Page 38 of Enchantra (Wicked Games #2)

37

A GIFT

Knox’s estate was really a castle . Complete with turrets, towers, and a very dramatic drawbridge.

“Welcome to true Hell,” Rowin told her as they hopped off their second ferry and onto the stone dock.

The first ferry ride had been rather uneventful, aside from the information from the captain that if she fell into the water, she’d be drowned by the demonic Sirens that lived beneath the surface. She’d clung to Rowin the entire time.

On their second ferry, Rowin explained that all the Circles of Hell were structured in much the same way: two rings of land that surrounded a larger, solid center of the realm, a river wedged between the pieces of earth. She hadn’t caught the name of the first river they’d crossed, but the second one Rowin had called the Avarice and said that if one were to drink from it, the sin of greed would consume them entirely.

The very outer ring of land where they’d first arrived had been the Outskirts, where most of the demonic residents in each circle lived and worked. The outer ring held more powerful Demons; the inner more powerful Devils. The latter was where they would find Knox’s home: Knoxium .

“He named his house after himself?” she deadpanned.

“His name isn’t really Knox,” Rowin revealed as they approached an iron lever beside the drawbridge. “We call him Knox because of Knoxium. Devils don’t use their True Names.”

Right. Ophelia once mentioned that Salem used to be known by another name. His True Name. But once Phantasma had come crashing down, everyone instantly forgot it.

Rowin paused in front of the lever contraption. A sharp spike protruded from the handle, and Genevieve watched as he wrapped his fist tight enough around it that his blood flowed freely down the shaft, then yanked it back.

“It only opens for those it recognizes,” he explained. The chains rattled as the bridge slowly flattened over the ground, inviting them into the belly of the beast. The castle was covered in the same demonberry vines that surrounded Enchantra, its style very reminiscent of the Silvers’ home. So much so that Genevieve suspected the Devil had a hand in helping construct the other estate as well.

When they finally stepped inside, Knox was already there, prepared to greet them both.

“Welcome back, Rowington. It’s been too long,” he commented as he waved them inside the threshold. “Pixie, bring us some wine.”

“Do not,” Rowin said before a small Demon with pink pigtails could scamper away to fetch Knox’s request. “Genevieve will not be eating or drinking anything, Knox.”

“Oh, my mistake.” Knox feigned innocence. “I completely forgot about that silly little rule.”

Rowin glared at Knox in a way that made it clear he knew the Devil was full of shit.

“If you’re looking for Wellington and Remington, you’ll find them in your family’s wing of the house.” Knox waved a dismissal at them. “Feel free to explore—but don’t touch anything, unless you’d like to have your hands fed to a member of my staff. And don’t forget, before you leave, Mrs. Silver, I would like to show you my trove.”

Rowin narrowed his eyes at the Devil but Knox didn’t even acknowledge the look before winking out of sight.

“C’mon,” Rowin muttered. “Let’s go see what my brothers are up to.”

“ Rowin? ” Wells exclaimed.

They found Wells and Remi lounging in a sitting room in the east wing of the house. Dinner had apparently just finished because there was a team of butlers and maids clearing up trays and glasses. Genevieve wondered whether the time here was different from that at Enchantra.

Remi straightened from where he had been lying against a black leather couch as he spotted his twin in the entryway.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Remi asked. “And with her?”

Genevieve frowned. She thought she and Remi were on decent terms. Though, considering she’d ripped a piece of metal out of his mouth and shoved a bookcase on top of him in the last couple of days, maybe not.

“Genevieve found another immunity token. And she’s my wife,” Rowin told him. “Where I go, she goes.”

“How adorable,” Remi said, tone bored.

“We came here to get a break from Enchantra,” Rowin leveled at his brother. “Don’t fucking ruin it.”

“I’m not sure here is much better than there,” Wells chimed in.

“And…I came to see Mother,” Rowin told them. “I figured she should hear about our marriage. From me.”

“Give me a break,” Remi muttered as he stood. “I’m going to bed.”

Rowin’s fists clenched at his sides, and Genevieve bit her lip, reaching out to place a comforting hand on his forearm. He relaxed. Barely.

“Mother’s awake, I was just visiting with her. Father’s around here somewhere. I got back from Nocturnia today,” Wells told Rowin.

“So we heard.” Rowin eyed his brother. “Anything interesting happening in the heart of Hell?”

“More than you’d think,” Wells murmured. “We’ll talk later.”

Rowin led Genevieve out of the sitting room and down a drafty corridor. Every detail of the house was either black or a rich shade of violet, the same color as the Devil’s eyes—undoubtedly his signature shade. The windows were stained-glass portraits in purple and black, the velvet curtains and jacquard runners all an ebony color. Even the walls were black.

