A Darker Past (The Darker Agency #2)(75)

“Where’s Kendra?” Mom repeated.

Cassidy stepped up beside her. She was watching us from the corner of her eye, and at one point, I was almost positive that she’d tackle Mom. Did she really believe we’d do anything to put Ken in danger? “My daughter first, then the prison.”

Gressil laughed. He laughed, then laughed some more. In fact, it was like someone had slipped him crazy juice, because he couldn’t seem to stop laughing. “Poor, stupid little witch. Do you not remember our deal? Did you really think to double cross me? Get them to give me the prison, and you shall get your offspring back.”

Cassidy froze, turning paler, and a sick bubble formed in the pit of my stomach. Sure, he could have been referring to the bargain he made with all of us. The prison in exchange for Kendra. But there was something about the way he was studying her. Something that screamed of secrets and lies. Also, there was the fact that she looked ready to shit kittens.

“Give me my daughter back,” she roared.

He was on her in an instant. I made a move to help, but Mom, who watched the whole scene with a rare expression of shock, grabbed my arm and pulled back.

Gressil laughed again, this time in Cassidy’s face. “Did you think your cohorts wouldn’t find out, witch? How very simple of you.” He backed away and turned to Mom. “You have an hour. Bring what I requested and call to me. If you fail, I will rip the little witch apart and leave her in pieces at your feet.” And he was gone.

Cassidy let out a scream and collapsed to the ground, but she didn’t stay there long. Mom was on her in the time it took me to blink. She hauled her off the grass and threw her back against the altar. “Double cross him? What the hell did you do, Cass?”

She glared up at Mom, meeting her gaze with a look of defiance. “What I had to.”

“It was a setup,” I said, finally understanding. “She set the whole thing up. You let him take Kendra.”

Mom looked sick, but not surprised. I realized that must be why she refused to bring the box. She’d been suspicious. “You knew we’d get the prison. That we’d never leave her to die… You used us.”

“And you lied to me,” Cassidy said, but it was weaker than normal. It lacked some of her usual venom. “You said you didn’t know where the prison was. I knew damn well that was bullshit. I did what I had to do to save my coven.”

Mom slapped her. Not a closed fist punch or an elbow to the jaw. A slap. I’d never seen Mom slap anyone before. It was equal parts awesome and disturbing at the same time. “You risked the life of your child to trick us into getting him that prison?”

“I did what I had to—”

Mom hit her again. The sound echoed through the clearing and sent a flock of birds fleeing from one of the trees overhead. “Don’t say it,” she warned. “What the hell did you think was going to happen? We told you we had no intention of giving it to him.”

“But Cassidy did,” I said. I’d never been more disgusted with anyone in my life. Human or Otherworlder. “That’s why she freaked when we didn’t come with the box. She was going to hand it over.”

Mom was enraged. “Do you have any idea what the death toll would be if he sets Asmodeus free? How many lives would be lost?”

Cassidy opened her mouth, then closed it, shoulders falling forward. “I needed to save my coven. It was the only thing I could think of. I am willing to sacrifice anything—anyone—to do that.”

“Like I said before”—I couldn’t keep my mouth closed any longer—“if you’d just worked with us from the start, none of this would have happened.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Try explaining it,” Mom yelled.

Cassidy didn’t bother. “I just want my daughter back unharmed. What do we do to make that happen?”

I wasn’t sure if I believed her anymore. After all, she’d just said she was willing to sacrifice anything. Anyone. There was a spark of something familiar in her eyes. Desperation mixed with…what? I couldn’t place it, but it sent off every internal alarm I had. In the end though, it didn’t matter. My head drooped. “We don’t have another choice anymore. We need to give him the box.”

…

We all agreed to meet back at the Archway fifteen minutes before our time was up. Cassidy was leery of letting us out of her sight, but Mom coldly said that, unlike her, we didn’t sacrifice people to get what we wanted. That shut her up fast. She slunk away, and I made a promise to let Smokey terrorize her just a little when this was all over.

Mom left me at the office to get ready, and went to take care of something. No matter how much I begged, she wouldn’t tell me what, but after she left, I noticed she’d taken the prison with her. All she would say was that she was buying us some extra insurance. She still didn’t trust Cassidy, and I was right there with her.

I changed into my lucky Mashing jeans and had started toward my closet to load up on weapons when a voice behind me sent my body about ten feet off the ground.

“Don’t we look fetching? Going someplace fun, I hope? Possibly someplace with bloodshed and mayhem? That would be my idea of a good time.”

“Hell in a hailstorm. I swear I’m going to tie a bell around your neck,” I said, glaring at the demon lounging on my bed. “Tight.”