by Lexi Blake
“It’s time, companion.” Halfer said it in my ear, but I knew everyone in the room could hear him with the possible exception of Sarah, with her sad little human ears. “Would you like to know what I plan to do with you?”
“Nope.” I tried to hold myself as still as possible. I didn’t want to do anything that might arouse the demon. “Surprise me.”
Halfer laughed. “I like your spirit. I think it will be extraordinarily fun to break it. Your master over there, he wants to know my plans. You glow for me, too. That light is going to be so nice on the Hell plane. Did you know your blood tastes as good to me as it does to him? The difference is, on the Hell plane, I can drain you dry and bring you back as often as I like. Of course, I won’t use any magic to make it painless. I like to hear you scream.”
“Halfer,” Daniel commanded. “Stop playing with her.”
“But she’s mine to play with. Even your precious Council acknowledges that.” Halfer laughed again, the sound crawling along my skin. “She’s my pretty little plaything. I can do anything I want to her. My penis is barbed, by the way. I’ll have fun using it on her. She’s mine, and she will stay mine unless you have something more interesting to offer me, Mr. Donovan.”
And I finally caught up to the rest of them.
Lucas Halfer had never been interested in me. It was ridiculous to think that he had. I’d been naïve and fallen for every trap he’d set. I was nothing. I was a petty thief with no money and insignificant connections. I had nothing, except the most powerful vampire to rise in centuries happened to love me. Halfer set me up in order to pull Daniel in. He couldn’t trick Daniel, but he could trick me.
“Daniel,” I started to beg him to not do what I knew he was going to do.
The claw around my neck tightened ever so slightly, an elegant threat. “Hush, companion. This is between me and your master. You’re just a luscious little pawn in our chess game.”
“What do you want from me, Halfer?” Daniel stepped forward.
Marcus tried to stop him. “Do not do this, Daniel. Let her go, and we will find you another companion. They are rare, but I promise we will find you another. If you do this, I cannot save you. If you become his slave, his assassin, the Council will declare you an outlaw. We will be forced to hunt you and execute you.”
Daniel smiled, but it was a hateful thing. “I’d like to see you try. Tell the Council to send their best, and I’ll send them to Hell one by one. Or if you like, I can give them a group rate.”
“Now see, that’s why I want you, Donovan.” Halfer sighed with appreciation. “You’ll enjoy the work I have for you. If you’re a very good boy, I’ll let you have access to the girl. You’ll like that.”
“No, I’ve made arrangements for my companion,” Daniel said, and I felt the tears start to run down my face as he discussed my dispensation. At least now I knew why he had to talk to Dev. “I sold her earlier tonight. It’s my right as her master. As part of any agreement I make with you, she’s to be taken to a man named Devinshea Quinn. The money has already been transferred by now. I won’t do anything until I know he has taken possession of her. And Marcus, don’t think you can swoop in and take her.”
“She belongs to the Council. You can sell her, but it must be to another vampire. Companions belong to the Council.” Marcus spoke in an academic tone. “She will go on auction as she should have the moment she was found.”
Daniel crossed him arms over his chest. “She’ll be safe in a sithein before you can find her. I believe the faeries have forbidden vampire kind from the mounds.”
“Do you understand what your husband is doing, Mrs. Donovan?” Marcus asked, finally glancing my way.
“Don’t call me that.” It was cruel. I’d wanted to be Daniel’s wife, to have his name, and now it simply made me bitter.
“He is placing you in a faery mound from which he expects you to never return. He is paying another man to hide you,” Marcus explained. “He is putting you in a cage because if he can’t have you, then none of us can. What do you say to that?”
I shook my head. Now he wanted my opinion?
“My will is of no consequence.” I repeated his earlier words because I finally understood what Dev had been trying to tell me. I was a commodity to be bought and sold. I didn’t really understand why. There was something about my blood, but I didn’t care. I only cared that he’d lied to me. He’d sold me.
