Kingdom of the Wicked

by Kerri Maniscalco

  “Yes.” Anir seemed unsure of what else he could or couldn’t share.

  I turned to Wrath. “He’s human.”

  “You’re very astute.”

  I took a deep breath and counted until the urge to send him back to the bone circle passed. “What I meant is, if you have a human as your associate, why can’t he be your anchor? If something were to happen to me, you’d be all right.”

  Wrath opened his mouth, then shut it. I raised a brow, waiting.

  “Anir no longer claims the human world as his, therefore, he cannot provide the same… benefits you can.”

  Anir snorted, and quickly tried to choke the rest of his laughter down when Wrath turned his blazing glare on him. “That’s certainly one way of looking at it.”

  “What’s he talking about?” I asked, staring hard at the demon. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Wrath gave me a look that said “a good many things,” but didn’t bother answering aloud. Instead he said, “Anir was just leaving. He was waiting to see if the robed figure arrived, but they never showed up. Now he’s got House business to tend to back home.”

  “Who’s the poor girl?”

  “Valentina Rossi.”

  My whole body went numb as I let that information sink in. Valentina was Claudia’s cousin. If anyone would want to readily agree to become the Queen of Hell, Valentina would take up that shadowy mantle with pride. She wasn’t bad; she just seemed regal and meant for a role larger than a weaver on our little island. I wasn’t surprised she’d be intrigued by a deal with the devil.

  I started for her neighborhood. We had to warn her before it was too late.

  Wrath stepped into my path, halting my steps. “What?”

  “I know her.”

  “And?” he pressed.

  “I’m wondering why he’s choosing witches with ties to dark magic.”

  “Well,” Anir said, “that’s because the—”

  Wrath cut him off. “Time to go.”

  As he glanced between the demon prince and me, Anir’s smile was that of a wolf who’d found a squiggling snack it wanted to shove down its throat. “Actually, I’d rather stay here for a while. Demon weddings are not for the faint of heart. Plus, you’ll need some extra eyes and ears when you speak to the girl. Maybe the robed figure will follow us.”

  He winked at me like we were the oldest of friends sharing a secret. Wrath caught the look and stared until his “associate” shrugged and started walking across the square. I waited until he was out of earshot before turning to Wrath.

  “Are you going to try and convince Valentina to go to the underworld with you?”

  “I swore I wouldn’t do anything but offer the bargain. And I will keep my word. However, once we get her to safety, I’d like to see if she’d be willing to help us draw out the murderer.”

  “You’d like to use her as bait.”

  “Yes. Someone is doing their best to ensure Pride doesn’t break the curse. I intend to discover who and why before anyone else dies. Then I’ll offer a bit of retribution of my own.”

  I shivered. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting him to say, but I appreciated his honesty. “I know Valentina’s family very well. I’m going to tell her to decline Pride’s bargain,” I admitted. “I hope you understand.”

  Wrath’s gaze clashed with mine. “Do what you must. The final decision will be up to her.”

  While we hurried to Valentina’s home, Anir told me about his life prior to leaving this world for what he called the Kingdom of the Wicked. He was the only child of a Tunisian father and Chinese mother—and had been playing in a nearby olive tree during the brutal slaying of his parents. His father had witnessed a crime and was going to tell authorities what he saw. Before he could do that, they were killed.

  Anir said the scar came later, once he’d grown into the sort of young man others feared. Wrath found him traveling through South America, fighting in underground rings, bruised and bloodied. Some battles were a fight to the death and paid handsomely. Anir was a reigning champion for more than a year when he’d been offered employment in House Wrath.

  I stopped listening to them bicker over how many years passed—apparently time moved differently in the demon realms—as we turned down the next street and slipped into a darker, narrower alleyway. A strange tug I’d felt before took control of my senses, drawing me down a second side street.

  I glanced around, recognizing the neighborhood, and a terrible feeling settled in. I took a few more steps and stopped, unsurprised by the body. I’d grown suspicious before we’d rounded the corner, and the slumped silhouette was all the confirmation I’d needed.

