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Anir narrowed his dark eyes. The movement made the scar on his cheek stand out more. Wrath went to step around the body when his associate yanked him to a halt. I watched it all happen as if the scene was playing out on a stage, far from where I actually stood. I couldn’t believe another body lay brutalized at our feet. Bile slowly rose. Wrath seemed entirely unaffected, as if coming across maimed bodies was part of his daily life.
The demon turned on his heel, gaze locked onto the human’s hand. “What?”
Anir jabbed a finger toward the cooling body. “Aren’t we going to send for help?”
“What do you propose we do? Call for human authorities?” Wrath didn’t give Anir a chance to answer. “If you were them, would you take our word as good Samaritans and let us be on our way? Or would you look at your demon-forged blade, and my devilish demeanor, and toss us in some shit-filled cell and throw away the key?” Anir pursed his lips but didn’t say anything. “Do you have any more noble suggestions, or can we leave?”
“Sometimes you really are a heartless bastard.”
Wrath glanced down at me, his brows drawn together. “Are you all right?”
No, I was most certainly not all right. The body of another murder victim was lying at our feet. And I’d just gotten a look at her face. She was my best friend’s cousin. I stared in horrified silence at her broken body. I still couldn’t understand how this scene was real. My head spun with shock. Claudia wasn’t close with her cousin, but would still feel her loss greatly. I shoved the heels of my hands into my eyes.
“Emilia?”
I shrugged away from Wrath’s touch. “That is… was Valentina Rossi.”
“I assumed as much.”
I couldn’t believe another witch had her heart ripped out. This brought the death toll up to five. I fought the bile searing its way up my throat again. Seeing something so horrific… I’d never get used to it.
Francesco, the treacherous human messenger, didn’t know the name of the next bride, only the meeting location for Anir. And I doubted Anir would betray Wrath, which meant the information had gotten out some other way. I was nauseated for a new reason—I’d tortured a man for nothing.
“There must be a spy in the kingdom,” Anir said, putting my thoughts into words.
I imagined he’d seen his share of horrible things, but he still looked shocked. He pulled his dark hair back, and tied it with a string of leather he ripped from his wrist.
Wrath paced around the alley, careful to avoid stepping in the blood. I averted my gaze from the gore. We needed to send word to the authorities. Valentina couldn’t just lay there, cold and
alone. The demon stopped close to where I stood, shielding my view of the body. “Which means one of my brothers is responsible. Somehow, some way.”
My earlier encounter with his brothers sprang to mind. “Greed and Envy are both here.”
Wrath shook his head. “Envy wouldn’t chance a fight with me. Greed… I still can’t see him jeopardizing his House. Not after he’s built a formidable stronghold.”
“Either way, the implications of a betrayal within the Seven… forget the curse, your highness,” Anir said. “Personal feelings about witches aside, finish the marriage bond with Emilia and secure your own House before war comes. You’ll need your powers at their fullest. Whoever is organizing this must have killed Pride’s wife.”
It felt like I’d been drenched in an ice bath. “What marriage bond?”
Anir missed the note of panic in my voice. “The one you started when you bound the prince to you.”
Wrath stopped moving. Stopped breathing as I gaped in horror. Time seemed to freeze as I silently repeated what Anir said. I wanted to shout that it wasn’t true, but Wrath’s reaction said otherwise. The demon prince didn’t break my stare. “How?”
“Leave us.” Wrath barely spoke above a whisper, but Anir jumped to obey the command. Once he was gone, the demon nodded toward our matching tattoos. “Your protection charm wasn’t a bond of protection like a guardian to their ward. The translation of aevitas ligati means ‘bound forever’ as in holy matrimony. It wasn’t needed for the summoning to be successful.”
“Are we… are you saying we’re betrothed?” I waited, heart pounding, but Wrath said nothing. He didn’t need to. The truth was there in his eyes. He’d known all along what I’d done. No wonder he’d looked so horrified that night. I’d basically ripped him from Hell, and forced him into a betrothal. Forever. “When were you going to tell me?”
His voice came out soft. “This doesn’t change anything…”
“Everything’s changed.” A violent shudder tore through me as the demon continued to hold my unflinching gaze. This was all too much. The body of my best friend’s cousin. My accidental engagement to Wrath. “What happens if I don’t want to marry you? Will you force me to rule beside you in Hell?”
“Emilia…”
“Don’t you dare.” I shook my head. “Will I be forced to go there?”
“No.”
Right. Demon laws were based on civility. Forcing someone into marriage probably broke all of their strangely rigid rules. But I bet he’d fashion a wicked bargain for me and make it so good, so tempting, I’d never say no. Especially if the marriage bond helped give him more power like Anir claimed it would. I locked my hand at my side.
