Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked, #1)(25)

“First, I’m bound to this circle for three days. Not until you release me. Your . . . protection charm is different—that is, unfortunately, for eternity now.” He rolled his shoulders, though it didn’t appear to undo the tension in them. “Second, the blood trade will allow me to sense when you’re in danger. Without it, I can’t guarantee your safety. Which puts me in violation of the rules that you made when you crafted that spell.”

“Is that so.” My tone accused him of being the worst liar I’d ever met. “None of that matters. When our time’s up, I’m releasing you back to Hell, not the shopping district.”

“Blood of a half-dead demon. This was your first summoning spell, wasn’t it?” He watched me carefully. I glared, but said nothing to deny it. He sighed. “Of course I’m bound to an incompetent fledgling until the end of time. Do us both a favor and don’t accept my offer. I’d prefer to not be your lapdog anyway.”

I cocked my head to the side. “You’d have to come whenever I called for you?”

“Not exactly, but like I said before, I would know when you needed me.”

“Why do you care about protecting me?”

“I don’t. But thanks to your spell I’m forced to, or I’ll risk having my powers diminished. Therefore, I am adhering to the terms. Some of us graciously accept our duty.”

Sure. When we were magically required to. “How exactly does the protection work?”

“Demons will sense the bond and reconsider harming you. It might not persuade all of them not to kill you, but it would give them pause. They’d know they’d incur my wrath as punishment for interfering in House matters.”

Much as I was loath to admit it, having the demon of war as a guardian angel wasn’t the worst luck. I didn’t have to trust or even like him—I only needed to have faith in my own instincts. Right now they were telling me he wasn’t responsible for murdering my sister. I was fairly certain this bargain was more beneficial to him, but I’d eventually find a way to bend it in my favor. And even if I couldn’t, it didn’t matter. Wrath didn’t seem to want me dead, and I needed to be very much alive to discover what happened to Vittoria.

“Fine. I accept your offer of a blood trade.”

“Willingly?” he asked. I nodded. “Hand me my dagger.”

I hesitated for only a second, recalling the protection charm I’d cast on him. For the first time since he appeared in the cave, he looked elated as I slid the blade into his waiting grasp. Before I changed my mind, he cut his finger and enticed a few blood drops to bead up. The wound sealed almost immediately after.

“I won’t have to . . . drink it, will I?”

He cast a quick glance my way. “What sort of stories have you been told about us?”

I mumbled “wicked blood-drinking deviants,” and he must have heard me because he didn’t bother asking for clarification.

“Unless you enjoy drinking blood, mixing mine with yours will do.”

Challenge rose in my steady gaze as I lifted my still-bleeding arm and he pressed his finger to my wound. He seemed just as repulsed by it as I was. I gritted my teeth, trading blood with a demon wasn’t my ideal evening, either, but here we were.

“Repeat after me, I . . . whatever your full name is, willingly accept this blood trade with House Wrath for the term of six months.”

“Six months?” I yanked free of his grasp and bunched my hands into fists. “That’s absurd! What if I don’t want your protection for that long?”

He rubbed his temples. “What is it that you want, witch? Why did you summon me?”

“To find out who murdered my sister.”

“And?”

I hesitated. I originally wanted to summon a demon to break the spell on my sister’s diary. I definitely didn’t want Wrath knowing about it now. At least not until I knew why Carolina said they’d come looking for it. “That’s it.”

“You’re lying.”

“And you haven’t?”

He shook his head. “Being bound to you prevents me from lying. It would be . . . discourteous to do so.”

“Of course. One must always have good manners while ripping the hearts from their enemies.” I looked him over, appraising. I wasn’t simply going to accept his word without proof. “If your magic wasn’t tethered by the protection spell, would you harm me?”

“If I had to, yes.”

And he didn’t sound all too put off by the idea. At least I knew he was telling the truth about being unable to lie. Instead of responding, like he seemed primed for, I waited. Nonna said a lot could be gained from reading the silence. He was a demon of war, but I understood strategy, too. It didn’t take long for him to fill the quietness.

“Believe what you will, but we’re aligned in the common goal of finding your sister’s murderer.”

He and I weren’t aligned in anything and never would be. Fury whipped around the cave, faster and mightier than the wind now howling outside. He gave me a bored look that made me seethe more. “Why do you care about finding justice for my sister?”

“I don’t,” he said. “Do not confuse me with a human with noble intentions.”

“If you want me to trust you enough for a blood bargain, or whatever it’s called, I need to know why you want to solve her murder.”