  I scanned the area.

  Laundry hung from one crammed building to the other over our heads, and snapped in the breeze like teeth. It might’ve stricken fear into my heart before, but now it seemed like the perfect cover for a crime. There was no evidence. Nothing to waste time sorting through. It was a targeted job—the killer had gotten in and out, leaving nothing but the body behind.

  Wrath abruptly stopped walking.

  Anir noticed the victim a moment before tripping over her. He shot the demon an irritated look, and sidestepped a growing lake of blood. “Next time, a little warning would be nice.”

  “A little less insubordination might make me more amenable to common courtesy in the future.”

  Anir narrowed his dark eyes. The movement made the scar on his cheek stand out more. Wrath went to step around the body when his associate yanked him to a halt. I watched it all happen as if the scene was playing out on a stage, far from where I actually stood. I couldn’t believe another body lay brutalized at our feet. Bile slowly rose. Wrath seemed entirely unaffected, as if coming across maimed bodies was part of his daily life.

  The demon turned on his heel, gaze locked onto the human’s hand. “What?”

  Anir jabbed a finger toward the cooling body. “Aren’t we going to send for help?”

  “What do you propose we do? Call for human authorities?” Wrath didn’t give Anir a chance to answer. “If you were them, would you take our word as good Samaritans and let us be on our way? Or would you look at your demon-forged blade, and my devilish demeanor, and toss us in some shit-filled cell and throw away the key?” Anir pursed his lips but didn’t say anything. “Do you have any more noble suggestions, or can we leave?”

  “Sometimes you really are a heartless bastard.”

  Wrath glanced down at me, his brows drawn together. “Are you all right?”

  No, I was most certainly not all right. The body of another murder victim was lying at our feet. And I’d just gotten a look at her face. She was my best friend’s cousin. I stared in horrified silence at her broken body. I still couldn’t understand how this scene was real. My head spun with shock. Claudia wasn’t close with her cousin, but would still feel her loss greatly. I shoved the heels of my hands into my eyes.

  “Emilia?”

  I shrugged away from Wrath’s touch. “That is… was Valentina Rossi.”

  “I assumed as much.”

  I couldn’t believe another witch had her heart ripped out. This brought the death toll up to five. I fought the bile searing its way up my throat again. Seeing something so horrific… I’d never get used to it.

  Francesco, the treacherous human messenger, didn’t know the name of the next bride, only the meeting location for Anir. And I doubted Anir would betray Wrath, which meant the information had gotten out some other way. I was nauseated for a new reason—I’d tortured a man for nothing.

  “There must be a spy in the kingdom,” Anir said, putting my thoughts into words.

  I imagined he’d seen his share of horrible things, but he still looked shocked. He pulled his dark hair back, and tied it with a string of leather he ripped from his wrist.

  Wrath paced around the alley, careful to avoid stepping in the blood. I averted my gaze from the gore. We needed to send word to the authorities. Valentina couldn’t just lay there, cold and
alone. The demon stopped close to where I stood, shielding my view of the body. “Which means one of my brothers is responsible. Somehow, some way.”

  My earlier encounter with his brothers sprang to mind. “Greed and Envy are both here.”

  Wrath shook his head. “Envy wouldn’t chance a fight with me. Greed… I still can’t see him jeopardizing his House. Not after he’s built a formidable stronghold.”

  “Either way, the implications of a betrayal within the Seven… forget the curse, your highness,” Anir said. “Personal feelings about witches aside, finish the marriage bond with Emilia and secure your own House before war comes. You’ll need your powers at their fullest. Whoever is organizing this must have killed Pride’s wife.”

  It felt like I’d been drenched in an ice bath. “What marriage bond?”

  Anir missed the note of panic in my voice. “The one you started when you bound the prince to you.”

  Wrath stopped moving. Stopped breathing as I gaped in horror. Time seemed to freeze as I silently repeated what Anir said. I wanted to shout that it wasn’t true, but Wrath’s reaction said otherwise. The demon prince didn’t break my stare. “How?”

