He distracted me from the pain of losing my sister, gave me something to focus on. He was someone I could jab and who’d jab right back. And now . . . it was like Lust reemerged and wrenched every last drop of happiness from me again. Only this time, there was only me to blame. I’d let him in. And I should have known better.
“Emilia.”
“I can’t. . . .”
Wrath curled his hand at his side.
“Envy whispers in your ear and every action I’ve taken is wiped off your imaginary tally. Tell me, Emilia, what has he done for you? Aside from trying to carve out your heart. What honorable thing did he do to deserve your trust? Spill the blood of those you love? Maybe you like threats. Maybe I should make some of my own.”
The ground seemed to rumble with the force of his anger.
He’d wanted me to study my enemies closely, and I’d done just that.
“Tell me it’s not true, then,” I said, surprised when my voice came out hard, and not pleading. “That Envy was lying, that you don’t need to collect one more soul to gain your freedom. Tell me part of the reason you accepted this mission wasn’t to use a witch for your benefit. Better yet, tell me you haven’t considered using my soul. Can you do that, or does our summoning bond make it impossible because it’s a lie?”
For once, Wrath didn’t seem to have an answer. He looked ready to lay waste to the rest of the crumbling palace. I was surprised when he didn’t.
“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.”