Chapter 29

I couldn't begin to imagine the monumental, soul-destroying hurt Kerys must have felt, how hard my supposed betrayal must have hit her. She believed I killed her while she was wrapped in my clothes, yearning for me?—

I bit back a sob, glancing at her, and my muscles went rigid.

The color had drained from her face. Her breath came in hectic, shallow gasps.

"Kerys, what is it?"

She shook her head, licking along her dry lips, her gaze fixed on me with an undecipherable, intense expression. Then she launched herself at me.

We collided. I let her push me onto my back, let her straddle me, her skirt hiking up as her thighs squeezed around my hips.

"Creators, I'm so sorry, Skrain. I was wrong," she rasped.

My head tilted. I thought I'd misheard, but she didn't give me a chance to ask.

Mouth open as if to devour me, she leaned down and grabbed both of my horns, yanking me into a demanding kiss. My eyes rolled. She was hungry and merciless, grinding her cunt against my stiffening cock, tongue coiling with mine.

She pulled back, just enough to whisper. "I know it wasn't you who killed me."

Fireworks went off in my chest.

Relief wasn't a good enough description for the sensation rushing through me. It was as if I could finally breathe, all my muscles going slack at once—except for my tail whipping the grass while she kissed me again.

"But why?" I stammered when we parted. "It seemed like there was nothing I could do to convince you."

War raged in her gaze, a battle between budding lust painting her cheeks pink and a darker emotion, perhaps fear. Or guilt.

She swallowed so hard her shoulders trembled. "When you started to cry, seeing you like that, in pain, it just—" She pushed a hand against her sternum. "It must've triggered the real memory of my death."

Tightness built in my throat as I gave a nod. I didn't know what to say to comfort her, so I pushed myself upright and closed my arms around her. She sunk into me, her weight against me, her irregular breaths flitting along my neck.

"I have a confession to make," she mumbled. "I think I know what happened during the ritual, and I believe I've been manipulated."

I squeezed her. "Tell me what happened, Kerys. I'm on your side. Always."

She recoiled slightly, eyes flicking around the garden. "What if he is listening in?"

"He?"

She put her thumb between her teeth, brows drawn. "Your demon," she whispered.

I laid a hand on her cheek, smiling. "He can hide from full mortals, but our bond alerts me to his presence unless I'm actively using large amounts of my own magic. That can blur the lines. Right now, we're alone—or at least I can guarantee he is not close enough to spy on our conversation. I made sure of that before I told you about Lara."

"I spoke to Aculeus," she spat the words like they were hornets in her mouth.

My smile dropped. "How dare he speak to my wife! When was this?" I growled. "What did he want?"

Kerys's shoulders slouched. "I'm such a fool. Yesterday he came to me and said you told him every detail about my vision of the past."

My ponytail whipped the sides of my face as I shook my head. "Fuck no! I'd never break your trust like that. I didn't speak to anyone after we returned from the ritual, just sat by the pond in silence. You can ask Emily.

"She was tending to the plants around the water all afternoon, and she would've seen my lips move or heard my voice if I had a discussion with anyone—even Aculeus—before I came to see you. He's not capable of telepathy. If he was, he would've long shown me, just to brag and point out the shortcomings of my mortal side."

Her chin trembled, lips pursing. "I believe you now . But yesterday, my misguided anger and hurt toward you made me gullible, clouded my judgment. To wound me, Aculeus made an off-handed comment about how I wore your tunic when I died, but your reaction—" Her voice cracked. "You didn't know about the tunic because you're not my killer. But that means you couldn't have told Aculeus, and he couldn't have known unless?—"

"Unless he somehow entered your vision and fucking altered it to make me look like the bad guy," I interrupted, rage like a flash of fire along the nape of my neck.

She nodded. "Before I fainted during the ritual, I saw thorns and shadows. I thought it was your magic."

My gut tightened. "I already suspected there was someone messing with us. The spell required a lot of focus and energy from me, that must've masked his intrusion. I should have been more careful."

"He played the revenge angle, asked me to work with him." She spoke almost too fast for me to follow.

I scoffed. "What's his goal? Does he want to kill me?"

"No. Worse … and it's all my fault!" Kerys gulped. "Do you remember our last evening together, how I wanted to talk to you about the music box?"

"Vaguely. I recall something about the gems you carved for the figures to hold?" A thick swallow stuck to my throat. "I'm sorry, I was distracted. Even all these years later, I still feel like an ass about it."

