Page 2 of Cold Sacrifice

“The blade would return to its mistress,” Ti said.

Kronor growled. “The blade belongs with the demons.” His voice was so abruptly dark and threatening that I had to force myself not to fall back.

“But Kronor,” Ti whispered, her voice weaving through the room like a murmuring echo, “is that not what she is, after all?”

I sucked in a breath and put my hand to my chest, trying to calm my painfully pounding heart. “I am not a demon,” I said. “I am not the evil.”

And abruptly, all eyes were on me instead of the tantrum-throwing demon elder. The vampire elder, whose name I had never gotten or couldn’t remember, leaned over the table to peer down at me.

“Yes,” he told Ti. “I feel something there, as well. But it is not something we instilled inside her.”

They spoke as though I were either deaf or not even in the room. I clenched my fists so hard I felt my nails digging into my palms. “I am no demon,” I told them. “And I am not working for you.”

But though I didn’t want the memory, I remembered my mother telling me that they “believed” my grandfather was a demon. I hadn’t wanted to think about that. Not ever. Because what if what they believed was true?

Anika Draper thought it was.

But could I be one of the things I hated most in the world? Could I have part of a demon’s DNA tangled up inside me?

I wasn’t going to think about it. Not right now.

I also wasn’t likely to get my blade back, despite my earlier determination to fight Kronor for it. He might be an asshole, but his power slid over me like ice and fire, and if I attacked him, he could wrap me in flames and take me to hell.

I turned to leave, wishing I hadn’t wasted a good day and a lot of hope on the fucking elders.

“Kait,” the vampire called. “Let us convince you. We are willing to bargain. Ael is right. If you do not continue your work for us, we will be forced to bring in another agent to police Jakeston and protect the status quo.”

I couldn’t help it. I turned back around. I didn’t want them to bring a stranger into my city to threaten the supernaturals and boss us all around.

And they knew it, damn them.

“If I agree to return,” I said, “I have terms. You won’t order me around like I’m your servant. I’ll be your partner. We’ll discuss issues that need to be handled, and I’ll decide how to take care of them. I won’t bring you people to torture. When I catch the bad guys, I’ll kill them.”

I paused to give them a chance to argue, but when no one spoke, I continued. I looked at the vampire elder, who seemed to be the leader of them all. “You will not allow Ael or Kronor to sabotage me, to attack me when I come here, or to threaten my people to get what they want.” I took a step forward and narrowed my eyes. “None of you will cause me harm again. Is that clear?”

It was sort of funny, really, because they could do anything they wanted.

They could also lie.

“I agree with Kait on that point,” Ti said. “She should never have been mistreated by the council. It is shameful.”

I wasn’t ready to forgive her for walking out of the room and allowing Joe and my blade to be taken. She hadn’t hurt me, but she hadn’t helped me, either.

“I’m sorry, Kait,” she said, but only in my head, where the others couldn’t hear.

I ignored her.

“Are there any other demands,” the vampire elder asked somewhat dryly, “before we move on?”

“I can’t do what I need to do without my blade,” I said. “Give me back my blade.”

He looked truly regretful. “It is not mine to return to you, my dear.”

“Useless,” I muttered, but my chest hurt. I looked at Kronor. “I’ll fight you for it.”

He laughed. “No, silly wolf. If you’re to work for the council, I cannot kill you.”

“Brave girl,” Ti said.