Kingdom of the Cursed (Kingdom of the Wicked, #2) (119)

And a war was something I refused to let happen. Regardless of my twin’s scheme, I would protect my family and the mortal world at all costs.

Each step closer to Wrath’s chambers brought a greater sense of clarity. My choice was made. And the only regret I had was how long it took me to arrive here.

I kicked in his door and glanced around. The receiving room was empty, the fire banked. Wrath hadn’t seen his suite all night. He must have started searching for me shortly after I’d left. Even after I doubted him, doubted the goodness in his heart. His soul. He’d searched for me.

Removing my cloak, I walked toward his bedchamber, grabbed a bottle of demonberry wine from a rack, and continued onto his balcony. He could sense my general whereabouts here through our tattoo. I had little doubt he’d find me soon enough. I popped the cork and sipped the wine directly from the bottle, staring out at the lake. At this hour the crimson waters looked like a pool of spilled blood. It was an omen of sorts. And for once, I welcomed it.

Glittering black smoke wafted toward me on a breeze as the king of demons prowled closer, his voice a low rumble of thunder at my ear.

“Emilia.”

I turned slowly and took him in. Danger lurked in his gaze, along with his namesake sin. He wasn’t the only one who was angry, but my wrath was not directed at him; he was the only one who grounded me. I dove into the source of my magic, releasing all of the rage and fury I’d been bottling up since I saw my twin. My power answered my call immediately.

I held up my hands, attention riveted to Wrath’s face as a burning flower appeared in each of my palms. There was no flash of surprise. No widening of his eyes or tightening of his mouth. I released my grip on my power, allowing it to burn out. The flowers charred to black, the tiny dying rose-gold embers the only specks of color before the breeze carried the ashes away.

Wrath knew I possessed this talent. This power. And he’d never let on. I wanted to know what else he knew about me, what other secrets I’d yet to uncover about my past.

The Crone told me to solve the mystery of myself. And I intended to do just that.

Perhaps, no matter what Celestia had said in her tower chamber, I really was the First Witch, and this block on my memories was the price I’d paid for using dark magic. That would certainly explain why Nonna warned me away from certain spells.

I gritted my teeth, recalling the way she’d make us bless our amulets during each full moon. Did she know the truth of who I was? She had to. And her betrayal carved deep.

Maybe—unlike what Nonna claimed about our amulets hiding us from the devil—my cornicello, his wings, had actually been used to keep my power in check, not his. And if that were true, then perhaps Wrath took my amulet not only for his benefit but for mine. My power had definitely shifted since its removal.

I exhaled, focusing on the question I wanted an answer to first.

“How long have you known I can summon fire?” He pressed his lips together. I shook my head, laughing bitterly. “My twin is alive. Though I suspect you already know that, too.”

Emotion finally flickered in his eyes, but he remained silent, watchful. On guard. As if I was something to be feared. He wasn’t wrong.

“I want answers.”

I would not wait for my twin to give me her version of the truth when I saw her in the morning. I wanted to gather it myself. Starting now. I looked Wrath over. Once, he’d told me to study my enemies closely. To look for any sign of the truth in their mannerisms. He wasn’t speaking. And it was unusual.

“Judging by your silence I imagine this is the curse at play again. We’re skirting around things it does not want me to learn.” A gleam of approval entered his gaze. Gone in the next instant. “If I accept the marriage bond, I have the strangest feeling some of that will change. The curse may not fully break that way, but I believe there are some bonds more powerful than dark magic. And there is nothing more dangerous than love, is there? People fight for it. They die for it. They commit acts of war and treason and all manner of sin in its name.”

I would know. I’d been willing to do dreadful things to avenge my twin.

Something resembling worry flashed in his eyes. “Feelings are not facts.”

“Interesting.”

My mouth curved seductively. Wrath had just lied. In the closest way he could.

Curse be damned, he still wanted me to wield my power of choice. To accept our bond without outside forces interfering in my free will. The prince of bargains was forfeiting a winning hand. And he was doing it for me. Always for me.

“Tell me about our amulets, your wings. I want to know why Vittoria and I really wore them. Was it to keep our power on a leash, or was it as my family claimed: a way to hide them from you?”

“I have no proof, but I believe both are true. I’ve also been looking into the possibility that they may have been spelled to ensure you forget certain things.”

“You had me wear them in the Crescent Shallows to test that.” I inhaled as he nodded in confirmation. At least his expression was one of guilt.

“I’d hoped the truth properties of the shallows would remove any blocks on your mind. I did not anticipate the extreme reaction it caused.”

“Do they really lock the gates of Hell?”

“Yes.”

Internally I breathed a sigh of relief. At least not everything I’d been told was a lie.