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My fork clanged against my plate. I’d officially lost my appetite.

“So you’ll lift my memory spell, right?” Lana said, as if nothing had happened.

“What’s wrong with the portal outside White Sulfur Springs?” Grandmaddox asked, her back to us.

“It’s, uh... well, it’s broken.”

“Destroyed,” the woman said, turning back around, “by the very man sitting at this table, by theenemy, whom you have brought into my house. Do you know who he is, Lana? Do you know what he wants?”

“Yes, Grandmaddox,” Lana mumbled, poking her jambalaya with her fork. “I’m taking him back to Abyssos to answer for his crimes.”

“No, you’re taking him back because you’re hoping he’s changed. Dear, I’m sorry, but he hasn’t. He won’t.”

“Hewill,” she said, her eyes heating, “when he sees what’s become of our people. He just needs to see that.Humansneed to see that.”

“He needs to die.”

Lana glanced sideways at me. “He saved my life,” she said, her voice lowering. “I’m honor-bound to protect him.”

“I’m not. Want me to do it?” The demon gave me a predatory smile, her stony blue eyes looking right through me.

I tensed up, and my hand went back to my holster.

“No,” Lana cried, edging closer as if to protect me. “No one else needs to die. Let me take him back to the primus. We’ll... we’ll let him rot in a dungeon.”

The demon chuckled. “Oh, Lana, you were never a good liar. That’s not what you want.”

“Let me take him back,” Lana insisted. “Through the portal in Mexico. Please, Grandmaddox.”

Grandmaddox considered this. “Why not let Azazel take him back? Or Clades? They’re up for the task, I think... unlike you.”

“They’d kill him,” she said. “Look, at least lift the spell soIcan get back.”

“So he can kill you, and then destroy our portal? You are naïve, child.”

That was the second time someone had called her that today.

I noticed Lana’s grip tightened on her spoon. “He won’t do that,” she said. “I swear it.”

“Youswear it? Only he can do that. Mr. Asher, you’ve been awfully silent.”

“Mmm,” I agreed.

“He does. He did.” Lana looked at me again. “Youdid.”

As I watched the exchange, saying nothing, I felt itchy in my own skin.

Lana was defending me.

I didn’t feel like lying anymore, I didn’t feel like betraying her anymore. So I told the truth. “Grandmaddox, I made a deal with Lana to visit Abyssos. She hopes to convince me to have mercy on demonkind. I doubt I will, and I intend to destroy the portal after that. But that’s the deal we made.”

“See?” Lana said, as if I’d cleared up the matter of my trustworthiness.

“Honey, listen to yourself,” Grandmaddox said, shaking her head pityingly. “This man is going to betray you.”

“Hewon’t,” she said.

“I will,” I whispered.