Eva swallowed hard, her throat bobbing. “Yes to both. I thought I was just hungry, but...”
“I see,” she said flatly. “Look, it very well might be too late for you, but I suppose it’s worth a shot. The fae who split off into their own court. They took something of mine with them. An old relic. Ancient, really. I’ve carried it around with me since the turn of the fifth century.”
Eva’s mouth dropped. I knew what she was thinking. How ancient, exactly, were these fae? How long had River lived? To mortals who rarely reached one hundred years, it was mind-boggling to imagine an immortal existence. Even I struggled to comprehend it sometimes, and I had been around longer than I could even remember. After so long, the years blurred. Memories melted away. There was only so much my brain could hold onto. That combined with what Lucifer had stolen from my mind meant much had been lost.
“What kind of relic?” I asked the fae.
“A potion,” River said, her voice dropping an octave. “Developed by one of the earliest witches, back when their powers were far greater than they are now. The things they could do...”
That was one thing I did remember. When mortals had first managed to tap into the power of the earth, they’d held terrifying magic in the palms of their hands. Over time, the magic had faded, like an old photograph. Now, it was barely a pale blur of what it had once been.
“There is an old story,” River said with a slight smile as she weaved her fingers together. “Of a mortal girl falling in love with a demon. His name was Paimon.”
A memory flickered in the back of my mind. Once, I had known Paimon. Back when I’d lived in Hell. I thought he’d come with us when we’d retreated to the mortal world, but over the years, we’d lost touch. I hadn’t thought of him in a very long time.
“I remember Paimon,” I said. “What ever happened to him?”
“Like I said, he fell in love with this girl.”
“And then what?” Eva whispered.
“One night, he snapped and killed everyone in her village. Except for her. Somehow, he managed to hold his demon back just to spare her life.” River let out a heavy sigh. “Paimon realized that she’d never be safe with him, not so long as he was a demon. So, he sought out the witches and asked them to brew him up a cure.”
I swallowed hard. I saw where this was going now. When Paimon and the rest of us had first left Hell, we’d still been new to battling with the monster inside of us. We hadn’t had centuries of practice yet. The slightest thing could set us off. And so Paimon hadn’t been able to control himself that night.
Turmoil roiled through me. I could only imagine the guilt he must have felt, the fear of knowing he’d come so close to harming the woman he loved.
“And nowyouhave that cure,” I said with an arched brow.
“Well.” Her lips vanished into a thin white line. “I did. And then the others took it.”
“I don’t understand,” Eva whispered. “If Paimon had the witches brew up a cure for him, how did you have it? It’s been centuries. Didn’t he take it?”
It was a good question. One I hadn’t thought to ask.
“There was enough for many, many doses. You only have to take one drop,” River said. “Paimon took one and passed it down over the years. Eventually, it landed in my hands. The result of one of my deals you hate so much. I’ve held onto it ever since.”
“So, Paimon,” I said, zeroing in on her words. “He took the cure, and it worked?”
“Like a charm.”
I glanced down at Eva. The way she stared up at me, with those wide and hopeful eyes, made me want to fall to my knees. She didn’t deserve this. Any of it. We would find this cure, whatever it took. She wouldn’t have to succumb to the growing darkness inside of her.
With a determined nod, I turned back to River. “And you have no idea where these fae are?”
“Oh, I have an idea.” Her smile widened. “But like I said, I don’t give anything away for free.”
A low growl rumbled from my throat. She had us, and she knew it. Despite her hatred of demons, we needed the cure more than she needed us to fight the newborns. And she could tell by the devastated look on my face that I’d do anything to protect Eva.
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll make the agreement.”
“No, I don’t think so.” Her gaze slid to Eva’s pale face. “I wantherto make it.”
“Absolutely not,” I said just as Phenex pounded his fist into his open palm. Bael even let out a growl. “Ask it from any of us. Just not her.”
“That’s not how it works.” River shrugged and stepped back toward the line of trees. “If these terms don’t work for you, then our conversation is over. Good luck.”
“Wait,” Eva called out, her hand lifting toward the vanishing fae. I reached out to pull back her hand, but she stepped out of my grasp. A determined expression settled onto her face. That beautiful stubborn girl. It was one of the things that had drawn me to her, but that bravery was dangerous now. She couldn’t make an agreement with the fae. There was no telling what they’d ask from her in return.
