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He'd already alluded to them knowing about everything else.
“So, none of you know where she or the brother is?” I checked.
Maverick winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “We’re doing our best.”
I shook my head and ran a hand over my brow. “What do I have to do to help?”
Ciaran’s blue eyes met with mine and something close to a smirk curled one side of his lips. “You’re going to make a deal with the devil.”
I leaned forward and mirrored his position. “And what am I supposed to bargain with?”
“Uh, Lana.” Grace stepped towards us as if to stop me and was promptly halted by Kyrous wrapping an arm around her from behind.
“You too,” he monotoned.
“No shit her too. Lana isn’t doing anything with you assholes alone,” Mel proclaimed.
Charon looked at her openly amused. “That’s not what he meant.”
“You three are a package deal,” Maverick chimed in.
Leaning back, I placed my hands on my lap and studied Ciaran through slightly narrowed eyes. “What does that mean?”
They did that thing again, where they passed some kind of coded message we couldn’t understand. Now it was me who regretted asking such a question.
“You asked what the devil wanted. What if I said it was you?”
I tilted my head and looked at him quizzically. Me?
“Haven’t I been telling you this entire time I want to help you?”
“Yes, but…” It couldn’t be that simple. There had to be something he wasn’t telling me—us. A lot of things, actually. He’d already divulged more than anyone else ever had, though.
I wasn’t foolish enough to believe it was because he’d been madly in love with me this entire time. Whatever he was after, whatever his reasoning, it was important. “How does helping me, help you?”
He looked at me the same way he had on the staircase, with a twisted sense of possessiveness burning in his eyes. “The enemy of my enemy is my greatest asset, Puppet.”
Ah. Now, this was an angle that made sense and I could honestly get on board with.
Alone I couldn’t do a damn thing if I were to go against my family, but having someone like him on my side changed everything.
“Then I guess you have a deal,” I stated casually, hoping the sound of my pounding heart couldn’t be heard by everyone in the room.
Ciaran’s smirk faded and he turned to look at Maverick. “Good thing you prepped the knife.”
Had I missed something? “Why do we need a knife?”
Grace broke away from Kyrous with a scowl. “There’s no way you’re being serious. Why would you do that?”
“What is it?” I questioned, looking between them. I wasn’t as quick to catch on
“It’s a life sentence,” she spat angrily at Ciaran’s back.
When I finally connected the dots, I pulled in a small intake of breath.
Ciaran rose from the coffee table and offered me his hand. With a grim twist of my mouth, I reached out and accepted it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The only light came from a dimmed chandelier and a few candles placed strategically around the room. Two vials sat on either side of a round metal bowl. A curved dagger rested on a black cloth in front of them.
We’d moved from the formal living room to the dining area that was overlooked by a modernized kitchen. Standing around a table of tempered glass, I was moments away from sealing a deal I would never be able to renege on.
This was quite possibly the most reckless thing I’d ever decided to do. It was like signing a contract without understanding the fine print.
There were the blood oaths in movies and fiction, and then there were the oaths exclusive to our society. They were done to unify families for generations or form alliances.
It was ironic to me I’d sworn off marriage and relationships only weeks ago and now I was tying myself to someone with an oath that was sacred and lasted beyond death. It wasn’t someone that loved me or vice versa, but the one person I was expressly forbidden to get involved with.
I couldn’t think of a better fuck you to anyone who would object or deny this oath. Not if they had a hand in hurting my sister or planning to use my friends.
“You know if our families find out about this the apocalypse will reign down on earth,” Mel insinuated.
“Not our families, just yours,” Ciaran countered.
“You mean they won’t gather their armies and ride at dawn?”
He flashed me a grin and reached for the dagger. “Every family has its secrets, but mine isn’t quite as fucked up as yours.”
I had nothing to retaliate with. I couldn’t bring myself to defend them. “You don’t have any STDs or anything, right?”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just ask me that. Give me your hand.”
I reached across the table and allowed him to flip my palm upward. Mel and Grace stood on either side of me for moral support.
