Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked, #1)(37)

He poured two glasses of water from a pitcher I hadn’t noticed and slid one to me. Crowned frogs were etched onto the glasses. I accepted the water, but didn’t drink. “Why a frog?”

“They’re greedy creatures. Content with neither land nor water, they desire both.”

Made sense. In a demon logic sort of way. “Did Vittoria summon you?”

“You’re full of questions.” He studied me closely. “It’s strange . . . how identical you are.”

His tone didn’t hold any clues to his emotions. It was a statement of fact. Nothing more. He didn’t seem to mind one way or the other that my sister was dead.

“I know my sister came here before she was murdered. I want to know why. What did she want from you?”

“Hmmm. Right for the jugular. A bold move, little mouse.” He leaned back, his gaze sharp, calculating. I did my best not to squirm under his scrutiny. “It seems I have valuable information that you’d like. And you, Signorina di Carlo, also have something of great value to me. I will answer your questions to the best of my ability, only in exchange for your amulet.”

My hand automatically moved to my cornicello. “Why do you want it?”

“Do you know what it is?”

“A folk charm to ward off the evil eye.” Unlike Malocchio charms humans wore, it would also bring the world into eternal twilight if I brought it together with my sister’s amulet, according to Nonna. I decided to keep that to myself, in case he started drooling on his finely trimmed suit.

“Mmh.” Greed removed a velvet pouch from the desk drawer, and dropped a necklace into his palm—a gold chain with a ruby the size of a quail egg that twinkled in the light. A strange essence came off it, almost like a high-keening wail in the distance, setting my teeth on edge.

I wanted him to put it back where he’d found it. Immediately. “What is that?”

“It’s called the Eye of Darkness, and it grants whoever wears it true protection from creatures of malevolent intent. Give me your amulet, and it’s yours.”

A gift like that didn’t come without a price. “What else do you want?”

“For you to join yourself to House Greed.”

I stared at Greed and I swore my skin physically tried to crawl away from my body in protest as he gazed back. He was classically handsome, but there was something off about him. His eyes were void of human emotion. He looked alien and wrong. I couldn’t imagine my sister falling in love or even lust with him. Which meant her reason for coming here was not a result of seduction. He had information she wanted. And I wanted to know what it was.

“Why do you want me to align myself with you?”

“Because I believe you’ll be very useful to me in the future. If you become queen, you’ll owe me a favor. A powerful one, too, if this charm ends up saving your life.”

Greed didn’t strike me as a betting kind of creature, which made me even more hesitant to accept this little present. I had no plans of becoming Queen of the Wicked, and would be damned if I gave him a reason to help put me on that dark throne.

“Did you offer the Eye of Darkness to my sister?”

“Accept my bargain and find out.”

“If you won’t answer simple questions, I’m afraid we’re through.” I stood, ready to be as far away from this prince and place as possible, when his chair scraped across the floor.

“Wait.” He sat back down and put the ruby necklace in its pouch again. Some of the unease in my shoulders loosened. “In a show of good faith, I will answer one of your questions.”

“In exchange for . . .”

“Nothing. You have my word. Remember, the offer is for one question, anything else will cost you.”

I reclaimed my seat, calculating my next move. There were so many questions I needed answers to, but none of them would be worth the cost of handing over my cornicello. I thought carefully about the list I’d written out last night, and focused on one detail that bothered me the most. It meant something. I wanted to know what. I chose my words with exacting precision.

“Tell me about the Horn of Hades.”

If he was surprised by my choice, it didn’t show. “It’s a key that locks the gates of Hell.”

“I heard it was part of a curse. That if a witch wears it she’ll have power over the devil.”

“Witch legends are fascinating in their falsehoods. The Horn of Hades was a gift. Your sister knew the true story.”

I desperately wanted to ask him what it was, but there was something more important I needed to know. “How do you break a demon spell that was cast on an object?”

Greed’s answering smile was toxic. “I told you about the Horn of Hades. The rest will cost you. I don’t believe in giving without gain.”

Now my smile turned sharp. “Per your rules, that was my first actual question.”

He rolled his shoulders back, his nostrils flaring a bit. I was half convinced he was about to spring across the desk and wrap his hands around my neck. A long moment passed before he spoke.

“Clever girl.” He reached for his glass and drank deeply, his knuckles turning white while he probably thought over my phrasing. “Sacrifice a bit of yourself.”

“That’s not an honest answer.”