“To bring my husband back to his House of Sin.”
Pride glanced at my hand; if he noticed theSEMPER TVVStattoo on my finger or recognized what it was, he didn’t let it show. “Perhaps it’s for the best that he remain where he is.”
My fury started rising, erasing all other emotions. Like diplomacy and civility. Envy cleared his throat, but I did not heed his warning. I was tired, the claw wound burned miserably, and I was a breath away from either crying or screaming or some mad combination of the two.
“If you do not allow me to pass, I will return. And when I come back, I’ll have the might of House Wrath’s army. No one will keep me from him. Not you. Not my sister. Not any other cursed creature in this realm or any other. If I come back, I will unleash my power. I will burn all you hold dear. That, I can promise, is no threat.” I dragged my blade across my palm, letting blood drop all over his beautiful floors. He watched, his brows rising slightly. “It’s a vow.”
“Making a blood vow is serious in this realm.”
“I am well aware.”
“I don’t think you—”
Pride’s head whipped toward the throne room door, and a second later, I heard it. The sound of an impending storm. Footsteps echoed like thunder. The temperature plummeted. Heeled shoes clattered over the marble floor as several courtiers rushed to the exit, their steps echoing as the sound of sleet suddenly smashed against the windows.
I glanced at the arched window behind Pride, noting the sky was now an ink black. Wind howled, more menacing than any werewolf could hope to be. The very walls shook with the next gust outside. A mirror cracked from the sudden coating of ice.
My heartbeat ticked faster, and I slowly turned, hope igniting deep within. Unlike the rest of this court, it wasn’t fear pounding furiously in my chest. A courtier ran toward the dais, a golden crown nestled on a crushed velvet pillow. He placed it on Pride, then backed away, nearly tripping over his feet as the doors crashed open, shattering against the wall.
Smoke and snow swirled into the room. And then Wrath was there. Striding into the chamber with an expression of murder on his handsome face. His attention shot to me, softening for the briefest moment, before he noticed the claw marks down my chest, looking just as bad—if not worse—as the last time he’d seen them. He turned that frigid gaze back on his brothers, and another icy blast circled the room. I wanted to rush over to him, yank him close, and kiss him senseless. I settled for remaining as controlled as he was. Though inside I was battling the desire to make sure he was as unharmed as he appeared to be.
“Explain.” Wrath’s voice promised violence. “Now.”
An explanation for how my prince made it here was exactly what I desired, too, but our conversation would have to wait until we could speak privately. What had been left of Pride’s court fled the room, not bothering to stay and witness what promised to be quite the show. The prince of this circle watched as the last one rushed off and left me and the three demon princes to our private battle. Pride gave his brother a haughty look.
“You didn’t think I’d simply welcome a queen without first testing her loyalty, did you?” Pride said, ignoring the anger rolling off Wrath in waves. “Your judgment hasn’t always been the best where she’s concerned. We all have a right to know her true motives this time.”
This time? Testing my loyalty?I still didn’t know what transpired before my spell-lock, but the more I gathered, the more I knew Vittoria and I had schemed against Pride and Wrath in the past.
“This was a test?” I asked, looking between Pride and Envy. “All of it?”
“Not quiteall. I told you I choose myself over all else. And this benefited me.” Envy shrugged. “It was his idea. Except it didn’t quite go as we’d planned. Still, a test was necessary, given what happened… before.”
“How comforting.” I pressed my lips together, furious that the curse wouldn’t allow for more details and that my memories were still under siege. “What was your original ‘test’? Haveyoubeen working with Vittoria? Did she even kidnap you, or was that a fabrication as well?”
Envy didn’t bother looking to Pride or Wrath but instead met my hurt stare. “Once your carriage left Greed’s, we were going to send the Umbra demons after Wrath again. Our plan was to see how far you’d go to rescue him. You may say that you love him now, but your motivations haven’t historically been so… noble. The Umbra demons worked quite nicely last time. I’d been leaving here to gather my forces, but then your sister showed up and ripped out my heart. I ended up in that cage, and here we are. Reunited.”
I glanced at Pride. “And you didn’t bother to help him?”
“Envy being removed from my circle suited me well enough. Plus, there was little time to act. She’d grabbed him and immediately had a wolf take him to the Shadow Realm.”
“Vittoria could have hurt him.”
Pride’s gaze darkened. “Your sister does have an impressive record of hurting others.”
Wrath slowly took the steps leading up to his brother’s gilded throne. I hadn’t noticed before, but the chair was fashioned like a lion. The great beast’s legs and claws were the arms of the chair, and his head and mane were the back. The lion’s mouth was open as if roaring.
My prince towered over Pride, who still managed to sit indolently. “I don’t give a shit about your test. Vittoria brought wolves onto our land; you should have stopped her.”
“It’s not as if I asked her to do so, and it ultimately served my needs.” Pride’s voice turned hard. “Just like how Envy was aware she’d traveled to the vampire court in the south, doing the devil knows what, and didn’t bother telling anyone except Greed. You know how prickly they’ve gotten. Rumor has it they are plotting. And our dear brother here didn’t share any of that, did you?” he flung at Envy. “So why am I being raked over the coals for serving my best interests?”
Envy smiled. “Are you jealous Vittoria went to the vampire prince instead of seeing you?”
“Stop,” Wrath said. “Our land was breeched by wolves. Vittoria is stirring up discord with vampires none of us need. She ripped out Envy’s heart, potentially killed Greed’s commander or aided her in escaping, poisoned me, and kidnapped my wife. And this little test of yours seemed justified? All while we are trying to solve a murder to avoid an internal war?” Wrath looked ready to strike his brother off the throne. I was surprised when he didn’t. “You not only gambled with my wife’s safety, but with the peace of our land.”
“And I’d do it again. Now we know for certain Emilia isn’t scheming against us. Or you. The end justified the means, whether or not you like it. Tell me,” Pride went on, rising to his feet, “there wasn’t a seed of doubt in your mind. Notone.” Wrath’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t deny the accusation. “Now you know.”
My husband glanced at me, and I straightened my spine. I had doubted him. For months. I could not fault him for any doubts he might harbor for me in return. What mattered now was building our new future. Together. The foundation was there, and with some work, we could make it in the end. The longer Wrath held my gaze, the more uncertainty started to creep in.It would be all right, wouldn’t it?Surely this was a temporary hurdle we’d overcome. It had to be. My husband’s forbidding expression eased. But Pride’s voice broke the moment.