The comment served as a warning, and I looked at Carmine after. He was literally telling me that if he saw my grandfatheragain, he would need to kill him. I’d assumed as much, but why was Carmine warning me? If he could warn me to protect my grandfather, then couldn’t he decide to let my grandfather live?
I shook my head. This part of him had puzzled me more and more before my escape. This part of him—the part that appeared to want to be better—had driven up my hopes time and again. I’d believed that I could change him. Or help him over all his dungeon trauma. I’d felt that maybe I couldfixhim. And wasn’t that the cliché trope in every failed romance? That hope had kept me in this fortress for far longer than I wanted to admit.
“You kill everyone that defies you,” I replied. “I don’t understand why you feel the need to warn me of that.”
I felt Gratia’s intense focus again.
“Then you understand enough,” Carmine cryptically answered. “How did you find him?”
There was no point denying my grandfather’s involvement. “Via the usual channels of finding a person.”
I’d never known my magus grandfather. Just my grandmother. And I’d never known my demon grandmother, but I’d lived with my demon grandfather for the last three years. He was an oddity in that his mate had been more powerful. They’d produced a baby of freak strength—my father—and where only one demon family had ever been strong enough to produce kings, my family line had popped out of the ground to challenge the throne.
My father was raised in secret, and when he’d come into power at sixteen, he’d managed to evade Carmine’s father long enough to learn how to best him and seize the throne with the help of his mother, who had sacrificed herself in the battle to weaken Carmine’s father. My grandfather had lived on during his son’s reign, and then hadn’t presented any power threat when Carmine escaped his dungeon cell and restored his family’s claim to the throne by killing my father.
Decades later, and a month after my escape, I’d found my grandfather at the desert outskirts of the realm, and cold fear still doused me when I thought of how life might have been otherwise. As it was, I’d been in a terrible state when I’d eventually found him.
Now, more than ever, my grandfather couldn’t be found, but I also had great respect for his ability to remain hidden and alive. I never could have left for Tiers if not.
Carmine’s inhales told me he was scenting my reaction, even if he had no visual to go on. The crimson ring surrounding his gray eyes flared as I met his gaze, my expression smooth. Yes, I’d been deathly afraid. Yes, I’d been weak. Yes, I’d been lucky to find my grandfather. So lucky that I felt daily humbled by the chance encounter. I had fought every day since leaving here—whether for food, shelter from the dust storms, through lust, and then for myself and others.
Carmine surged to his feet, startling some of the crimsons. He was breathing hard, his face carved of cold stone. He’d scented my memories, all right, and I gathered that the mysteries were driving him insane.
Insane was good. Just a touch of it, though. Enough to get me what I wanted.
I rose and held out my forearm. He blinked at my arm, then extended his to slip under. I curled my fingers over his fist.
Carmine recovered himself enough to lead us from the royal table and out between the long tables loaded with crimsons. I’d play nice now.
I had a game to win.
My twin had been the real mastermind when it came to this strategy shit. I’d liked to play with the humans, who had always been drawn to seek my bored approval, but Tempest was the sinister planner. I had hooked the humans, and Tempest had orchestrated our entire high school through me. And notin a bad way. In a way where bullying was eradicated and true community was built between the students. No torment at all. If I was in charge, I couldn’t have said that I wouldn’t unleash alittleagony on them, but my twin’s heart was pure and true. That didn’t make her a pushover. I’d seen how she dealt with the bullies and the few teachers walking on the wrong side of chaos.
I needed to channel Tempest now. I could borrow her wisdom. Because Carmine was drawn to me through the mating ritual.Thatpart was easy in a lot of ways. The rest of how to manage him was the mystery.
We were halfway to the exit when I realized my talons were slicing through his forearm. My gaze rose to his as crimson blood dripped on the graphite floor for all to see.Oops.
Carmine hadn’t reacted in the slightest.
“This sylk dress has me agitated,” I said low, then retracted one of my talons, earning a grunt.
Oh, so he could feel them.
We were halfway out of the hall when I retracted another oh-so-slowly. Carmine hissed low, then growled at my small smile.
He managed to stay silent through the next, and I sheathed my last talon quickly and without mercy. Carmine swore low.
I looked past him to a female demon sending me a withering look. Her name was Darthy. She used to love muttering nasty comments under her breath whenever I passed her in the hall. Pretty sure she used to share Carmine’s bed before me.
I had so much to do that my mind reeled every time I thought about it, but on that list was ensuring every crimson in this place knew and feared my power. I had a lot of ground to make up. Their view of me was well and truly formed.
I walked around Carmine and leaned down until my face was close to hers. “Do you have a problem with me, demon?”
“No, Mate-Intended.” She cast her gaze downward.
“Are you sure? Your sneer says otherwise.”
She lowered her head. “No problem, Mate-Intended. I am certain.”
