Chapter Nine
The household buzzed with activity that morning. Sitri and Draven hustled between the mansion and the outbuildings, muttering as they prepared to depart. Apollo and Mara seemed more glum than usual, and crimson-skinned demons bearing weapons and armor lingered in the courtyards.
They weren’t the only ones on the move. I had preparations of my own to attend to, and the swarm of activity stirred up chaos I planned to exploit.
The kitchen was my target. Though Mara usually stalked it, right now, she was occupied by the Prince’s upcoming absence. I searched the cupboards, eyeing the door to the dining hall as I secured my rations: two sacks of dried mushrooms and one of foul-smelling jerky. From a cabinet near the floor, I looted a stash of waterskins, four of which would hold the drinking oils I needed. I still wasn’t sure what would happen if I stopped eating or drinking, and I didn’t plan to find out.
On my way out of the room, I made a final stop—the cutlery drawers. I pocketed a stiff boning knife and wrapped it in a kitchen rag.It fit comfortably beneath the waistband of my pants. If I was lucky, Mara might not notice its absence.
I hurried the provisions back to my bedroom, careful to avoid distracted demons. After shutting the door, I unloaded my cargo. The sacks of food went onto the floor at the foot of my bed, and I turned to the dresser, which sat in the corner of the room.
Sitri had stocked it with clothes and supplies for dry bathing with rags. I’d dipped into the bottled oils there on many occasions over the past twelve days. They smelled the same as the drinking oils from the kitchen. I uncorked one, and when I lifted it to my lips, I found they shared the bitter taste as well. These would have to do. I collected the bottles, lowered myself onto the floor, and started storing the repulsive liquid in waterskins. I’d almost finished draining the last bottle when a knock sounded at the door.
My heart leaped into my throat. I jolted, nearly throwing the oils as I struggled to push the stolen goods under the bed. Metal clicked as the doorknob turned. My breath hitched. In my hurry, I hadn’t locked it. I surged to my feet. The door creaked open. Sitri loomed there in the entryway, drinking in the scene.
“Now, what could you possibly be up to?”the demon Prince asked, his expression blank.
I swallowed. How much had he seen? Had he suspected?
“Just tidying up. I hate a messy room.”
Our eyes met. Then, Sitri sauntered towards me. I froze, unwilling to yield any ground, too fearful to challenge him. He leaned in close until his face hung inches from mine. His breath rolled over my skin when he spoke.
“You are a terrible liar. Did you know that, darling?”
I took a step backward. My leg hit the edge of the bed, and I fell. Sitri lunged, hooking his arm around my waist. The knife I’d concealed there pressed awkwardly into my hip. The Prince kept me suspended as his free hand reached under my shirt. His fingers grazed my skin. Ishuddered. They reminded me of the touch of another, administered with measured intent, but Sitri was not here to assault me. He plucked the weapon from where I had secured it and pulled me tight against him, his body warm and rigid.
My heartbeat quickened, my muscles locked as panic gripped me. It took me a moment too long to break free of its command. When I thrashed against him, Sitri released me. The bed creaked as my weight landed dead in its center. Silver eyes cut into me. I righted myself. He unraveled the rag that wrapped my knife and held it up, its blade gleaming in the dim light.
“And what are you planning to do with this, hmm? Are you going to return it to the kitchen for a washing, or were you looking for a place to sheathe it?”
He loomed over me like an angry god—massive, powerful, all-knowing. This was the Prince of Lust and Lies I’d been dealing with. Maybe he’d had some way to uncover my plan, or perhaps he’d caught me in a cruel stroke of fate.
I gritted my teeth and pushed myself upright, wearing a scowl, and rallied all my courage to stop my voice from shaking. “I’m not allowed to protect myself? To be armed in case you and your servants advance on me? What is it you want to do with me? You only spared me because ofthis.”
I lifted my sleeve, stood from the bed, and thrust my arm forward. Emerald light bathed Sitri’s face. It glittered like poison in his eyes. “Are you ever going to tell me what this is, or why it’s worth keeping me around? Why should I trust you?”
Sitri took a deep breath and, over several seconds, let it out. “You should know what it is.”
“But I don’t. How am I supposed to know anything when you keep me in the dark? When you invite me into your home, give me a place at your table, and then treat me like an enemy?” Sitri stepped back; his expression shifted.
My face softened as my voice failed me. “Do you really think I’m here to sabotage you?”
“I don’t know.”
Any animosity in the Prince’s words evaporated. He closed his eyes and rapped his foot against the floor as I willed my muscles lax and my breathing steady.
“Idoknow that you’re keeping secrets, darling. I can smell them on you. If you would only let me in, bare your soul to me, and cooperate, it would save me the trouble of stripping you down myself.”
Silence crept in to fill the void left by Sitri’s threat. I didn’t dare to move, didn’t dare to speak. The demon Prince stood still as a statue. When he finally moved, I flinched. He tossed the knife to the ground. Its clatter filled the room as he turned his back to me, though the tilt of his head kept me firmly in his sights, and if looks could kill, I would have been dead twice over.
“I’m stepping out for a day or two. There are matters in the badlands I must attend to. We shall discuss this at length when I return.” He stalked to the door, and his hand met the doorknob. “Be warned, I won’t be here to keep my demons in line, nor to protect you should you find yourself in danger. Stay put if you value your safety.”
“You’re leaving?Now?” I asked.
His answer came in the form of a cruel smile and joyful eyes that gleamed with malice. “I am. It’s your move, darling.”
With a wave of his hand, Sitri crossed through the doorway and stalked off into the halls. As I collected my knife with shaking hands, I grew ever more uncertain. Was any of this real, or just a series of moves in the game we played? I wasn’t sure anymore. He toyed with my mind, messed with my soul.
