’s oily laugh filled the room. “And this should concern me because…”
“You may not care about the fate of humanity, Sebastian. But if humans die off, you’ll have fewer resources to exploit. Your demons will have fewer vessels to inhabit. Without the human capital that keeps this show running…” I spread my hands, indicating the tiny dungeon of the room, as well as the demon himself. “The whole seedy underbelly of your operation will come to a screeching halt.”
He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest, not saying a word. His brows were stern and serious, but I saw the flicker of concern in his eyes. He’d heard me. Knew that the picture I was painting wasn’t such a farfetched possibility.
“Get to the point, Silversbane.”
“My name is Desario.”
“I don’t care what you call yourself. Just get to the point. You’re obstinance is starting to grate.”
I rose from the chair and crossed to the end of the table, standing before him. His lip twitched—the only indication that my presence affected him at all.
“My whole life, you’ve been making deals for my future—for mysoul—with other people.” Again, the magic inside me flared, giving me strength. Purpose. Power. “Now you’re going to deal with me.”