  “Leave us.” Wrath barely spoke above a whisper, but Anir jumped to obey the command. Once he was gone, the demon nodded toward our matching tattoos. “Your protection charm wasn’t a bond of protection like a guardian to their ward. The translation of aevitas ligati means ‘bound forever’ as in holy matrimony. It wasn’t needed for the summoning to be successful.”

  “Are we… are you saying we’re betrothed?” I waited, heart pounding, but Wrath said nothing. He didn’t need to. The truth was there in his eyes. He’d known all along what I’d done. No wonder he’d looked so horrified that night. I’d basically ripped him from Hell, and forced him into a betrothal. Forever. “When were you going to tell me?”

  His voice came out soft. “This doesn’t change anything…”

  “Everything’s changed.” A violent shudder tore through me as the demon continued to hold my unflinching gaze. This was all too much. The body of my best friend’s cousin. My accidental engagement to Wrath. “What happens if I don’t want to marry you? Will you force me to rule beside you in Hell?”

  “Emilia…”

  “Don’t you dare.” I shook my head. “Will I be forced to go there?”

  “No.”

  Right. Demon laws were based on civility. Forcing someone into marriage probably broke all of their strangely rigid rules. But I bet he’d fashion a wicked bargain for me and make it so good, so tempting, I’d never say no. Especially if the marriage bond helped give him more power like Anir claimed it would. I locked my hand at my side.

  “What did Anir mean by securing your House before there’s war?”

  A muscle in his jaw ticked. “I cannot share that information with you.”

  “Then we’re through.” I clutched my sister’s amulet. “Te libero. I release you from whatever bond we have. When I marry, it will be for love. Not love of power or whatever other depraved thing you desire. And love is something you soulless, despicable creatures know nothing about!”

  If he called out to me, or flinched, I wouldn’t know. I turned and fled as far from the demon prince and the newest murder victim as I could. I wanted nothing more to do with the cursed creatures who’d brought this suffering on my family and my city.

  From this point forward, I’d find out who murdered my sister on my own.

  And Wrath could simply crawl back to Hell and rot with the rest of them.

  THIRTY

  I sat at a table facing the sea, sipping water with a slice of lemon. I’d left an anonymous note for the police with the location of Valentina’s body, and still hadn’t gotten over the horror of the night. I wanted to rush to Claudia’s, but had to wait until the police told her cousin’s family first. If they were already mourning when the authorities showed up, they’d start asking questions. Waiting invited all sorts of thoughts I didn’t want to think about. Not now, or ever.

  I couldn’t believe I’d been so stupid as to accidentally betroth myself to Wrath, and he hadn’t let the secret slip sooner. He must have absolutely loathed it. Especially with what Anir said about him hating witches. I fought the urge to bury my face in my hands. Knowing that he was fully aware of my error while I’d thought I was in control… it was humiliating. I didn’t want to consider other missteps I’d taken that he’d been too polite to point out.

  As soon as I’d tipped off the police, I’d realized I had nowhere to go. I couldn’t go back home and put my family at risk. And while I could stay at the palace with Wrath, I needed time and space to sort out my thoughts and feelings. A lot happened in a short amount of time. Two more murders. A secret fiancé from Hell. Nonna’s attack. My stolen amulet. The Viperidae. It seemed the punches kept on getting thrown, and I was getting battered and bruised in the process.

  The harder I clutched at normalcy, the more my world spun into chaos. Since I refused to see Wrath again for the moment, I decided to push everything out of my head and continue searching for answers in Vittoria’s death by myself. If I could solve my sister’s murder, I could prevent anyone else from dying. Every time I tried putting myself in Vittoria’s shoes, I kept coming back to her diary. It didn’t give up as many secrets as I’d hoped. And the ones it did reveal were still cryptic enough to keep me guessing.

  I was going over a mental list of tasks to accomplish when the seat across from me was pulled out. Wrath dropped into it, eyeing me warily. I stared back at him for a few moments. Neither of us said anything. It seemed like my almost-husband was giving me time to collect myself. Or maybe he was waiting for me to banish him back to the bone circle again.

