Page 102 of In Between Death and the Devil

“Let her go,” I said. “She can’t do anything to me with you here.”

“The instant she’s free she’ll go scampering back to Death and send a whole host after you.” Fen’s hand closed into a fist and the shadows around Talia tightened.

“You’re more powerful than anyone here, including Death.” I squeezed his arm. “It doesn’t matter how many people they send. As long as I’m with you, I know I’m safe.”

“Safe?” Talia’s laugh was almost hysterical. “There’s no such thing as being safe with Fen.” Her use of his given name startled me. “I should know. I used to be a Tempter.”

My eyes went wide at her admission. Was it even possible for people to change their allegiance to a different castle? I felt Fen tense at my side.

“He didn’t tell you.” Talia’s smile was bitter. “Fen and I knew each other very well at one time.” Something acidic swirled in my stomach at the suggestive inflection in her voice.

I could only see the profile of Fen’s face, but his expression was one of stone-cold hatred.

“It never came up,” he said. “If Maeve needed to know, I would have told her. Despite what you think, Talia, you have never been a significant part of my life.”

She flinched, pain flitting across her face before she reverted to anger. A calculating gleam appeared in her eyes, one that made me brace.

“Fen,” I said in a low voice. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Did you tell her your secret yet?” Talia asked with a poisonous smile.

I sighed. I’d heard Talia and Death talk about how terrible Fen was so many times I assumed this was just more of the same. Until a ripple of terror in my bond with Fen startled me. It smoothed over almost instantly, so fast I could almost doubt it had been there at all, but I hadn’t imagined it. It was too visceral of a reaction to forget. Whatever Talia was about to say terrified Fen, and that shook me to my core.

Her gaze shifted to me. “Did he? Did he tell you how he craves⁠—”

Her words ended in a shriek as shadows poured into the space between us, obscuring her from view. When they cleared, she was no longer visible. In her place was a massive cocoon of shadows.

My stomach plummeted into my feet. “What did you do to her?” I stepped around Fen to get a better look.

“She’s fine. I suspended her in shadows.” His mouth was a flat line. Irritation and annoyance surged through our bond.

“Is she awake?” I asked.

He shook his head. “She’ll be freed when we leave.” He created a shadow portal and reached for me.

“You shouldn’t have done that.” I said, stepping back out of reach.

“We’re not having this conversation here.” Before I could argue, he caught me around the waist and dragged me through the portal. We stepped into his office.

I yanked myself free of his grasp as the shadows dissipated. “Why did you cut her off?”

“Because she spouts nothing but nonsense. We don’t need to listen to that.”

My eyes narrowed as he walked around his desk, sorting through the papers on the surface. He looked annoyed but otherwise unbothered, which matched what I felt in our connection. I didn’t buy it. He was far too composed, especially after what I’d felt when Talia mentioned he had a secret. “Did you sleep with Talia when she was a Tempter?”

“Yes.”

My jaw clenched.

“It only happened once, which is why I didn’t think it was worth mentioning. She’s hardly the only person I’ve slept with. Would you like a list of the others?” His tone was mild, but I thought I saw his eyes flash with… something I couldn’t place. He was baiting me.

I ignored the impulse to demand he do exactly that. I would not be distracted, despite the fact that I found the idea of him sleeping with anyone else beyond repulsive. “Is that all?” I asked.

“Yes.” He didn’t look up from his desk, as if absorbed in whatever he’d found.

“I don’t believe you.”

That got his attention. “Don’t be paranoid, Maeve.”