It was only when the first round of guards circled us, swords aimed and ready, shouting for me to halt, that I realized my error. I’d invaded another demon prince’s domain without invitation. Tanzie reared back, then dropped to the ground, stamping her feet as one guard silenced the others and called out a clear command to me.
“Dismount and drop to your knees.”
“There seems to be a misunderstanding.” I held tight to the reins. “I was riding at House Gluttony and didn’t realize I’d come so far.”
“I said, dismount and drop to your knees.”
The guard who’d spoken stepped from the formation. His open-faced iron helmet had deadly-looking wings on either side. Across the top band, where the helmet molded over his forehead, a set of gold claw marks were etched onto the metal.
I noted none of the other guards shared that design, making him the obvious leader of their group. Another line of guards appeared from the castle, arrows nocked in their bows.
I paid them little mind, focusing instead on the biggest threat.
My gaze slid over the lead guard’s features, committing them to memory should things go wrong and I needed to recall details upon my escape. Burnished gold hair peeked out from the upper portion of his helmet. His sun-kissed skin was free from all but one imperfection: a pale silver scar that diagonally cut across a pair of arrogant lips.
I couldn’t make out the color of his eyes from where I sat, but the hardness in them would never be forgotten. Tanzie snuffed the air, dancing back as the other guards took another step forward, closing their ranks. If I dismounted now, I would certainly regret it.
I sat taller, donning my most commanding tone. “I demand to speak with the prince of this House. There has been a mistake.”
“Dismount before my sword finds its way into your gut.”
“Touch me, and I promise you will feel more than my wrath.” The smile that tugged at my lips was as vicious as his weapon. “It might be worth the pain just to watch the Prince of Wrath carve you apart. I doubt he’ll go easy on anyone who harms his princess.”
Surprise flickered in his gaze before he schooled his features.
“Forgive me, but I do not recall receiving word that you were invited onto our lands.” He stepped closer, lining his blade up with my heart. “Which grants me permission to remove the threat to our territory as I see fit. Now get off the fucking horse, princess.”
If I were to focus on the positive in a very bad situation, I was not chained and escorted into a cell. I was brought to a lavish parlor and promptly locked inside with a handful of armed guards stationed at the doors and windows. I ignored their icy stares and scanned the room.
White marble floors and walls shined cheerfully i
n the flickering candlelight. Silk furniture—gilded and ornate enough to rival the Sun King’s famed palace in France—surrounded me. I sat on the edge of a pearl-colored brocade settee, fingers itching to clasp my hidden dagger. No one spoke. There were no royal crests on their uniforms, nothing to indicate which royal House of Sin I’d accidentally invaded.
Not that I could identify anything other than Greed’s crowned frog insignia if I did spy a crest. I knew with certainty I wasn’t in House Wrath, Envy, or Gluttony. As far as I could recall, almost all of the seven demon princes should be at the Feast of the Wolf by now. Which was the likely complication behind the guards not knowing the proper protocol for dealing with a trespasser. One bright note in this dismal situation was I’d found the perfect hiding place to avoid the hunt.
An imperial rococo clock above the mantel ticked the seconds away. The lead guard had dropped me off here and left, murmuring orders to the two guards standing on either side of the door. Their attention had slid to me before they jerked their chins in acknowledgment of whatever he’d said. A quarter of an hour passed. Surely, as the guest of honor, someone from House Gluttony would notice my absence. Wrath most assuredly would come looking.
A full hour crawled by. No one came. Another hour passed in what had to be the slowest shift of time in history. Still, no prince arrived, dagger in hand, to free me.
It was time to become my own hero and save myself.
I cleared my throat. “Which royal House is this?”
Silence.
No one shifted, or even blinked. It was as if I hadn’t spoken at all. I settled back onto my seat, getting comfortable. Another hour slipped by and just when I was about to go mad, the door cracked open. One of the guards blocked my view, and the voices were too quiet to make out any part of the conversation. The guard nodded, then closed the door.
He pivoted in my direction, his expression cold. “Get up.”
My knees locked. “Where are we going?”
“His highness is releasing you.”
“I don’t understand… doesn’t he wish to speak with me?”
The guard’s face split into a cruel grin. “Best to not inquire about his wishes. I suspect they would give you nightmares.”
The ride back to House Gluttony was cold and miserable.