Rowin stopped before an ornate door at the end of the hall. And that was it. He just stood there and stared.

“Rowin?” she whispered.

He didn’t say anything for a long minute, and then, “I haven’t visited in so long. I don’t know how much worse it’s gotten…”

She reached out and brushed the back of his hand. “You aren’t doing this alone.”

He glanced sideways at her. His eyes were shining with an emotion she couldn’t quite name—a mixture of terror and gratitude, maybe?—but he only nodded and raised his fist to knock.

A pause. Then, “Come in.”

Rowin pushed the door open, and the moment they stepped inside, Genevieve could tell someone sick lived there. The chill of death clung to the air, and the smell of something sharp and sterile burned her nose as they approached. Genevieve could see a woman through the black gossamer that draped down from the bed’s canopy. She was wearing a scarlet nightgown and would have looked exactly like her portrait in Enchantra if she weren’t so frail. Genevieve saw now what Rowin had meant when he’d said Grave was the spitting image of her.

“Remington?” The woman furrowed her brow, and then she gasped.

Genevieve saw recognition and disbelief move across her face as Rowin brushed aside the floating curtain next to the bed. He crouched down until he was eye level at the woman’s side.

“Hello, Mother, I hope this isn’t a bad time to visit,” he told her.

Then he said something in their first language, gesturing to where Genevieve lingered at the foot of the bed.

“Oh, Rowington.” Tears began to slide down his mother’s cheeks. “Are you really here?”

He kept his eyes trained on Genevieve. “Yes. I’m here. And this is my friend.”

Genevieve stepped forward, and his mother’s eyes shifted right to her face. A delighted smile curled onto the woman’s mouth.

“Hello, dear,” his mother whispered. “I’m Vira.”

Genevieve nodded. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Genevieve.”

“Rowington has never brought anyone to meet me before,” Vira said as she eyed Rowin with a soft smile. “You must be special. What is your full name? Genevieve…?”

“Silver,” Rowin declared.

Vira sat up a bit straighter now. “Are you saying?—”

Rowin nodded. “Genevieve and I were married. A few days ago.”

“We never truly discussed me taking his last name, for the record,” Genevieve said. “Everything went so fast. I think he should take mine, in fact. Rowington Grimm. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

“Don’t be a brat,” he said dryly.

“You love when I’m a brat,” Genevieve drawled with a grin.

Vira smiled at Genevieve conspiratorially. “You are utterly charming.”

Genevieve beamed. “Thank you.”

Rowin snorted. “Don’t let her fool you, Mother. She’s been nothing but a menace the entire time I’ve known her.”

Genevieve scoffed. But before she could tease him more, Vira began to cough. Full-body heaves that splattered ink-like blood onto her hands and the sheets. Rowin turned his head and closed his eyes. Like the sight physically pained him.

“Sorry, dear,” Vira whispered when the fit was over. “It gets worse this time of year. When the Fix is almost out of my system. You should come visit me after the Hunt. That’s when I’m at my best. I can even stand up then.”

Rowin winced. “We’ll let you get some rest, Mother. Save your energy.”

Vira reached out to grasp onto her son’s hand. “Please come back soon. Evald et odesider.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” he said, but he made no other promises.

Vira seemed satisfied enough with his words, however. She turned and nodded at Genevieve.

“It was wonderful to meet you, dear. Welcome to the family,” Vira said.

Genevieve’s chest ached as she nodded and said, “It was a pleasure to meet you as well.”

As soon as Rowin had closed the door behind them, Genevieve turned to him and asked, “Why didn’t you give her the present?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The shop we went to. You bought something. I thought it might have been a gift for her.”

He sighed, reaching into the pocket hidden inside his waistcoat to pull out the box from the shop. “I was going to wait to give it to you back at Enchantra.”

Her breath hitched. “You got me a gift?”

He held it out to her in offering. “Happy birthday, trouble.”

She carefully took the box from his hand and pried open the lid.

“ Rowin ,” she choked out, nearly dropping the box.

Inside, nestled against a black velvet cushion, was a thin golden cuff. Between a line of white diamonds on one side and black diamonds on the other, there was an inscription.

The light is wherever you are.

“Here,” he said, taking the bracelet from the box to help her clasp it around her wrist.

She launched herself into him, throwing her arms around his neck. His arms came sweeping in around her, crushing her body into his as he pressed his face into her hair.

“Thank you,” he told her. “For visiting her with me.”

She nodded. She understood. When mortals had to watch their loved ones grow sick and die, such experiences were usually over months or years. She could not imagine what it would be like to watch over an eternity .

He pulled back from her, just enough to press a sweet, lingering kiss against her mouth.

“Rowin?” she said as they started back down the hall.

“Yes?”

But before she could say anything else, an agonized scream echoed through the castle.