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He moved near enough that I either had to remain and feel the heat of his body, or shift away to hold his gaze. It took a moment for me to yield a step, but I finally did.
I couldn’t believe he wanted to argue over clothing while I was reeling over my personal ghost from Hell. If it was even real and not some sinister creation my mind conjured to haunt me.
“I can and will deny you whenever I choose,” he said, his voice now dangerously low. “Do not ever make the mistake of thinking you wield any power over me other than the spell that contains me here. And even that won’t last.”
He took a deep breath, like he was enjoying the anger emanating from me. I thought about punching him again, but refrained. “You can’t break the spell without me, demon.”
“Maybe not. But containment spells—like summoning spells—last three days. After that, I’m free to leave this circle and do as I please.” He finally stepped back and leaned against the cavern wall, watching me digest the information. “Have you come to verbally spar all night, or have you changed your mind about the blood bond?”
“Neither. I’ve come to interrogate you about witch hunters.” His sudden laughter startled me. I recovered quickly and crossed my arms. “Why is that funny?”
“Information is currency where I’m from. No one expects to get something for free. If you walked into any of the royal houses and demanded information, they’d skin you alive.”
I hoped he co
uldn’t hear the pounding of my heart as I let that visual take shape.
“Agreeing to a blood trade doesn’t count as payment?” I asked. He straightened up and immediately lost the grin. That got his princely attention. “I believe in making informed decisions. Therefore, I request an exchange of some basic information. Surely that won’t be too much for you to agree to.”
He inspected me the way someone might look at a cat if it suddenly started ordering the servants around. “Very well. I will indulge you by answering some questions. Choose wisely.”
“Have you heard of any humans who have banded together to hunt witches?”
He shook his head. “Not at this time. Though history has shown them to be active, so I’m sure they exist.”
“Which of your brothers bargained with my sister?”
“Pride.”
I closed my mouth. In human religion the devil was often associated with that particular sin. Last night Wrath only told me my sister had made a deal with his brother; he hadn’t mentioned the actual devil. Which meant…
A memory sprang to the forefront of my mind. The night before Vittoria was murdered, I’d demanded to know what she’d been doing at the monastery.
“I was summoning the devil. An ancient book whispered its secrets to me, and I’ve decided to take him as my husband. I’d invite you to the wedding, but I’m pretty sure the ceremony takes place in Hell.”
Blood and bones. Vittoria hadn’t been teasing. Questions swarmed around my head like angry bees.
“Was that all you wanted to know, witch?” Wrath stepped into view, breaking into my thoughts. My sister had told me the truth, and I’d let her down. I didn’t ask questions, or take her seriously. I should have known better—she always said outlandish things to humans, and delighted in them thinking she was lying. If I wasn’t so annoyed with her for embarrassing me in front of Antonio, I would have paid closer attention. I should have paid closer attention.
I took a steadying breath. I’d start noticing every detail now.
“Why did Pride want to marry her?” I asked. Wrath’s expression became impossible to read. My patience frayed. “I know my sister agreed to marry him. She told me so herself.”
He didn’t move, but I pictured his mind whirling as he probably formulated a thousand different scenarios, and tallied benefits against costs to information sharing. I honestly didn’t think he’d respond. He didn’t look pleased when he finally did. “Pride needs to marry in order to break a curse that was placed on him.”
“Why are you helping?”
He flashed his teeth. “I was bored. It seemed like fun.”
If he really couldn’t lie to me, that had to at least be partially true. “So, what… your mission is to find someone who’s willing to marry Pride?”
“Yes. He’s in need of a witch bride, specifically. Part of my task involves ensuring his betrothed makes it to our realm safely, should she accept his bargain.”
“Why does he need to marry a witch?”
“He requires someone with magical abilities to break the curse.”
“What if she refuses?”
