“I didn’t think you’d prefer an audience.”
An indecent image of him taking me on the dining room table flashed across my mind. It was so vivid I swore I heard sounds of shock from guests as their prince showed me just how sinful he could be, glasses shattering and forks clattering onto the finest demon china as Wrath drove us both over the edge, heedless of anyone who looked on.
I swallowed a nervous giggle. That entrance would certainly make an impression House Wrath would not soon forget. I shoved those scandalous thoughts away.
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
Though I did wonder why he decided to kiss me now.
His teeth bared in a semblance of a smile, a knowing gleam entering his eyes. Evasion admitted. I couldn’t help but shake my head, my lips curling up at the edges. It was progress, small though it may be. Or maybe I was finally learning to read him better. Though I suspected—in this particular moment—he was also not trying to hide from me as much. I tried not to let wariness ruin the moment.
“I was talking about Marking me. Not whatever”—I nodded between us—“this is.”
He searched my face for a strained minute, the last vestiges of heat leaving his expression. His eyes were nearly solid black now. This time there was no mistaking the rumble that shook the castle. He rolled his shoulders, as if releasing tension in them and between us.
Wrath held his arm out to me, all traces of passion wiped from his face.
Here stood the cold and unfeeling prince of Hell.
“We can’t linger anymore. It’s time to meet my court.”
Our arrival outside the oversized bone-carved doors of the royal dining hall was a blur. I couldn’t recall if Wrath had spoken to me on our seemingly endless walk here, or if he’d escorted me in complete, stoic silence. It was likely the latter; I couldn’t imagine him ever engaging in something as pedestrian as inquiring about my day or the weather.
Not that I would have noticed either way.
There was an odd feeling in my chest; a slight tugging or gnawing or peculiar combination of the two. At first I thought it was panic fluttering against my ribs, fear over what had just transpired between us, but that wasn’t quite right. The feeling was slowly pooling out, traveling from my heart like a meandering stream along the underside of my arm.
Wrath turned his head in my direction, a deep furrow forming in his brow.
I glanced down at what he’d been staring at. My cornicello glowed that pale, unearthly purple of a human’s luccicare. It had happened twice before. Once when I’d first found Wrath standing over the corpse of my twin. And again when I’d found my amulet half-buried in a tunnel after it had been stolen. Right before the almost incorporeal Umbra demons had attacked and Envy had stuck his H
ouse dagger deep into Wrath’s belly.
My hands curled into fists as I remembered the way Wrath’s blood had dried on my hands, under my nails. The utter feeling of…
“Breathe.” His voice was deep and calming. “We will make introductions, then leave if you do not wish to stay and dine with them.”
“I’m not nervous.”
And I was surprised to discover that was true. I let go of Wrath’s arm and brushed my fingers over the cool metal of the amulet for comfort, an old habit I’d probably never break. The devil’s horns, I reminded myself with a small shudder. Not an amulet to ward off evil. This necklace was no longer the innocent charm I’d believed it was all my life.
Upon contact, a small current passed into my skin, alarming me enough to yank my hand back. That was new. I flicked my attention to Wrath. “Did you see that?”
He nodded, not taking his gaze from the shrunken devil horn. Concern was still present in his features. “Are you able to wear it during the meal?”
“Of course,” I said. “I’ve worn it for almost two decades.”
“If you experience anything uncomfortable, tell me immediately.”
Wrath seemed on the verge of saying something else but changed his mind at the last moment. Now my heartbeat quickened. “Uncomfortable how?”
“Anything unusual. No matter how small or seemingly innocuous.”
I was about to tell him of the tingling sensation, but it faded into nothing before the words could form on my tongue. Perhaps it was only nerves getting the better of me. I’d traveled to the underworld with one of the Wicked, made a blood bargain with the devil, and was seconds away from meeting the Prince of Wrath’s scheming court of demons.
Not to mention, I’d just been thoroughly ravished by someone who was not my intended and my lips were probably swollen in accusation. While my emotional feelings for Wrath were much more complex, I hadn’t disliked the kiss. In fact, it seemed to have unlocked a truth I didn’t want to examine closely. He’d asked if I could bed someone I hated, and while my mind still churned with anger over his betrayal, my body responded to his touch.
I couldn’t imagine Pride taking the news of my tryst with his brother well. Who knew if he had spies in this court, eager and ready to report back any unsavory business? While I wouldn’t mind sowing seeds of discord among the two Houses, I did not want to alienate my betrothed and ruin my chance to solve Vittoria’s murder. I had every right to be nervous. It would be odd if I wasn’t.