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I swiped at my tears and did as I was asked. Once we’d laid her across the mattress, my mother pulled up a chair to watch. I sat against the wall and stayed there until the sun set, turning the room bruised shades of purple and black. Nonna’s breathing finally evened out, and she fell into a deep, restorative sleep. She’d made it, no thanks to me. Praise the goddess.
“You should go get some rest, baby. Your grandmother will be fine. The worst is over.”
I nodded, but couldn’t sleep now. I wasn’t sure I could ever rest again without seeing the gory scene replay in my mind. And the worst part was, Nonna was almost killed because of me. Then, when she needed me the most, I’d failed her again. I’d lost all memories of spells or healing charms. I’d shut down and let fear take control. If I hadn’t started investigating my sister’s murder, or tricked Greed, none of this would have happened.
I crept into the kitchen, wanting to clean up the blood before my parents saw it again. I scrubbed until the floor shined and my fingers ached. Then I repeated the routine. Pouring water, scrubbing. I needed to remove the stains from the grout. It took most of the night, but I finally managed to erase all physical signs of the attack. But the memory would never leave me.
I rinsed out the rag and leaned against the island, sipping a glass of water. It took a while for me to notice at first, but eventually I realized the invisible demon came here with a mission. I absently reached up, thinking of Nonna’s injury, and went to hold my amulet. My hand dropped away, empty. I forgot I’d taken it off. I went to pluck it off the counter and froze.
My cornicello was gone.
TWENTY
“You look like hell, witch.”
I glared at the demon of war by way of greeting. In a few short hours he’d be free, and I wasn’t sure he’d answer any questions once the containment spell dissipated. After the brutal attack on Nonna, I left the house and wandered around Palermo, deciding what to do next. I’d made a terrible mistake and it almost cost my grandmother her life. I shouldn’t have ever gone back to my house after confronting Greed. Of course he’d send spies after me to steal my amulet. It was reckless to think a prince of Hell would simply let me walk away unscathed after besting him.
Now that I knew my sister and I had been wearing the devil’s horns, and how powerful and dangerous they were, I had to get them back. I might not know where mine was at the moment, but thanks to Greed, I knew exactly where Vittoria’s was. I just needed some information from Wrath about the Viperidae first, and then I’d set out to retrieve it.
“You’d know better than most what that’s like.” I smiled sweetly. “I met two of your brothers, by the way. They’re absolute gems.”
Wrath looked neither surprised nor interested in the news. He sat with his back against the wall, legs straight out, surveying the circle of bones that contained him. Of course he
wasn’t wearing the shirt I’d bought for him; it was lying in a discarded heap on the ground.
“I have six brothers. You’ll have to be more specific.”
“Don’t you know who’s here?”
His attention subtly dropped to my hip before he jerked his gaze back up. “Have you come crawling back to beg for help? I’m not feeling very charitable today. Captivity doesn’t suit me.”
Demons invading my city, attacking my grandmother, stealing my cornicello, and murdering my sister didn’t suit me, either. Instead of arguing, I pulled a cannoli from the brown paper bag I’d tucked into my satchel. Nonna said you could catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I figured a cannoli would help me catch a prince of Hell just fine.
He looked startled when I handed it to him. “What is that?”
“Food. Unless you’ve been catching vermin, I doubt you’ve eaten.”
“I neither need human food, nor do I wish to taint my body with the foulness of it.”
I stared at him, horrified. After all the terrible things that had happened, this was putting me over the edge. “You really are a monster, aren’t you?”
“That doesn’t even look edible.” He took the cannoli between his two fingers and held it closer to inspect it. “What do you expect me to do with it?”
“Engage your enemies.”
He poked at the ricotta filling. “Is it poisoned?”
I sighed. “Just eat it, oh, mighty warrior. It’s for pleasure, not pain. I made them myself. I swear they’re not poisoned. This time.”
He looked skeptical, but took a bite. His attention flicked to mine as he chewed. I couldn’t help but grin as he took a larger mouthful, then grabbed a second cannoli from the bag. He was halfway through it when he noticed me still watching and scowled. “What?”
“I do not wish to taint my body with the foulness of human food,” I mocked. “But desserts are acceptable.”
He didn’t deign to respond. Instead he rummaged in the bag, frowning at the emptiness. He set it aside and looked me over again. “I imagine these delicacies were part of a larger scheme to infiltrate my defenses. You smell like blood that isn’t your own, your hair is tangled like some wild creature built a nest in it and invited its kin. My blade is missing from your hip. And you look ready to curse the world. What is it you desire to know, witch? What scared you?”
My hand moved to the place I’d been strapping his dagger. After the damage it had inflicted on my grandmother, I couldn’t stand the thought of holding it. Now I felt its absence almost as much as I missed my cornicello. “How would someone summon a Viperidae?”
“Someone with a sense of survival wouldn’t.”
