All my senses tingled with warning. And fear. This midnight creature wasn’t bound to protect me, and I was acutely aware of my vulnerability.
This skirt had no secret pocket, so I’d left my moon-blessed chalk at home. Which meant I had no way to draw a protection circle, no herbs to offer the earth, and I had a feeling running would only amuse him. I almost choked on terror. I was at the mercy of this devil.
My panic abruptly shifted into something else. A fierce, overwhelming dark feeling fluttered around me like expansive leathery wings. It was cold and ancient—with no beginning and no ending. Like all magic, it just was.
And I longed for all of it to be mine. Every last drop.
I was suddenly jealous of the immense power these demons wielded. Why did the Hell creatures deserve it all? Why was I less worthy of possessing some power of my own?
I was goddess blessed, not demon cursed!
If I had even a fraction of that magic, I could force others to tell me what happened to my twin. I could stop another witch from losing her life in a demonic bargain. And I could bring the underworld to its knees. I wanted what they had so badly that I burned with hatred. It was an ice-cold hate so potent that I was frozen down to my very core.
It was too much. Wanting that which would never be mine . . .
Envy leaned forward, a hungry gleam in his strange eyes. I had the oddest impression that he suffered from those same feelings. That he envied his brothers in a way that almost drove him mad. I could never imagine feeling that way about my twin. It must be so lonely, so isolating.
I held the dagger I’d taken from Wrath, pressed it into my chest, and almost groaned with pleasure as blood beaded up. It pierced my skin with such terrible ecstasy. I was ready to carve out my own heart just to stop the consuming pain of knowing I’d never possess that power— A little electric current pulsed from my tattoo, sending sparks of energy across my skin, and the spell shattered. I blinked as if coming out of a vivid dream. I glanced from the blade in my shaking hand, to the green-eyed demon whose attention shifted to my arm.
Envy must have been either feeding me his emotions, or turning mine against me.
“Exceptional,” the demon prince said. “Did you feel as I did?”
If he felt like an endless abyss of nothingness, hatred, and ice, then yes. “What did you do to me?”
“Allowed your inner desires to surface. Some call them sins.”
I shivered, feeling violated in a way I’d never known and hoped to never experience again. I’d almost shoved a blade through my heart. If my tattoo hadn’t stopped me, I’d be dead. I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d been wrong about witch hunters; maybe Nonna had been right all along and humans weren’t to blame.
It definitely felt like this demon was responsible for the bodies with missing hearts.
Envy had affected me even with my cornicello. My little charm had been no match for a prince of Hell. I wasn’t even sure if he’d used all of his power, or a small part of it.
If he’d done that while I was in the kitchen with my family . . .
I closed my eyes, not wanting to even think about what he could have forced me to do to them. And how powerless I’d be to resist him. I wondered if any of our precautions and spells or charms truly worked, or if they’d only succeeded in giving us a false sense of security.
With creatures like Envy roaming the earth, I didn’t believe we’d ever truly be safe. I had the sudden urge to cry. No wonder Nonna told us those stories and tried to hide us.
These demons were worse than nightmares. And now they were here.
“Strange.” Envy set his animal-like gaze on me, curious. I glanced down at my tattoo, startled to see snakes now twined around the crescent moons, forming a larger circle around them. I’d been so distracted by fear, I hadn’t felt the burning in my forearm. Envy’s attention cut to the dagger now safely tethered to my hip again and a slow, cunning smile touched his lips. “How very interesting indeed. Such tangled, tangled webs. Summoned through hate, bound by blood.”
“What do you mean?”
He shoved gloved hands into his pockets. “You have something I want.”
“If it’s my still-beating heart, I’m afraid I must decline.”
“No, but I imagine you’ll end up giving that to my brother one day.”
His tone was flat. I wondered if Wrath knew how jealous he was, but said nothing.
“Perhaps we can strike a bargain. If you agree to sell your soul to House Envy, I will help you find what you seek.” His expression was inhuman and ice cold as he waited. The hair on the nape of my neck stood at attention. “I covet unique things. You would make an interesting gift to my court. Do you sing?”