Somewhere in my rage, I also understood that this was what Daniel had been trying to protect me from. He’d stayed away from me. He’d begged me not to send us here. I played a hand in this as well, but in that moment, with a demon at my back and the love of my life treating me like property, I didn’t feel like being fair.
Daniel was a gorgeous god, his face devoid of any emotion. “Let her go, Halfer. Let my servant take her to her new master, and we can discuss the terms of my service.”
Halfer let me go, and I fell to my knees. Neil was suddenly at my side, helping me up. His eyes were filled with sympathy as he got me to my feet. All eyes were on me, some looking at me with pity, others with lust, and Daniel’s with no emotion at all. I was nothing compared to those dark gods who could kill me without a thought. I was a tiny detail in their plots that could be brushed aside like a piece of lint.
“Zoey, I’m going to take you to Dev now,” Neil said quietly. “He’ll take care of you.”
And that’s when I got mad.
I pulled my arm away from Neil and walked straight up to Daniel, who stood there so rigid and unmoving. He’d lied to me for years, hiding the truth of his existence even as I pined for him. I’d made mistake after mistake, but I was honest about them. My only real sin was being dumb, so damn dumb. But I was done playing the sad-sack little piece of fluff. I was worth more.
I pulled back my hand and slapped him as hard as I could. “I have no intention of going into any sithein. I won’t go quietly into a cage, Daniel. Consider that a divorce.”
I turned to Marcus, whose dark eyes widened. “As for you, you piece of Eurotrash, I don’t give a shit how old you are or what your rules are. I’m not your bitch. If you want to come for me, feel free to try, but you have to sleep, buddy, and I promise you I know how to use a stake.” I included all the vampires in the room in my tirade. “That goes for every one of you. If you think you can master me, don’t expect to see the sunset. I don’t know what kind of women you’ve dealt with before, but you have no idea how to handle me. I’m not some detail you sweep under the…”
And just like that I knew how to save us all.
I stood in the middle of the room and went from screaming Harpy to hysterical laughter in the blink of an eye. Neil came up behind me, deep concern on his face. Even Daniel suddenly looked like he gave a shit.
“Daniel, she is unwell,” Marcus said quietly, as though he didn’t want to set me off again. “She does not need to be here. Your servant should take her now.”
“Not on your very long life.” I gave him my most brilliant smile. “I’m not going anywhere. I just found door number three.”
Somewhere in the midst of my raging against fate, a simple voice came to me. I guess I’d been thinking about it for a while. It had been a little thought in the back of my head, crowded out by terror and indecision. It was something Halle said to me when all of this began. I heard his voice as clearly as if he had been in the room.
Just remember that when dealing with the demon world, Halle had told me, the devil really is in the details.
I was really going to have to buy him a better bottle of wine the next time I saw him. A whole case!
It stood to reason that Halfer had to trick me. I wouldn’t have gone into the trap willingly. But I wasn’t an ordinary mark. I’d been around this world long enough to be naturally suspicious. If he’d pressed me with anything beyond a fairly simple plan and a gigantic wad of cash, I would have looked more closely before I agreed. The problem with Halfer’s plans lay in the details.
I turned and fac
ed the demon who had tried to trick me, and I gave him the same shit-eating grin he’d used on me.
“I invoke my right to a satan,” I said triumphantly.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“How may I be of service?” the small demon asked in a business-like voice.
He was small, almost cherubic, if it weren’t for the cloven hooves and small horns on his bald, red head. He was about as different from Lucas Halfer’s masculine threat as you could get. He was, of course, still a demon spawn. It would be a mistake to underestimate him and give in to the almost overwhelming desire to pinch those cute little cheeks.
In Hell, there is a small but important class of demons called satans. This should not be confused with the big guy. He goes by Lucifer, and you seriously don’t want to summon him. I’ve heard he doesn’t like to be bothered. A satan, however, can be summoned by anyone with a contract. Satans are the keepers and interpreters of contracts. If you have a contract with a demon and want clarification on anything from when the contract is fulfilled to how often your new demon master can perform a colonoscopy on you, you consult a satan. They are judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to contracts.