She regarded me with a small smile. "That's not why I'm asking. I forgave you before you'd even walked out. But do you know where your family got the box? If there was anything special about it?"

"I … uh …" My brows scrunched. "My mother said it had been in our family for centuries. She sometimes told me wild stories, claiming our ancestors were powerful mages, among the first to bend demons to the will of mortals. I didn't believe her. If it was true, why would we have lived in squalor? Wouldn't such a noble heritage mean that my family should be rich and in favor at court?"

"Well …" Kerys drew out the vowel, hesitating. "Demonology is a dangerous school of magic, and I can't guess what caused your ancestors' fall from grace. But I believe your mother wasn't entirely wrong. Inside the music box, I found a hidden compartment, and in it …" She paused, inhaling a long breath. "Was a spell recipe. A soulstone, though not a normal one. This one doesn't just trap a demon's soul and drain its powers until it dies, but preserves it like an insect in amber. It's practically an infinite source of magic if one can find a safe way to wield it."

I let out a huff. "Well, I'll be damned. Mother knew best after all."

"There is one problem …" Kerys continued, cringing. "When I still thought you were my murderer, I told Aculeus about the stone. I knew I couldn't fight you alone, and hoped he'd accept it as payment for his help."

I wasn't sure what I felt. Like someone slapped me across the face. Punched me in the gut. Hot and cold. Numb, yet every emotion tearing at my insides at once.

"The plan was to make you believe I forgive you and want to be with you. In the meantime, I would make one of the special soulstones for Aculeus," she said, her voice getting quieter with each word. "At the moment of your greatest anguish—the reveal of my betrayal—he wants to kill you and capture your demon-tainted soul. Then, in exchange for my work, he would help me to take over your enterprises and make me rich."

I took a stuttering breath. From her point of view at the time, allying with the demon was a sensible, logical choice. I understood. She'd wanted to hurt me like she thought I hurt her.

And Gods, I simply couldn't be mad at her.

"You agreed," I stated, not even asking. I knew the truth from her wobbling lip.

"Yes."

"Did you make a bargain?"

She shook her head. "Do you …" Her gaze dropped to the ground. "Do you hate me now?"

A wry laugh bubbled in my throat. "I could never hate you. Fuck, I can't even be angry with you when I try."

"Good," she said, smirking with renewed confidence. "Because I have no intention of going through with helping the demon, and I think it gives us an opportunity to turn the tables on him."

I raised a brow. "Is that so?"

"Because nothing was detailed in my vision, Aculeus doesn't know the ingredients or the spell to create the stone. I believe he only saw what I saw, heard only what I heard, what I thought. Then somehow, he twisted the last bit, my death, just enough to make it believable. To make me despise you." She propped her hands on her waist, straightening on my lap. "But after you locked me in our bedroom yesterday afternoon, I remembered what we need to make that soulstone."

I snickered, leaning back on my elbows, looking up at her. "I'd be screwed if he could get his hands on one without your help."

"It gets even better. I have a plan to trick him." Mischief flickered across her features. "I'll say that in my effort to regain your trust, it was necessary to tell you about the soulstone. You agreed to assist me in gathering the ingredients, on the condition that I make the stone for you to capture the demon instead. All steps will be the same. Aculeus will think I'm on his side, tricking you. He won't suspect a thing until the moment I betray him instead."

"A classic double-cross." I clicked my tongue. "I like your idea, but never underestimate a demon. We might be able to fool Aculeus, but don't we have to come up with a method to weaken him enough to capture him? And since my magic stems from him, I can't harm him."

"Agreed." Her chin dipped in an enthusiastic nod. "But until then, we must make it look like I have you wrapped around my little finger, like I am still seducing you to your doom," she whispered, and her lashes fluttered, her expression shifting, turning heated.

Her gaze slid along my mouth, down my chest, and that needy look in her eyes was enough to make my cock fill.

"Naturally. We wouldn't want to arouse suspicion, would we?" I growled, watching her provocatively push her tits out, her nipple rings pressing against the fabric of her dress.

"So, before I explain the recipe to you, and we get down to the nitty-gritty of planning, do you think we can take some time for ourselves right now? Make up properly?" She bit her lip, regarding me with an impish wink that made my pulse quicken. "You know, make it look … realistic?"