Kingdom of the Feared (Kingdom of the Wicked, #3)(94)

“Do you regret it?” Claudia asked, her voice quiet, a touch sad. “Discovering the truth?”

I thought about the heartache. The deception. The many betrayals. “Life would be simpler if I didn’t know. Familiar, even. But no, I wouldn’t go back, given the choice. That’s a decision only you can make, though. If you’re happy now, content, that’s all that matters.”

With her attention locked onto the memory stone, she whispered, “Sometimes I dream. Of a life I think I might have lived. A man I might have loved. But it always ends in a nightmare. With him ripping out my heart. Other times it’s me who tears it from my own chest. Or sometimes even his.” When she finally glanced up, her expression was one of gratitude, if not relief. “Thank you for the stone, for the choice. Are you ready to activate the blade?”

I wasn’t, but I had to be. I nodded. “Thank you, Claudia. For always being the truest friend I’ve ever had.”

Her grin was full of mischief. “I’m sure we’ll have plenty of trouble to get into in the future. Now give me your palm, goddess. The most important hour of your existence is about to begin.”





TWENTY-FIVE


Wrath stared at the legendary dagger. He’d been impressed I’d retrieved the Blade of Ruination right up until I told him what we needed to do to break the curse. Now he looked as if I’d brought a viper into his private library and placed it on his lap. He drove the dagger into the top of the desk, the force of it causing the weapon to vibrate. “No.”

“It is my choice to give up my magic. I cannot imagine a better reason to do so.”

The demon crossed his arms, his expression turning darker than his increasingly stormy mood. “I respect that, but not stabbing my wife is my choice.”

We stared at each other, neither one of us backing down. Any other time, any other instance, and I’d not argue. He had every right to make his decision without interference. This was bigger than him, though. Bigger than us. And we had to act, now.

“We are running out of time and options. Quite literally. We have less than an hour to complete the activation or this option is lost. Please. Do not fight me on this. It is our best opportunity to shatter this curse, and you know that.”

“And if the witches are lying, what then? Do you really believe Sursea?” He stood from his oversized desk, jabbing a finger down at the blade he refused to touch. It was likely the only dagger the general of war wouldn’t wield. And ironically the one he needed to the most. Sursea had played her game well. “They have proved they lie and manipulate time and again. Where is our guarantee that if I stab you and remove all your power, you won’t die? How do we know if the blade requires your magic or if they simply wish to take it for their own? We don’t have enough information, and I will not risk you or your magic being given to an enemy, especially when Sursea is involved.”

I pressed my lips together. I could not tell him who’d given me the information or who’d helped me. “I trust my source. And you will need to trust me.”

“Trusting you isn’t the issue.” Wrath paced away, his hands flexing at his sides. “Your source might also be trustworthy, but there is no guarantee that their information wasn’t planted. They might not be aware it’s false. If I knew who you got this from, I could investigate further.”

I’d already considered that Claudia’s memory might have been tampered with and decided to press ahead. I glanced at the clock near the mantel. I wasn’t sure how long the process of removing my magic took and didn’t want to continue arguing. I loved my husband, but I would never betray my friend a second time. Claudia had a right to choose if she wished to become involved with the princes of Hell again.

I also would not put Wrath in a position to keep this secret from his brother, either. If Pride discovered that Wrath knew his wife was alive and where she could be found, that wouldn’t be something easily overlooked or forgiven. With good reason.

I held my hands out, pleading. “The blade might kill me, but it also might do exactly what you, your brothers, Sursea, and my source say it does: break curses. When I first summoned you, you said, ‘One day you’ll call me Death.’ You had to have known this was a possibility. And it would not have stopped you then. Do not turn soft now, demon. Not when we need your sin the most.”

Wrath’s gaze was pure gold fire when it clashed against mine. “Stop.”

“No.” I sensed the simmering rise of his sin and I sauntered over to him, eyeing him from head to toe. “When I stabbed you I hated it. Hated that you’d made me do something so brutal. But it was necessary. I do not want to bring only vengeance and hate to the world. I want to right a terrible wrong. It’s the right thing to do, and I know you care about true justice, fair justice. Even when it’s hard or personal. And then, when you are able to love me fully, you’ll be free to tell me.” I rolled up onto my toes and brought my lips to his ear. “Then you’ll take me right here. On your desk. And show me.”

Wrath’s jaw was clenched so tightly it was a wonder he didn’t crack any teeth. He drew back and stared at me with a strange mixture of emotion playing across his face, as if simultaneously memorizing my features and also desperately searching for a way out of this. But, the mighty demon of war knew I was right.