Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 257(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 257(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
I fist the fabric and exhale slowly, peace settling over me. I have no choice. Oh, Azazel promised I wouldn’t be forced to do anything, but he had to say that to get me to sign the contract. If I’m to be a gift, then certain things will be expected of me—a price to be paid to ensure my sister is taken care of for the rest of her life. If there’s a prospective child in the mix, then that means sex. I have a choice, yes, but at the same time, there’s none.
It’s honestly a relief. If all choice is gone, then maybe I can be free of the voices in my head that prevent me from living life to its fullest. I’ve walked away from the church, but it haunts me in a way I don’t know how to escape.
I’m not foolish enough to compare myself to Esther, to the biblical Ruth, or to the other women who have bargained themselves and then been held up as paragons of feminine sacrifice—if there’s a lesson to be learned there, I’ve likely learned the wrong one.
So be it.
I’ve just finished pinning my hair into place and dusting some gold onto my cheeks when the door eases soundlessly open. I take a deep breath and relax my shoulders, then paste a happy smile on my face.
It’s go time.
2
RUSALKA
“Rusalka.”
I almost ignore Azazel’s quiet call, but while dragons and krakens may get away with shitty manners, I’m not inclined to toy with the bargainer demon’s temper. We have an understanding, after all—the bargainers bring humans into this realm for their own reasons, and we gain access to those humans’ dreams. My people benefit from the small influx of power without having to stretch themselves to try and traverse the realms. We can’t physically leave the way bargainers can, but we can travel psychically. It’s just hard and takes almost as much energy as we gain from coaxing intense dreams from humans.
If our agreement means I have to kiss Azazel’s boots periodically, then so be it. All for the benefit of my people. Anything for the benefit of my people. It’s what good leaders do.
That doesn’t mean I like being in the magical castle Azazel calls home. He may be a fair leader, but it’s impossible to forget the wars of the past with his predecessor. She would have done anything to get her hands on the leaders of the other territories, to conquer the entirety of this realm.
My thoughts already have me on edge. I may trust Azazel in some regards, but I’m not a fool. If we are reluctant allies currently, that only holds so long as we find each other useful. It can change at any moment, depriving my people of their main source of sustenance. Which means I have to play nice.
None of that explains why I’m here. Summoned.
I turn on my hoof and wait for Azazel to catch up. Bargainer demons come in all shapes and sizes, but Azazel, king of the bargainers, is massive. His curling horns nearly scrape the ceiling, and his broad shoulders take up the hallway. He wears a wrap around his waist, leaving his dark-red chest bare. He’s handsome, as bargainer demons go, but even I’m not foolish enough to toy with him that way.
He stops a respectful distance away. His predecessor would have crowded in. Caesarea always had something to prove. She was a pain in my ass, demanding much and giving scraps in return. I’m glad she’s dead and gone.
I lift my brows. “Why am I here, Azazel?”
“I have a . . .” He glances over his shoulder and curses. “We’re not friends.”
That’s the understatement of the century. “Nope.”
Azazel nods. “But we do have a mutual understanding when it comes to humans, their needs, and what they can offer this realm. It’s why I allow you access to the ones brought in by my people. You have care with them.”
What is the canny bastard on about now? I school my features into polite interest—or as close as I can manage. “Yes,” I say slowly. He’s taking an angle, but I’m not sure what it is. My patience wanes and I sigh. “Spit it out, Azazel.”
“I’ve already issued the details to the other leaders, but—”
“You excluded me from the invite.” Shock slaps me in the face. I expect this disrespect from the other territory leaders, but I was foolish enough to assume Azazel would continue to be different. I should have known better. “What the fuck?”
“I had my reasons.” He looks away, clearly uncomfortable. “As I said, we have a mutual understanding and I thought it would be better to speak of it in person.”
I almost turn around and walk away, but we both know I can’t afford to be excluded from any meeting involving the others. My people’s safety is worth more than my pride. “I’m here. Speak.”