Page 132 of The Order of the Bitter Hunt

“Revenge makes us foolish.” He clicks his tongue. “Surely, you see that now. She realized it, too. A few years back, she started trying to destroy the Order from the inside. She told me about it. Shebeggedme to help her. I couldn’t, but I also couldn’t tell Strode.”

“Then who betrayed her?”

“I don’t know. What I know is she breached her contract with Strode, and he was the one who took her life.” He hangs his head. “I’m sorry, Caldwell. It should not have ended this way.”

“What now? Will he kill you for breaching yours next?”

“He may.”

My lower lip wobbles. How could my mother fight a massive demon? She never stood a chance.

“And what will we do now?” I ask. “We cannot let that happen. Hecannotkeep taking lives.”

“It is what he does. We will have to kill him first if we wish to stop it… though how it will get to that point, we do not know.”

There isn’t a moment of pause.

“Let me help. I don’t care what must be done—I will do it.”

“Your mother’s soul may not be as easy to free as Poppy’s.”

“I don’t care.” I stand, snatching my watch from the desk. “And I don’t care if craving vengeance makes me terrible or weak. My mother did not deserve to die for doing the right thing, and neither does Margaux. Hewillcome for Margaux next. She owes him a debt, too, and it’s twice as large as yours.”

“Nothing will happen to Margaux when I am around.”

I smile bitterly. “Then I suppose we’re fighting for the same team.”