Belial snorted. Then, before she could move, he pulled out a dagger and sliced her throat. “Fuck that, too.”
Ariel gasped and touched her stinging neck, but where blood should have been pouring, there was nothing save smooth skin.
She looked up at him in horror. “What is this?”
He replaced the dagger in his belt and shrugged nonchalantly.
Looking away as if the matter bored him, he sighed. “You’re still immortal, babe. Something not even I thought about until I was having a conversation with Death in hell.”
Flabbergasted, she gaped. “I don’t understand. I have hurt myself since I’ve been here. I have—”
“But you’ve never once bled.”
She opened her mouth to deny it, then clamped it shut. He was right. When her mare had thrown her in the snow, she’d only been bruised. No blood had fallen.
Why hadn’t she thought of that?
Because she wasn’t human.
Agony and hopelessness invaded her heart, her soul. Was there truly no way to save Valteri?
“You told me the curse could be broken.”
Belial snorted. “I never said those words. You told yourself that. I merely offered to barter. You drew your own conclusions and I let you. Nearly every word out of my mouth has been a lie of some sort, and you fell for each and every one. You, my Arel, are far too naïve.”
Stiffening at his insult, she narrowed her eyes. “Why are you telling me thisnow?”
Belial studied his hands. “I’m an evil bastard, but even I’m still capable of feelings. I’ve never minded claiming humans like Edred who bring their damnation on by their own actions, or even the ones who were stupid enough to fall to my temptations, but you…”
He ground his teeth and moved away.
She caught his hand and held him by her side. “What about me?”
Emotions played across his handsome face and she longed to call them by name, but their source eluded her.
Finally, he sighed again. “You’re the only truly altruistic creature I’ve ever seen. No matter how much I would love to hand you over to that bastard and bitch I serve, I can’t. Grim made me realize that. Even if it means my ass. I can’t let them do to you what they did to Seth. What they’ve done to so many.” He cursed himself under his breath. “I take back what I said. Valteri isn’t the biggest idiot ever born. I am.”
Stunned, she could do nothing save stare at him. Was this merely another of his lies to manipulate her? “And I’m supposed to believe you?”
He shrugged. “Believe what you will. Just leave me in peace.” With a grimace, he twisted his arm from her grip. “Go back to your husband, Arel.”
Disgusted with himself, Belial left her and walked to the other side of the keep.
How could he be so stupid? She’d handed herself over to him and he’d handed her right back.
I deserve what I get.
Sitting down on a fallen log, he leaned forward and hung his head in his hands. Perhaps it’d been the peaceful night that had weakened him. Ariel had caught him in a pensive mood and he’d confessed to her.
Damn him for his stupidity!
“You already are.”
He looked up to find Grim standing over him. “I’m in no mood to deal with you this night.”
Grim backhanded him.
Belial recoiled from the blow, his face burning. He changed to his demon form and lunged for Grim, but it did no good.
