Page 23 of In Between Death and the Devil

I froze. Part of me had stupidly thought I’d be safe from him as long as I was in Death’s castle, but he’d just proven that he could get to me anywhere. So much for my bedroom being a sanctuary.

My nails bit into my palms. He’d walked out of the damn shadows like he owned the place. I knew he’d want to use my curse for his own gain. He lied to me about who he was when we first met, presumably wanting to establish a connection between us that he could use to manipulate me. Except his plan had backfired, because it only made me distrust him more.

At least he wasn’t pretending to be human this time. I felt his power like a buzz in the air.

“What do you want?” I asked, my tone glacial.

“To help you.” His gaze was unrelenting, unaffected by my glare. “After what happened today, I’d say you need it.”

I flinched, wishing I could go back and erase what he’d seen. Accepting his help would be foolish. He’d trap me into using my curse to his advantage by offering assistance, for a price. “How noble of you.”

He chuckled, the sound deep and resonant, making me shiver. Maybe it was the cramped quarters, but he was bigger than I remembered from the balcony. Had his shoulders been that broad before?

“I wouldn’t say that,” he said. “I’m here to offer you a deal.”

My eyebrows rose at his admission. I didn’t expect him to get straight to the point. Crossing my arms, I tried to project a confidence I didn’t feel. “What are you offering?”

He mirrored my stance, his biceps flexing in a way that snagged my gaze.

I pressed my lips together, sure he did it on purpose. It was probably why so many of his tunics were sleeveless.

His smirk only confirmed my suspicions. “I’ll help you by teaching you how to use your newfound powers.”

Powers. The word sent a different kind of shiver through me, one that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I didn’t have powers. I couldn’t. That was for gods like Death and the Devil, not human souls.

“You mean my curse. I don’t want to use it.” I bit my lip, regretting the words as soon as they left my lips.

His eyes narrowed and I resisted the urge to squirm. “Control it, then.”

“And what do you want in return?” I couldn’t hide the tremble in my voice.

He regarded me for an uncomfortable moment, as if weighing his next words. “For you to spy on Death for me, report on everything you see and hear about her or in her rooms.”

A weight settled on my chest, the idea making it difficult to breathe. Death watched my every move. She already thought I was hiding something, and I’d never been a very good liar. If I refused, the Devil could reveal my secret to Death, but I wasn’t sure that was worse than making a deal with him, if it meant he could force me to use my curse for his own gain. I might prefer annihilation to whatever he would do with it. With me.

“No.”

His mouth tightened the smallest fraction. “Why?”

“I don’t trust you.”

Was that hurt I saw in his eyes? I couldn’t tell. It wasn’t the first time something had flashed across his face too quickly for me to be sure I wasn’t seeing things.

“Because I’m the Devil.”

“Because you’re a liar and I don’t trust anything you say. You lied to me from the moment we met, when you didn’t tell me who you really are.” The surprise on his face sent a warm ripple of satisfaction through me.

“I didn’t—” He broke off, his jaw working. His eyes blazed with vulnerability for a moment. I didn’t imagine the hurt this time. It was impossible to ignore. So was the resignation I saw there, potent enough to make me regret what I’d said for a moment. Then his expression shuttered. A colder, more calculating look descended on his features.

I pressed back against the door, my blood rushing in my ears as he seemed to grow in stature. His power swirled in the air, the shadows in the room thickening. This was the Devil as dark god. The one I’d watched seize souls for his Dungeon once they’d been judged, not the more human iteration I’d seen only moments ago. Watching him flip between the two so easily was more frightening than anything else, because it confirmed how manipulative he was. I couldn’t trust anything that came out of his mouth.

“There’s no one else who can help you. It’s only a matter of time before Death sees what you can do.” His tone was icy and sharp.

I shivered again, chilled by his words. He was right. It was sheer luck that Death hadn’t found out by now. If I didn’t work with him, my only other choice was to learn by trial and error. The risk that Death would discover my curse before I could get a handle on it was high.

“Don’t spite yourself because you hate me. Let me help you.” I straightened at the demand in his voice.

“If you really wanted to help me, you wouldn’t demand anything in return. You don’t need me to do anything.”