Chapter 24

H eat flared in my chest. My fingers curled, nails cutting into my palms.

"Revenge," I whispered, trying on the word for size.

I hadn't considered the possibility. Didn't think I stood a chance against Skrain. But Creators, the syllables were sweet as honey, sliding down my throat like syrup.

Aculeus approached with slow steps, head cocking. I could sense his eyes fixed on mine, the intensity of his invisible gaze making me want to squirm.

"Don't you hate him for what he's done to you, Keryssa? As if killing you once wasn't bad enough … No. He had to have you again . Made you fall for him with whispered promises and beautiful lies, just to break your heart again . And now, you're his prisoner. His fuckhole. Nothing more. There is no telling what he has in store for you, but a man who waited a hundred years to kill his victim twice over is beyond sick and perverted. Maybe death was an easier fate, after all?"

My mouth dried. "What do you suggest?"

I knew the demon smiled as he continued speaking. "You see, by nature I feed on suffering. It sustains me, makes me more powerful. You're no stranger to demons. You are aware of our wicked reputation, that all we do is torment mortals for our own gain and entertainment."

I scoffed. "So, you even admit it yourself."

"Yes, though not all of us are only bad, and you do need an ally. I gain power from causing anguish, from devouring tormented souls, but I use my abilities to punish those who do evil in this realm. And who would be more deserving of such torture than Skrain?"

Aculeus stopped in front of me and laid a few fingers on my shoulder. My heart slammed in my chest, my instincts rioting, telling me to run, but I stood firm, clenching my jaw as I looked up at him.

"A demon who dishes out vigilante justice?" I asked, unable to keep the disbelief from my voice.

"He was the perfect target for me, Keryssa. A man who killed his own wife, the only woman who ever loved him as he is, accepted all his rage and bloodlust. And he was a recreant wimp, too, taking his own life when he realized what he'd done. If you doubted your vision, his attempted suicide is the clearest admission of guilt."

"I … I know," I whispered.

"Did he tell you what the condition for my help was?"

I shook my head, and the demon purred with malicious joy.

"He paid the highest price of all. Mortals always think giving one's life is the ultimate sacrifice, pah. But in truth, nothing is worse than an existence without feeling . Death is a coward's punishment, the easy way out. Endless suffering, now that … that is poetic, delicious justice, don't you think?"

I blinked. "You stole his emotions?"

"Not quite. I took the positive ones, the ones that make life worth living. Empathy. Compassion. Kindness. Joy. Even love." He paused, hissing laughter escaping him. "I left him with rage. Shame. Fear. Guilt. Envy and disgust. Our deal was that he'd never feel love or happiness again until he found you. You were quite literally the piece that made him whole."

My lips trembled.

Creators. Skrain meant it when he said his heart had become hard and cold. I quickly shoved away the sympathy tightening my ribs.

"Cases like Skrain's are rare," Aculeus continued. His head lowered, and the stench of sulfur choked me as he leaned in. "Most mortals can't bear the dolor this long, choosing to end their lives after all. But not him. Knowing you were still out there kept him going, tethered to this realm. I cultivated his anguish for a century, letting him steep in misery."

I squinted. "You're trying to say you helped him only to ruin him in the end?"

The demon nodded. "To enjoy unraveling the cloth, one must first spin the thread. I helped him build a life so I could take it from him. Skrain's suffering has aged well, like vintage wine, if you'd like a rather lacking, mortal comparison. If I devour his soul, it has the potential to give me greater power than I ever possessed."

"Why would I care and why would I trust you? You still haven't told me why you're giving me all this information, either," I said, tone clipped.

"Admittedly, I have not been the kindest to you, and you have ample reason to doubt me. I confess I had to lead your soul astray and hide you from Skrain's agents in order to execute the first, prolonged stage of his punishment. I also apologize for making your mother—in this life—sick, but your father needed a nudge to give in to his vices and ruin himself. Skrain had to find you in a desperate state to drive him closer to the edge."

My heart froze. Seconds ticked by. I almost didn't realize he was talking about my, no, Ella's family.

Since I'd come to Xar'vath with Skrain, my life as Ella and my time in the brothel seemed far away, far enough to forget. My attachments, even my parents seemed like faceless placeholders now, a dream I was caught in to keep me from being who I was supposed to be. Maybe that carelessness, that ease in forgetting made me a bad person, but I didn't give a damn.

All the worries, the grief, and the suffering had been washed away by this new beginning with Skrain—by this old, new love. A love I didn't know I had, a love I gained and then lost again in the blink of an eye.

"If you expect me to accept your apology, you can wait until the Hells burn up," I said, turning to the window to hide the tears welling up as I thought of Skrain.