“Ah, Bri…,” the small demon started to use Halfer’s name. “I apologize. You prefer Halfer on the Earth plane. Now, what exactly is the nature of the argument?”
Halfer’s curved fangs made an appearance. “There is no argument. The girl is insignificant. My contract is now with the vampire.”
The satan turned, frowning and making a little disapproving clucking sound. “You are writing a contract on a vampire? Does the Council know? You’re not allowed to contract with a vampire without counsel present.”
“I have followed your rules, you paper pusher.” Halfer snarled, a disdainful sound. “You’ll find the contract will stand. Everything is on the table. The vampire is entering it willingly, and the Council will abjure him.”
“Then why have I been called?” His small cloven hoof tapped against the floor.
I stepped forward. “I called you because Daniel, the vampire, hasn’t signed anything yet. Since he hasn’t signed anything, my contract is still in play. I think I should have my argument settled before any other business is taken care of.”
“Zoey, stop this.” Daniel reached out for me, but I stepped away.
“Daniel, shut up,” I told him with syrupy sweetness. “This is my contract, and your will is of no consequence.”
Daniel started to pipe up, but his patron silenced him. “Let the girl try, Daniel. She is our only hope to keep you from killing yourself.”
Marcus didn’t sound like he had high hopes.
“The girl is correct,” the satan said, his voice an unctuous little whine. “All negotiations with the vampire must be suspended until her contract is sorted out and put to rights. Now, Miss Wharton, what is the nature of your argument?”
Halfer’s long sigh filled the room. I ignored him.
“It’s more of a clarification, really,” I explained. “I would like to know exactly what I’m supposed to deliver to Mr. Halfer under the terms of our contract.”
“You’re prolonging the inevitable,” Halfer complained under his breath.
“This was an oral contract,” the satan said as his eyes rolled back and he seemed to be looking inward. “I don’t like oral contracts. There are too many loopholes. It’s a sloppy way to conduct business. Yes, there it is.” His eyes rolled back into place. “You are contracted to deliver the Light of Alhorra to one Lucas Halfer.”
“Big surprise.” Halfer couldn’t seem to stop interrupting.
Details. Details. “And, what, according to my contract, is the Light of Alhorra?”
I heard Daniel’s surprised gasp as he figured out what I was doing.
“It is a medium-sized ornate box of faery origin,” the satan recited.
“I was hoping you would say that.” I walked straight back to the table where our kind faeries had left me a little souvenir. I picked up the box and carried it back to Halfer.
“I believe you’ll find I have fulfilled my end of the contract,” I said politely to the satan. I turned to Halfer. “Got your box right here, buddy.”
At first Halfer didn’t even look mad. He seemed to not understand what was going on. It took a moment for him to realize what I’d done. The satan examined the box. He took it from me and turned it over in his small hands. When he was satisfied, he handed it to Halfer, who took it without thinking.
“I pronounce this contract fulfilled, Miss Wharton.”
“No,” Halfer roared, finally coming to his senses. “This is not what we contracted for.”
“Yes,” the satan said, completely nonplussed by the demonic temper tantrum. “This is exactly what you contracted for. It was a sloppy contract, Halfer. I expected better of you. Perhaps you’ll have a better contract with the vampire.”
“That will be unnecessary,” Marcus interjected, his smooth authority returning. “There will be no further negotiations today.”
“Then my business here is finished.” The satan gave us a polite bow. “Miss Wharton, my office will send you details on your funds in the morning. Will an offshore account be suitable?”
I had to think about that for a moment. It had been so long since I’d given the money a second thought. “Uh, yeah.”
Neil was staring at the small demon, dumbstruck. “We get the money, too?”
“Yes, of course,” he replied. “It was in your contract.”
