“Please,” I said. “Call me Danica.”
He merely stared at me, as if he was a jungle cat watching his prey.
“I had no choice,” I began, and he held up one hand.
“There is always a choice. You chose to end my alliance with the demons without informing me of your decision to do so.”
I raised one eyebrow. “I was unaware that the alliance would need to end.”
He smiled at that. It wasn’t a very nice smile.
“I find it difficult to believe Samael would have lost his head—and his heart—to a fool. But that’s what you must be if you truly think I will allow those who were once my allies to collude with my greatest enemy without consequences.”
I needed to step very, very carefully.
“I hadn’t imagined you would be especially worried about the sword falling into Taraghlan’s hands,” I murmured. “My information was that you were unafraid of him. I apologize if this information was incorrect.”
Finvarra tensed. Then he slowly got to his feet, his huge body uncoiling in a way that made all the spit in my mouth dry up.
He took a single step toward me, and Kyla lowered her head. A vicious growl ripped from her throat. Behind me, Vas let out a string of whispered curses.
Finvarra spared her a single glance, and something like amusement flashed through his eyes.
“You forget yourself, wolf.”
She lifted her lip, revealing long, deadly fangs. What the hell was going on with her?
I shook my head. “You’re not the only one who has a bone to pick, Your Majesty. Your people have also been meeting with our enemies,” I said softly. I was watching closely, so I caught the surprise that flickered in his eyes.
“I’m unsure what you’re referring to.”
“Two of your inner circle were seen speaking to Lucifer’s right hand not long ago. I find it suspicious that this happened just days before the Spell of Three was used to weaken Samael.”
“Unlike you, I do not break my alliances,” he said. “What proof do you have that it was my people?”
I’d come ready for this. I pulled the photos out of my jeans pocket and handed them to him. Finvarra went still. Someone was likely to die horribly just as soon as we left.
He didn’t bother mentioning that he’d had no idea about this little meeting. We both knew paranormal rulers were responsible for everything their people did.
“So you will use this as an excuse to break our alliance?” he’d recovered quickly, but a cold fury burned deep within his eyes.
I gave him an achingly sweet smile. “Of course not. I understand that sometimes alliances are weakened through outside forces.”
He smiled back, and a hint of real humor danced in his eyes. “For a young human, you have taken to wielding your power well. One day, if you survive long enough, you will be a force to be reckoned with.”
“Why thank you.”
Kyla cleared her throat. “Look,” she said carefully. “There’s no guarantee that we’ll even find the sword. So there’s no point talking about broken alliances just yet, right?”
Finvarra waved that off. Clearly, he thought we’d find it. That made one person in all the realms, other than me and Kyla.
He sat back in his chair and frowned at both of us, clearly deep in thought.
“It’s in my best interest for Samael to live. However, it certainly is not in any way helpful for my greatest enemy to have a weapon fated to kill me.”
He gave us both a dark look, but there was no real heat behind it. That scared me more, since it meant he had come to a decision. And I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like that decision.
“You may complete the bargain you have struck,” he said finally. His gaze found Kyla’s face—and stayed there. “But you will then complete a new bargain. You will take the sword back and bring it to me.”