  I took a few deep breaths.

  “How did you know where I was?” He gave me a long, measured look, then glanced pointedly at the tattoo on my arm. I was definitely going to kill him. “You said you could only find me if I accepted the blood trade. You never mentioned the tattoo.”

  “If I told you the ink was part of a marriage bond, you would have immediately run. I needed you to have time to trust me.”

  I went to argue, but shut my mouth. It was true. If I’d known what the tattoo meant the first night I’d summoned him, I would have sent him straight back to his realm. “Trust is usually earned because both parties are honest.”

  “I have not lied to you.”

  I loosened a breath. “Not technically, no.”

  A waitress came out and cheerfully recited the menu. Wrath seemed skeptical, but let me do the ordering without complaint. Thirty minutes of strained silence later, she brought out our food. Wrath considered it as if it were a complicated equation he was sorting out.

  One steaming plate of scampi, some arancini, a platter of antipasto—stacked with prosciutto, peperoncini, soppressata, provolone, marinated olives, and artichokes tossed with oil, vinegar, oregano, and basil—and a basket of grilled bread graced our little table.

  I kept waiting for the demon to pull the waitress aside and ask for warmed blood or raw innards, but he seemed content with my choices and I certainly wasn’t going to be the one to put the idea of uncooked offal in his head.

  Wrath did surprise me by ordering a pitcher of red wine with orange slices, and poured a generous amount for each of us. I sipped my wine, enjoying the sweetness of it despite myself. I wanted to escape from my dark thoughts for a while, and the dinner and wine were helping. I hadn’t slept all night and it felt good to just collect myself and regroup. Wrath piled a plate with food, and slid it in front of me before serving himself. It took all of my concentration to not topple out of my chair from the shock.

  He caught my eye and scowled. “Good manners are hard to break, no matter how unpleasant the company I’m forced to keep. Plus, you served me the dessert. It’s only fair to return the favor.”

  I smiled, which seemed to rankle him more, and tucked into my food.

  After a few minutes of watching him poking around at the sc
ampi, I skewered one with my fork and held it out to him. His suspicion deepened. “What are you doing?”

  “This is langostino. It’s like a baby lobster. I’m pretty sure you’ll like it. Unless you’re afraid…”

  Wrath accepted the shellfish as if in challenge. He must have enjoyed it, because his focus shifted to his plate and he didn’t look up again until he’d sampled a bit of everything.

  While he experienced the wonder of human food, I ate my scampi, enjoying the fresh lemon they’d used to cut the richness of the butter. Theirs was a bit heavier with citrus than ours, and I decided to experiment one day soon.

  Maybe if I sliced a lemon in half, and grilled it facedown—

  I paused, fork to mouth. I’d been enjoying myself so much I almost forgot the reason I was sitting there, with one of the Malvagi, eating. A month. My twin had been gone for a little more than a month, and I was daydreaming about recipes for Sea & Vine while in the company of our worst enemy. The food turned to stone in my stomach.

  I pushed my plate away, no longer hungry.

  Wrath watched me in a way a human might study a fly buzzing over their dinner. “Experiencing a moral dilemma, witch?”

  I couldn’t muster an ounce of anger or annoyance. A hard blade of truth carved into me; I had no idea what I was doing. I was pretty sure my sister had summoned a demon, but didn’t know which one. I knew about the Horn of Hades, but didn’t know how we came to be the keepers of it.

  Then there were the cryptic clues in Vittoria’s diary about her ability to hear magical objects, and the possibility of the first book of spells being in this world. I knew my sister agreed to become the devil’s bride, but still hadn’t figured out why she’d made that awful choice, or why she didn’t confide in me or our grandmother.

  I had more questions than answers, and no one I could fully trust. Nonna almost died because of my quest for justice, and I refused to put anyone else in my family in danger by going to them for anything related to the murder. While Wrath might have saved me, he was a prince of Hell, and even though he’d vowed to not force a witch into a bargain, I still didn’t know how or why he was picked for this mission.