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“Nothing. You have my word. Remember, the offer is for one question, anything else will cost you.”
I reclaimed my seat, calculating my next move. There were so many questions I needed answers to, but none of them would be worth the cost of handing over my cornicello. I thought carefully about the list I’d written out last night, and focused on one detail that bothered me the most. It meant something. I wanted to know what. I chose my words with exacting precision.
“Tell me about the Horn of Hades.”
If he was surprised by my choice, it didn’t show. “It’s a key that locks the gates of Hell.”
“I heard it was part of a curse. That if a witch wears it she’ll have power over the devil.”
“Witch legends are fascinating in their falsehoods. The Horn of Hades was a gift. Your sister knew the true story.”
I desperately wanted to ask him what it was, but there was something more important I needed to know. “How do you break a demon spell that was cast on an object?”
Greed’s answering smile was toxic. “I told you about the Horn of Hades. The rest will cost you. I don’t believe in giving without gain.”
Now my smile turned sharp. “Per your rules, that was my first actual question.”
He rolled his shoulders back, his nostrils flaring a bit. I was half convinced he was about to spring across the desk and wrap his hands around my neck. A long moment passed before he spoke.
“Clever girl.” He reached for his glass and drank deeply, his knuckles turning white while he probably thought over my phrasing. “Sacrifice a bit of yourself.”
“That’s not an honest answer.”
“Oh, but it is.”
Greed took another sip of water. “Would you like to ask another question?”
I would like to ask another dozen questions, but dragging useful information from a prince of Hell was harder than I thought. I pressed my lips together.
He kicked his boots up onto the desk, and steepled his fingers again. “Allow me to be blunt, Signorina di Carlo. Your sister gave me her amulet, knowing the importance of it. I need both hers and yours to work a spell. Give me your amulet, and I vow to protect your world.”
Sure he would. Right after he pillaged and destroyed it. Suspicion coiled around me. There was absolutely no way my sister had willingly given him her cornicello. If he did have it, then he’d taken it. I knew for a fact Vittoria had been wearing it the day she died. I swallowed hard. It was looking more and more possible that I w
as sitting across from my twin’s murderer. I mentally crossed witch hunters off my list of suspects. Thus far, all of my clues kept pointing to demons.
I wondered if Greed told my sister a similar story and she refused him. I was more than a little afraid of what he might do if I also tried walking away. He could probably sense fear, so I shoved it as far down inside me as I could, and bluffed. “If Vittoria gave you her amulet, show it to me.”
“Ah.” He blew out a long breath. “That isn’t possible.”
“Not possible, or you won’t do it?”
“Both. A Viperidae was summoned to this realm. Its nest is below the cathedral and, well, they’re very protective about their space. The amulet will stay there until it decides to give it up.”
I didn’t bother asking what a Viperidae was, or who’d summoned it. I doubted he’d tell me anything else after I’d tricked information from him.
“And you put the amulet there…” I didn’t expect an answer and he didn’t offer one. It was highly unlikely that he would put something he wanted so badly in a place he couldn’t gain access to it. But I had a feeling my sister would. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Vittoria would never willingly give anyone—let alone one of the Malvagi—her amulet.
Greed’s story didn’t add up. I wanted to hope against all odds he was being semi-truthful, but it was a gamble I couldn’t risk taking. He did give me another short-term goal to focus on—I’d get my sister’s cornicello back, and ask Nonna why a demon would be so interested in them.
“Well?” he asked. “Do we have a deal, Signorina di Carlo?” “Grazie,” I said, standing, “but my answer is still no.”
NINETEEN
A prince of Hell is the most dangerous of the demons. He appears angelic, but will claw out your heart. To combat his power, wear or draw a cimaruta charm—a branch of a rue with five stalks sprouting designs that correlate to your needs. Choose five images needed to banish a demon prince back to his realm. Example: a key, dagger, owl, snake, and moon will send him straight to Hell.
—Notes from the di Carlo grimoire
Blood was the key to unlocking demon magic.