"Demons don't care about forgiveness, Keryssa. I want you to work with me. Before I devour his soul, I want to bestow the greatest humiliation on Skrain. The climax of his punishment. I can taunt and mock him, but there is only one person who can truly wound him. Who knows how to hit him harder than you ?"

My brows rose. Adrenaline pumped through me. I pulled away and sat down on the bed, grabbing a glass of lukewarm water from the nightstand. I took slow sips, biding my time before I answered.

"A binding? No. I'm not foolish enough to make that commitment."

Aculeus shook his head, taking a step back. "Not a pact written in blood. A simple alliance. A trade."

I kept my expression neutral, but confusion flashed through me. This entire deal must have been extraordinarily important to the demon if he was willing to settle on anything less than a pact.

My eyes slitted as I swirled the water. "A trade for what?"

"You act like you're sorry, seduce him. Make him believe you love him. Then you reveal that everything was fake, and at the moment of his greatest anguish, I will come and kill him for you. After he's gone, I will assist you in claiming every coin, every gold bullion, and every jewel he has hidden away. He is far wealthier than even you know. And I believe you deserve some compensation for your misery. No more money troubles. You'd be rich."

Disgust laid sour on my tongue as I imagined having to play Skrain's sex toy again, but my pussy clenched.

Why did my body have to be such a damn traitor?

"Your offer isn't good enough," I stated.

"Then name your price, Kerysssa."

"After he is dead, I want you as my enforcer. I want to take over every single venture he owns, and I know his Xar'vathi business partners won't be happy to deal with an Elf. You will be the one to … convince them. When I have acquired all his wealth, in assets as well as coin, gold, and jewels, our trade is complete."

Aculeus growled. "That's a lot to ask. I'm not a dog that bites at a mortal's command. You better have something more to offer me in return."

The spark of an idea set my mind ablaze. There was one invaluable bargaining chip only I held.

"What if I could do better than just breaking his heart before he dies?" I asked, a grin tugging at my mouth. "What if you could trap his soul instead of devouring it? What if I could preserve it for you, let you feed on it for all eternity?"

Aculeus's laughter skittered along my skin. "Well, well, would you look at that? Little Keryssa has secrets of her own."

I ignored his patronizing remark. Courtesy and respect weren't things to expect from a demon, but maybe he could be a temporary ally.

"The demonic taint inside Skrain means a normal soulstone won't hold him, and the ones used for demons would eventually consume what's left of him," I continued. "But I know of a way to create a stone strong enough to bind him, keep his soul alive and make him your slave for as long as it pleases you."

"Bravo, Keryssa. I didn't think you were such an evil mastermind." Aculeus clapped slowly. "I'm intrigued. If you agree to make one of those special stones for me, I'll fulfill your requests. You'll be the richest woman on the continent in no time."

As tempting as his offer was, I would've been a fool to agree in the spur of the moment. I had to consider a method to safeguard my interests, ensure he wouldn't turn on me. Demons weren't exactly the honest sort, especially without a pact binding them to the rules stated in it.

"I'm glad my offer agrees with you, but I still need to think about it," I said.

A key clicked in the lock.

Aculeus snickered. "Don't make me wait too long."

I jumped up, water splashing from the glass, wetting my feet. "Wait!" I whispered. "How can I call you?"

He broke a black, needle-like thorn from his body, holding it out to me. "Prick your finger with this."

I took it with my free hand, hurrying to the dresser, and hid it beneath my spare undergarments. When I turned, the demon was gone. So was the oppressive darkness.

I sneered as the door swung open and Skrain entered. He locked up behind him, tucking the key into his pocket.

He stood by the entrance and regarded me with a tired smile, his eyes red as if he'd cried. "Kerys, it doesn't have to be like this. You don't have to stay confined to a single room like a prisoner. I could make our life together very pleasant for you. I just want a chance to talk, to explain."

Fury descended upon me like a thick, red blanket, clouding my vision. And my judgment.

"Explain?" I shouted. "What the fuck could you possibly say to explain everything away?"

I reared my arm back and hurled the glass at him. Water splattered over his face and tunic as it hit him in the head, shattering, glittering shards falling at his feet.

More frustration blazed through me—this time directed at myself.

Creators, why was I like this? So ill-tempered, so driven by my feelings?

If I wanted to ally with Aculeus, I needed to get my emotions in check. But as I watched Skrain dabbing at droplets of dark green blood trickling from a gash in his brow, I only felt sorry I didn't hit him harder. Didn't break his lie-riddled skull.

"I see you're still angry." His voice was dangerously low, and a shudder wound up my spine like his stupid vines. A sinister smirk curled his lips as he licked the emerald liquid off his digits. "Fine. If you want to fight, my darling wife, I'll have to fuck the defiance out of you."