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I dipped into my source of magic, relieved to feel the enormous well of power that crackled under my skin. If my sister wanted to see what I was capable of, I’d gladly show her.
“You have five minutes to explain yourself.” When I spoke, my voice was colder than the air around us, colder than even the most wicked circle of Hell. I swore the shadows paused before skittering into nothingness, hiding from the great reckoning they sensed coming.
“And then?” Vittoria asked.
My smile was a beautiful nightmare. For the first time, Vittoria’s brow creased as if she’d just realized there was one fatal flaw in her plan. Monsters could be created but never tamed.
“And then, dear sister, you’ll meet the witch you forced me to become.”
TWO
“Bite your tongueor I’ll remove it.” Domenico stepped forward, claws extending and quietly snarling at the threat I posed, but Vittoria raised her hand, stalling him. I was too furious to be surprised at how quickly he backed down from the simple, unspoken command.
“Have you not become more powerful? More… bold?” Vittoria asked, cocking a brow. “You’ve finally stepped out of the safe little hole you’ve been hiding in, only to live a life now worthy of a bard’s pen. Do they sing ballads of boringwitches, wiling away their time in hot kitchens, pining after equally boring holy men like Antonio? I would imagine a grand romance with the king of demons is something much more interesting. Especially in the bedchamber. For the sake of the Great Divine above, Emilia. The death of your former life is something you should thank me for. Antonio, Sea & Vine, you and I were always meant for bigger things.”
“Boring?” Anger lanced through me. “Ilovedmy life and our kitchen. Apologies if what I consider fun, or who I found attractive, is so repulsive to you. And since when do you hate Sea & Vine? You loved our family and our time cooking together, too. Or have you forgotten us? In your quest for… whatever it is you’re after. How could you do that to us, tome?”
My voice broke on the last question, and I yanked hard on my fury again, centering myself. Vittoria watched me closely. “I did what had to be donefor us. It might not seem like it, but I swear this has all been for you and me. The curse—”
She bit down on whatever she wished to say but couldn’t.
“Oh, yes, the curse.” I swatted the air as if the curse were a bothersome housefly. “The bloody, fucking curse that no one can speak of. I’m finished with this fickle magic and every hexed being involved! Why did you fake your murder? How was that in any way helpful to me?”
She seemed to choose her next words carefully. “Even the most volatile fuel requires a spark to cause flames.”
Cryptic as always when the curse was at play. “Why could you possibly need so much fire?”
Her gaze turned into a hard, glittering gem of hatred. For a second, it wasn’t lavender that flashed from her irises, but a deep ruby red. “To watch our enemies burn. To reclaim what is ours by might and birth. And to break the final chains that bind us once and for all.”
“And our family? Are they your enemies? Did they deserve to bury you in that crypt? To believe you were rotting away with our ancestors?”
“Yes. Though I highly doubt they believed I was rotting away. That little lie was something I imagined they fed to you, their favored one. Or should I say, the most feared.” Vittoria’s admission fell between us, heavy under the weight of the truth she believed it to be. “And they aren’t the only ones who will come to fear us. I have adopted one bit of advice from our dear family. Keep your acquaintances close, but your enemies closer.”
I looked at the stranger who wore my sister’s face. There was hardness in this Vittoria, darkness where light had once shined brightly. My sister had been playful, friendly. Capable of making friends and dancing for hours on end. A quality I’d always admired and wished to possess. This harsh version of her was difficult to reconcile. “What if I don’t want to be feared?” I asked.
Vittoria’s smile was a quick flash of teeth, razor-sharp and threatening. “A bird without wings is still a bird, sister mine.”
“Have you been speaking to the Prince of Envy?” I heaved a sigh. “I swear you sound exactly like him after he’s had too much truth-spelled demonberry wine.”
“Envy?” Her gaze flickered inward with a memory. “I rode his pet vampire just to watch those green eyes flame with his favorite sin when he caught us. Vampires make exquisite lovers, being creatures of the night and all. They are masters of mixing pleasure with a bite of pain. Once you finish playing with your demon, you ought to visit the vampire court and give one or two a ride. I recently called upon their prince and was not at all disappointed. The things he could do with those fangs…”
Domenico growled, and my twin shot him a placating look. Clearly he hadn’t known his—whatever my sister was to him—had cavorted with some of his mortal enemies. I was unaware there was a vampire court, and for the time being, it wasn’t a priority to ask. Unless it suddenly became an issue, it was the least of my concerns now.
“I…” I wanted to purge the thought of my twin bedding that particular vampire from my mind. I’d had the misfortune of meeting him once, and Alexei had been frightening. And not in a forbidden, dark fantasy type of way. He’d looked ready to rip out a heart to drink it dry for sport. “Why are you here now? I thought we were supposed to meet tomorrow on the Shifting Isles.”
Vittoria lifted a shoulder, suddenly not meeting my gaze. “I wanted to deliver the message myself in case you didn’t get the skull.”
I didn’t believe her but didn’t call her on the obvious lie. My sister was keeping another secret, and it likely had something to do with the Shadow Realm since we were here. Perhaps it had been a test to see if Domenico could bring me here without any issues. Which meant our time was probably limited and I needed answers. “How did you fake removing your heart?”
“I didn’t.”
“I saw the blood. The gaping hole in your chest. Obviously, it was some magic or illusion, unless you no longer require a heart to live. Don’t stand here and keep lying to my face. You’ve done quite enough of that over the last several months. I deserve to know the truth, Vittoria.”
The temperature abruptly dropped, ice crystals snaking up the walls and crackling like frozen flames as they rapidly spread. The candle flickered in the sudden breeze before blowing out, leaving us in the dark. A thin ribbon of smoke curled through the air, the scent of sulfur permeating the coldness; an omen sent from a ferocious hell god. One I knew well.
Domenico stepped forward, wrapping a hand around my twin’s upper arm, and tugged her near. “Time to go. He’s breached the Shadow’s wards.”
My heart thrummed. I knew exactly whohewas. Wrath had come for my soul, charging across the barrier of the spirit realm, his namesake sin powerful enough to make even the ground here tremble at his approach. I palpably felt his fury, and it did something peculiar to me in this realm. I suddenly wasn’t thinking of my twin’s betrayal or feeling hurt. Heat crept over me where the cold had previously sunk its teeth. Wrath’s sin made me feel alive, buzzing. It also made me want to shed civility and become an elemental force fueled by baser instincts.