“In your face, you demon asshole,” Neil yelled at the pissed off demon.
I nudged him. “Don’t make him any angrier.”
“I thank you for your time and your wisdom,” Marcus said formally to the small demon. I realized this was not the first time he’d dealt with this class of demons. “I suggest you take Mr. Halfer with you. I believe you will find he has irritated the Council. Mr. Halfer, you should understand that Mrs. Donovan is now firmly under the protection of the Council. There will be no further dealings with her.”
Halfer’s horns flowed out of his human head as he assumed demon form once more. Gone was the business-like veneer, and what was left was pure evil.
“Come then, Halfer,” the satan instructed.
“Not without my consolation prize,” he sneered. “You won’t find anything wrong with this contract.”
He held out his hand, and Sarah flew across the room. She didn’t even have time to scream before she was in the demon’s grasp. I saw her start to bleed just before a crack and brimstone assailed the room and the demonic party left.
“He took Sarah,” I said more to myself than anyone else. I stared at the place where she’d disappeared. That had almost been me. It was Sarah now and she was alone.
“There was nothing you could do,” Daniel said, pulling me into his arms. He held me firmly, and I was so shocked by the look on my friend’s face that I forgot how angry I was with him and let him comfort me. I felt numb, hollowed out.
There was movement all around me. The vampires talked among themselves, but I didn’t listen to them.
“You were so amazing, Zoey,” Daniel said as he stroked my hair. “If I live forever, and I just might, I will never forget what you just did. I love you.”
“Is that why you sold me?” I let a little bit of my anger through.
Daniel pulled away so he could look into my eyes. “Baby, I did that to protect you. If I had been declared an outlaw by the Council, you would have been considered fair game. Every vampire without a companion would have come running. They don’t care whether you want them or not.”
“Yeah, I get that.” I tried to be reasonable. It wasn’t easy. “Maybe if you had taken the time to explain any of this to me, I could have helped you. You haven’t told me the truth about anything.”
“I was trying to protect you,” he insisted.
“Maybe I don’t want to be protected.” I finally got the strength to push away from him. I looked back at the vampires who were staring at
me from a polite distance. Even though they weren’t coming after me, I could feel their hunger. Every one of them. “They all want me.”
“Yes, they do, and I have to protect you from them,” Daniel said with the first hint of desperation in his voice.
“They want me the way you want me.” It was what Dev had tried to tell me all along.
“No.” Daniel pulled me toward him. “It isn’t the same, Zoey. It’s fundamentally different. I love you.”
“I bet they would tell me they loved me, too.” I looked at the strange, beautiful men who stared at me the way a cobra does before striking.
Marcus walked forward. “As interesting as this is, I am afraid we will have to move this discussion to Paris. Daniel, I am taking you into custody under the authority of the Council.”
“Shit, Marcus, not now,” Daniel swore. “Don’t do this to me now, not in front of her.”
Marcus shook his head. “I have indulged you far too much as it is. You have to answer for this incident, Daniel. You almost signed a demon contract without the approval of the Council. There must be a hearing, and I don’t know what they will do. Please don’t make this ugly.”
“Do we have to go for the full Hannibal Lecter treatment?” Daniel asked.
“You know we have protocols in place when it comes to dealing with you,” Marcus replied. “It is your own fault. You killed three vampires before we finally managed to get you to the Council chambers the first time. Now, please inform your animal and your companion to comply with procedure. They will fly on the jet, but they cannot share your quarters until we reach the catacombs. I will take care of her, Daniel.”
Finally, I would get some answers. It was a long way to Paris, and I had a whole lot to learn from Marcus Vorenus.
Daniel stared at his mentor. “Neil can come, but Zoey stays here.”
“What?” I practically yelled the question. He couldn’t leave me behind after everything he’d just put me through. “I am so going.”
“No.” Daniel’s face once again turned into that stony, emotionless mask I was getting sick of seeing. “I forbid it.”
