Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked, #1)(86)

“Envy is many things,” I said, my voice low. “Despicable. Selfish. Conniving. But he doesn’t hide those things. He told me what you were really after. He told me what he wanted, and what he would do if I didn’t listen. He’s made terrible threats, acted on them, but he never deceived me or pretended to be anything other than what he is.”

And there it was.

Despair crashed into me, hard. Wrath had lied. Maybe not outright, but he’d lied through omission. Which was still lying. I wanted to strike out at him, to make him hurt the same way I did. Instead, I turned and started walking away.

Nonna tried warning us about the Malvagis’ lies. I should have listened.

He stepped into my path, moving almost faster than my senses could detect. “Have my actions not told you the truth? Forget the last several weeks. Saving your life from the Viperidae. The impenetrable palace. The elemental bath. Do you think I need to sleep in a place protected by magic? I, who cannot be killed?”

“I don’t have time for this.” I marched past him toward the stairs. “I’m going back home to stay with my family. Envy is holding them captive. Something else he said that turned out to be true.”

He stormed up after me. “No.”

“I don’t recall asking for permission, demon.”

“Envy will stick a dagger in your back the second he gets what he’s after.”

“Am I your prisoner now?”

“No, but I’d be happy to toss you in a dungeon, if that’s what you’d like.”

I ignored him and rummaged through new dresses that had magically appeared in a broken dresser sometime in the last few hours. Wrath had a serious obsession with providing clothing for me.

I found a simple charcoal dress that would be easy to run in and laid it across the bed. I couldn’t believe I now had to choose my wardrobe based on if I could easily flee from a demon, vampire, or other nasty assailant.

Wrath crossed his arms and set his feet. If he thought I’d hesitate to change in front of him, he had much to learn of me. I stepped out of my current dress and the silky material pooled at my feet. Wrath watched impassively as I slipped into the new ensemble.

Now that I knew that Envy wanted the Horn of Hades, I needed to locate my amulet. Immediately. Before I handed it over, I’d strike a bargain with him. I’d make him vow to lock the gates of Hell before any more demons snuck through them, and then he could go to war with the entire underworld. As long as our world was protected, I didn’t care what happened in their realm.

I tied my long hair up with a ribbon, fastened a small belt with a pouch around my waist, and added moon-blessed chalk and dried yarrow to it. It was the best I could do by way of protecting myself. I left the room and headed back down the stairs.

Wrath followed me through the corridor and paused near the door to the gardens. I stuck an arm out and barred him from crossing the threshold.

“Do not come after me, I mean it.”

“Emilia, please. Don’t—”

“I swear on my blood, if you follow me, I will sever our summoning bond and send you straight to Hell.”

Wrath pressed his lips together—the only outward indication he was less than pleased, but didn’t argue, or make a move to come with me again. Feeling relieved, I slipped out the garden exit, pushed through a tangle of vines and overgrown shrubs, and darted into the night.





Forty-One

Two doors away from my home, I became aware of the near silent footfall behind me. After the night I’d had—with my best friend’s scrying from Hell, thirsty vampires, and devious demon kidnappers—I wasn’t sure what to expect.

There were any number of nasties out for witch blood. Maybe the Umbra demon was back, or another Aper demon was in pursuit. For some reason, I thought about Envy and Greed teaming up to collect the Horn of Hades before divesting me of my skin, and shivered.

I wasn’t at all prepared for Fratello Carmine. His dark robes swished across the stones, like little whispers of warnings to run and hide.

I quickly wedged myself between two buildings next door to my house, heart hammering as the sound of his pursuit grew closer. He kept a steady pace, head swiveling from side to side, as he passed me by. I wasn’t sure who he was looking for. Maybe he was trying to find where Antonio had brought Claudia. I should have known he wouldn’t let my friend leave without being sure the devil wasn’t in her.

I waited a few beats before I peered around the side of the house. He’d stopped near the end of the street and was having a hushed conversation with another member of the brotherhood. Fragments drifted over to where I hid.

“Antonio . . . night . . .”

“. . . unholy.”

“. . . missing.”

“Found . . . signs?”

I leaned against the building and took a few deep breaths. Antonio was missing because a prince of Hell was holding him hostage. And it was all my fault for asking him to walk Claudia home. I needed to fix this before anyone else got hurt. Brother Carmine hardly needed a reason to start a witch hunt. The mere fact that he’d been called back from wherever the church had sent him was a sign they believed the devil was on the prowl.

I slipped out from the shadows and hurried into my house.



There were three demons crammed inside the kitchen with my family. One was the ram-headed demon that Envy still had guarding my parents. The other was nothing more than a dense shadow hovering above Nonna and a slumped and sedated Claudia—the Umbra demon. Antonio wasn’t among the group, and my stomach twisted with worry. I wasn’t sure how demons felt about humans who devoted themselves to God, but it didn’t bode well for my childhood friend. I also didn’t see the vampire anywhere. I hoped that didn’t mean he was feasting on Antonio.