“I wouldn’t have to assault anyone if he didn’t transport me out of Sol’s study without so much as a question of whether I wanted to go.”
Ramanu shrugs. “He holds your contract. He can do whatever he pleases, barring harm.” They yank a pendant from the cabinet, identical to the one Sol ripped off me earlier today. “Hand.”
I glare but finally thrust out my hand. They prick my palm with a claw and press the pendant there, closing my fingers around it. The familiar jolt through my body makes me shake a little. I stare down at the pendant, my emotions a tangled mess.
I don’t want to be pregnant. Not if it means leaving the child behind.
But… If I didn’t have to leave? If Sol and I had a future without an expiration date? That’s a different story altogether. I reluctantly drop the pendant around my neck and look up at Ramanu. My heart is still racing, my brain fuzzy, but I manage to speak without screaming at them. “Please take me back to Sol.”
“That’s not my call to make.”
“And yet you managed to make all sorts of calls while you’ve been checking in on me over the past month.” I cross my arms over my chest and glare. “You know damn well that Sol would cut off his arm before he’d ever actually hurt me. He hesitated before he ripped the other pendant off. He also hesitated before fucking me. I ran. I knew what would happen if I did, and I did it anyways. If anyone’s caused harm in this scenario, it’s me.”
I knew he was having regrets, that he was feeling guilty for what happened. If I hadn’t hesitated to go down and talk to him because I knew the conversation would be uncomfortable, we wouldn’t be in this mess. We could have spoken and figured things out without Azazel appearing to set the whole damn contract on fire.
Ramanu sighs. “You have to understand, little bride. Azazel might be the leader through sheer might and viciousness, but he’s an overprotective daddy bear when it comes to his precious contracts. Regardless of your intent, he’s only seeing the bottom line. He’s not thinking any more clearly than you are right now. Give him some time to cool down and then explain things. I doubt he’ll change his mind, but you have a better chance of getting him to listen than screaming at him in the hallway.”
What they’re saying makes sense.
I don’t care.
I rise slowly to my feet, daring them to intervene. “Either tell me where Azazel will have gone, or take me back to Sol.”
“I told him this was a mistake. The other leaders are too damn stubborn, and humans are nothing but trouble.”
I don’t think Ramanu intends for me to hear that, so I ignore it. “Fine. I’ll find a way myself.”
“Patience.”
Yeah, I don’t think so. I’m not feeling patient in the least. The second they turn for the cabinet, I head for the door. If Ramanu won’t help me, then I’ll just figure this out for myself.
I make it one step out into the hall when something sharp pricks my neck. My legs go out, and Ramanu scoops me into their arms as my bones turn to jelly and an overwhelming numbness spreads through me. “What…” My lips won’t move properly.
“If you won’t have patience on your own, then I’m forced to persuade you. Sleep tight, little bride.”
Chapter 25
Sol
It takes three days to reach the bargainer demon territory. Normally, it would take five, but fear for Briar has me ignoring my body’s exhaustion as I hurry to reach her. I barely stopped to pack supplies before I went after her, wouldn’t have thought to do so if Aldis hadn’t waylaid me before I reached the front door.
If Azazel sent her back…
What will I do?
What can I possibly do?
No one stops me as I cross the territory line. I can hear the demons just out of sight, can sense their presence as they shadow my path to Azazel’s castle. He’s chosen to allow me to approach, and I can’t begin to say if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I’m not thinking clearly, and I know it.
It’s too late to worry about it now.
I charge up the steps to the castle. Again, no one stops me. This is becoming absurd. I throw open the door to find the grand entrance gone, replaced by a featureless hallway leading to a single door. “Subtle.”
The door opens into a study that isn’t dissimilar to mine. There are shelves of Azazel’s personal book collection, a large desk stacked high with enough paperwork to give me pause, and a demon waiting for me behind it.
“Shut the door.” Azazel’s eyes are a glowing crimson. “If you start roaring, I will kick you out of here so fast, you might not survive the portal out.”