It was difficult to shrug in my position, but I tried it anyway. “Just didn’t feel like obeying the old bastard anymore.”
She laughed softly as Callum’s claws jerked in my face. “I need a real answer, Leon. Answer me honestly, or you’re not leaving this place alive.”
I’d only ever known Everly to be meek and quiet. But the coldness in her tone told me there was a whole other side to her I’d never known was there. I wasn’t left with much of a choice. Tell the truth, or let Callum slowly rip me to pieces.
But fuck, what even was the truth?
Why did I protect her?
Why had I been risking my life for her?
I knew the truth — but knowing it and accepting it were two different things.
Callum jabbed his knee into me. “My lady asked you a question, hellion.”
My lady. Gag. This fucking guy. Neither of them realized just how damn difficult it was to describe feelings I didn’t truly have words for, but fuck it, I’d try.
“I care about her. I want to protect her. I want to keep her alive, because…” Because I want her soul? Because I want the pleasure of her body?
“Because?” Everly’s voice was patient. “Why, Leon?”
I winced, and for a brief moment I struggled against Callum’s hold as if it would do me any good. He didn’t budge an inch.
“It’s because I feel something for her, okay?” I snapped. “Is that enough for you?”
She frowned. She looked truly confused. “What do you feel?
God, this was torture. Give me pain and torment any day over this shit. “It’s…it’s…fuck, God fucking dammit…I think I love her, alright? I can’t bear the thought of losing her. Every goddamn second that I’m here, wasting time with you two trying to get my sigil back, is a second that she’s left unprotected, and if anything happens to her, I’ll be holding you both personally responsible for wasting my time!”
My voice echoed in the wide hall. Callum blinked slowly, and glanced up at Everly. “Enough?”
She nodded. “Enough.”
He got off me and stood back, just beside Everly. I crawled to my feet, hissing at the unpleasantness of movement, still not trusting that the Archdemon wasn’t going to toss me across the room again.
“That’s one hell of a security system,” I grumbled.
“I’d hoped you would keep her alive,” Everly said, her long fingers plucking at her dress. “I never thought I’d see a demon want to protect a human.” She glanced at Callum, who was still regarding me like a bug he’d really rather squash. “When I realized you were defying Kent for her, it changed everything.”
“Then help me,” I said. I wasn’t going to get through a barrier like Callum. I’d end up as a bloody pulp on the floor. I needed the witch to cooperate. “My sigil is all I need. And you’ll never be bothered with me again.”
She frowned, and her hand went protectively to her pocket again. Her expression hardened as she said, “I’m willing to give you your sigil, Leon. But you need to promise me something.”
“Demons don’t make promises.” Not technically true, but I wasn’t about to jump into making promises to a witch. “Unless you’re trying to make a deal?”
Callum growled at my suggestion, an angry dog worried over his bone. It was a silly thing to suggest anyway: Everly had clearly already given him her soul. Souls weren’t able to be offered in parcels, it was all or nothing.
Everly wrapped her hand around his arm, and his growling stopped. The softness of her touch made me remember Rae sitting on my lap, and how gentle her hands were while she cleaned my wounds, and something bizarrely warm seemed to leak through my stomach.
Was she safe? Had I been gone too long? What if she —
“I need you to keep Raelynn alive,” the witch said. The demand was so unexpected, my confusion must have shown on my face because she said quickly, “Time is running out. The Deep One is restless, and my father knows it. If he gets Raelynn, then I…” She took a deep breath. “I might not be able to kill the God.”
I barked out a laugh. “You — what? You’re trying to kill the God?” Surely, she was joking. It was a terrible joke, but still. “You can’t be —”
“She means it,” Callum said roughly. “I’ve been alive long enough to see gods die, hellion. They’re not above death.”
“I’m going to put an end to all this.” Everly reached into her pocket, and at last, she drew out the damned little book. “The Deep One never should have been awoken, and It never should be freed.” She flipped through the pages, her fingers moving rapidly as if she already knew exactly where to turn. She tore out my page, my sigil emblazoned across it, and held it up. “You say you think you love her, but it’s clear that you do. It was clear the moment Kent told you to take her.”