“Information is currency where I’m from. No one expects to get something for free. If you walked into any of the royal houses and demanded information, they’d skin you alive.”
I hoped he couldn’t hear the pounding of my heart as I let that visual take shape.
“Agreeing to a blood trade doesn’t count as payment?” I asked. He straightened up and immediately lost the grin. That got his princely attention. “I believe in making informed decisions. Therefore, I request an exchange of some basic information. Surely that won’t be too much for you to agree to.”
He inspected me the way someone might look at a cat if it suddenly started ordering the servants around. “Very well. I will indulge you by answering some questions. Choose wisely.”
“Have you heard of any humans who have banded together to hunt witches?”
He shook his head. “Not at this time. Though history has shown them to be active, so I’m sure they exist.”
“Which of your brothers bargained with my sister?”
“Pride.”
I closed my mouth. In human religion the devil was often associated with that particular sin. Last night Wrath only told me my sister had made a deal with his brother; he hadn’t mentioned the actual devil. Which meant . . .
A memory sprang to the forefront of my mind. The night before Vittoria was murdered, I’d demanded to know what she’d been doing at the monastery.
“I was summoning the devil. An ancient book whispered its secrets to me, and I’ve decided to take him as my husband. I’d invite you to the wedding, but I’m pretty sure the ceremony takes place in Hell.”
Blood and bones. Vittoria hadn’t been teasing. Questions swarmed around my head like angry bees.
“Was that all you wanted to know, witch?” Wrath stepped into view, breaking into my thoughts. My sister had told me the truth, and I’d let her down. I didn’t ask questions, or take her seriously. I should have known better—she always said outlandish things to humans, and delighted in them thinking she was lying. If I wasn’t so annoyed with her for embarrassing me in front of Antonio, I would have paid closer attention. I should have paid closer attention.
I took a steadying breath. I’d start noticing every detail now.
“Why did Pride want to marry her?” I asked. Wrath’s expression became impossible to read. My patience frayed. “I know my sister agreed to marry him. She told me so herself.”
He didn’t move, but I pictured his mind whirling as he probably formulated a thousand different scenarios, and tallied benefits against costs to information sharing. I honestly didn’t think he’d respond. He didn’t look pleased when he finally did. “Pride needs to marry in order to break a curse that was placed on him.”
“Why are you helping?”
He flashed his teeth. “I was bored. It seemed like fun.”
If he really couldn’t lie to me, that had to at least be partially true. “So, what . . . your mission is to find someone who’s willing to marry Pride?”
“Yes. He’s in need of a witch bride, specifically. Part of my task involves ensuring his betrothed makes it to our realm safely, should she accept his bargain.”
“Why does he need to marry a witch?”
“He requires someone with magical abilities to break the curse.”
“What if she refuses?”
“Then she’s made aware of opposing . . . forces . . . that wish her harm.”
It was a very polite way of saying if she declined the offer, she’d risk death.
“The other two victims were also witches. Which means they were offered the same bargain as Vittoria,” I said mostly to myself, thinking over the new information aloud. Wrath nodded politely anyway. “Were they killed before or after you spoke with them?”
“After.”
“You allow them time to consider the deal?”
“Of course. They’re given a full day to think it over.”
I was surprised by this. If I needed someone to accept a bargain to break a curse, time would be the last thing I’d want to give them. Too much could go wrong.
“How do you choose the witch?” Wrath gave me a look that said question time was drawing to an end. “At least answer this, demon. How many others from your world know who you’re offering the bargain to?”
“Only Pride and I.”
I mulled that over. That actually made the list of suspects greater. Instead of worrying about a spy in Wrath’s kingdom, it opened up the possibility of the victims telling people about the devil’s bargain in this world, too. Then those people who’d been told could have said something, or were overheard by others. A full day was a long time for the gossips to get to work.