Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 58321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Her smile, such as it is, drops away. “I gave you my word, Azazel. More, I signed that damned contract. If it’s as good as you claim it is, you have nothing to worry about.”
I’m not sure if she’s saying it to reassure him . . . or to threaten him. From the worry that strengthens in the air around him, he’s not sure either. Under other circumstances, I would be wholly entertained to see this demon, who’s been a royal pain in my ass for decades, set back on his heel so effectively. But this isn’t another circumstance. I need him not to go back on this bargain.
I shift, flaring my wings out the slightest bit to draw their attention to me. “As entertaining as this is, if we’re going to make a bargain, let’s sign the contract and be done with it.”
For a moment, I think Azazel might call the whole thing off. Instead, he shakes his head slowly. “Very well. As discussed, there will be regular check-ins with a demon of my choosing. If at any point the contract is violated, the gargoyle territory becomes mine. There are several clauses to ensure good behavior from all parties.”
“Yes, yes, we’ve gone over it.” She motions impatiently. “I’m hungry, tired, and the last thing I want to do is continue circling this subject with both of you. Give me the pen and I’ll sign.”
“You should read over the contract.”
She doesn’t. She just plucks the pen from his hand and scrawls her name on the appropriate line. Grace. A pretty name, light and ethereal . . . and nothing like the woman standing next to me.
Her impatience batters away at me, but I have too much history with bargainer demons to sign a contract without reading it through one last time. Azazel sent over a copy for us to study before attending this auction, but I’d be a fool to assume there were no edits made between then and now.
Sure enough, there is a clause that’s been added halfway through. I read it and then read it again. I glance at Azazel with raised brows. His only answer to my unspoken question is a tight nod. Still, I can’t help asking, “Were the same edits made to all the contracts?”
“No.”
Who is this woman? Or was this clause about her not being able to harm anyone in my territory added because of what happened with my father? A horrible little voice whispers in the back of my mind: If she kills me, then at least I won’t have to worry about anything any longer. It will finally be over. I shrug and sign in the appropriate place.
“With that, I’ll leave you to it. Your first check-in will be sometime this week. I expect you to extend the same courtesy to Ramanu that you would to any member of your court.”
I’ve bent over backward to please my court, twisting myself up in knots to try—and ultimately fail—to earn their goodwill and trust. To combat years of my father’s rule that ate away at both until there was nothing left. It’s no small miracle that I’m even able to rule at all, though that’s less a testament of my skill and more proof that my people are scared enough of the curse to steer clear of me. For now.
An impossible situation. That’s nothing new, though. I’ve been fighting my way uphill, inch by inch, for years. I won’t be able to make further headway until I have an heir who lives to see their majority and convince my people the curse is broken, but at least I have a path forward to that outcome.
I just need to convince this strange, potentially dangerous human to bear my child. Somehow, I think all the impossible hurdles I’ve cleared to date will be nothing compared to this challenge.
3
GRACE
I think I made an error. My nerves are starting to get the best of me, and the hint of sorrow that flickers through Azazel every time he looks at me makes it almost unbearable to be in his presence. I just want this over with. The gargoyle—Bram—is an unknown, but unless I am spectacularly unlucky, he won’t have a magic castle that will lock me in. I should be able to pick any normal lock.
It’s not that I intend to break my word. Just bend it a little.
I want to know what happened to my mother. If she’s dead, and all evidence points to that being the case, it happened here in the demon realm despite Azazel’s promise of safety. Ideally, I would have the whole of the bargainer demon territory to the answers Azazel is keeping from me. As it is, I’ll have to slip my gargoyle captor and make my way back here on my own.
I don’t plan to stay gone, of course. As soon as I have my answers, I’ll honor my word and play companion to the bat-man.