Kingdom of the Feared (Kingdom of the Wicked, #3)(39)

“Would you want to go back home now?” I asked when my old friend hadn’t said anything else. “It’s not too late, you know.”

“Home.” He said the word as if testing it out and finding the taste a bit too bitter for his liking. “It’s all another deception, isn’t it?” Before I could think of a response to comfort him, he said, “Domenico never leaves her. Even when she comes down here, he stands at the end of the corridor, guarding. And he’s not alone. It’s hard to make out, but there are usually several others. They brought a new one here. She doesn’t come near the cell, but I see her watching. She seems wilder than the others. Like a feral dog that can’t stand being caged. Domenico seems on edge whenever she’s near. Which is all the time lately.”

“How do you know she’s new?”

“I heard them whispering the night she arrived. Something about her being unable to travel between realms. Domenico and another wolf had to retrieve her.”

I glanced at Envy. His expression was strained. Even if our plan to lock Vittoria in our cell worked, we’d have the wolves to contend with. Which wouldn’t be too troubling if it wasn’t for my festering injury and lack of a weapon. I also wasn’t sure what Envy’s power did, but I wondered if being in a place locked by goddess magic tampered with his abilities at all. Judging by his bleak reaction, it wasn’t good. And if there was a new wolf who put the others on edge because of her inability to travel to the Shadow Realm, I didn’t want to come face-to-face with her. I strained to see around the bars again.

“Do you know if the new wolf is still here?” I asked.

A terrible sound—bone crunching, followed by a squelching noise—broke the silence. Vittoria stepped into view, holding a dripping, severed heart. Horror turned my blood to ice.

She couldn’t have…

“There. Now we don’t have to hear him prattle on and he can see his mother again. It is what he wanted.” I dropped to my knees and retched. My sister slowly knelt, meeting my gaze, Antonio’s heart still beating in her hand. “Did you wish to fuck him first? I can bring him back. I forgot you had that crush. He’ll be as good as new if I act now. I’m certain it won’t hinder his performance, though he is mortal, so he’s probably not that impressive on his best day. Though, given how much he liked to talk, perhaps his mouth might be pleasing enough.”

“What is wrong with you?” I cried.

“I am doing exactly what I was created to do, Emilia. When will you do the same?”

While battling the wolves, I’d made a vow to myself to do everything I could to unlock my full power, but there had to be some other way for me to achieve that. When I returned to House Wrath, I’d search every damn grimoire I could for a solution.

Vittoria tsked at me and stood, summoned a glass jar from the ethers, stuffed the heart inside, and twisted the cap to keep it secure. It vanished in a wisp of smoke. Gone with the rest of her morbid collection. It made me think of a dream I once had—the night I’d gotten hypothermia and Wrath nursed me back to health. I’d seen images of hearts in jars.

Now I knew where they’d come from. Memories of a different time and place. Her temple perhaps. Or wherever she kept her collection. Perhaps there was a ghastly chamber in our House of Sin that held her trophies.

“I rule over death,” she continued. “You’re the one who’s confused about who you are and what your purpose is, Fury. Did you think House Vengeance was not vicious?”

“You told him you’d bring his mother back.”

“Our little friend misunderstood,” Vittoria said. “I told him he’d see his mother again. Then Domenico and I showed him my little heart trick. Antonio filled in the rest. It’s not my fault he didn’t ask for clarification. I kept my promise. I imagine his soul is reuniting with his mother now. If you don’t wish to fuck him, what is your issue? He was nothing but a mortal tool. He certainly had no trouble stepping over you when it suited his needs. Do you know how easy it was to get him to agree to my plan? Even knowing he would hurt you in the process?”

I stared at my twin, at the stranger she’d become. Seeing her this cold and emotionless, so easily able to murder—maybe she did kill Vesta. I could see this version of my sister standing idly by as her wolves tore the demon apart, leaving the scent of their blood everywhere. Perhaps the new wolf Antonio mentioned had done the honors. Antonio… I retched again, unable to look at his blood coating my sister’s hand.

“Bring him back,” I begged, wiping the sickness from my lips as I stood. “I swear on my blood, if you do not, I will never help you get our House back.”

Vittoria’s eyes flashed with something that looked like victory. “His heart for yours?”

I paused. I didn’t want to give up my mortal heart, but I couldn’t let my old friend die. Vittoria had me backed into a corner, and she knew it. I took a deep breath. “I—”

Envy—who’d been silent up until now—spoke. “You know, I’m curious. How does it feel, knowing your mother favors Emilia? I don’t have a mother, but I imagine it’s a nasty feeling. One that would inspire my namesake sin.”

I felt the slight pulse of Envy’s sin, so subtle my sister might not have realized he’d used magic at all. Her eyes narrowed. “For that to be true, our mother would need to show an interest in our existence. She created us, then moved on to the next passing fancy. Do you see her here?” Vittoria didn’t even bother to make a show of looking around. Though her use of the term create did make me cringe. Apparently, we hadn’t been birthed. It was another oddity I had to get used to, though my sister didn’t appear disturbed at all. “The Crone is not here because she has more important things to do, souls to torment, and whatever else she indulges in.”