Page 128 of Soulbound

Its black eyes flickered to his. "Safe."

A demon couldn't lie, but there were always ways to bend the truth. "I want to see her."

"She will be joining us shortly. She's still preparing herself. Show me Morgana," the demon called, standing safely within the hexagram.

Sebastian reached for the black hood she wore. His mother's dark curls were in disarray as he dragged it from her head. The gag she wore cut into her mouth, and she glared at him. He tugged her gag down to hang loosely around her throat.

"It's time she paid her dues," the demon said.

"No," Morgana breathed, her face paling as she stared at the enormous crosses. She pulled against the spelled manacles she wore. "No!"

Sebastian felt sickened. It was one thing to want his mother dead—he hadn't even been able to look at her all morning—another to understand what the creature wanted with her. The single cross filled his vision, no matter where he looked. The demon needed three sacrifices to begin powering its spell.

They'd always thought the three sacrifices would be each of the brothers.

"Sebastian, please!" She gripped his sleeve, and for the first time he saw true fear in her eyes as she too gazed at the cross. "Don't do this. Don't do this! I'm your mother—"

"We brought the Relics," he said, turning toward the demon. "But I don't trust you. You're not getting my mother until I see my wife. Where's Cleo?"

The demon's black gaze cut to him. "She betrayed both of us, Sebastian. Morgana thought she could bring me into this world all those years ago, thinking to master me with these Relics." Its lip curled up. "She will pay the price of that with her life. This is a fitting end. This is justice."

"It's not justice." Even he knew that.

"Do you think she gave a damn about you, when she gave your control ring to those women?" The demon stalked closer, seeming curious. "Do you think she ever cared when she put a knife in your hand and pointed it at her enemies? Do you think, for one second, if you were the one in chains today, that she wouldn't hand you over to me."

No.

The words were barely audible in the crisp evening air. "But I am not her."

"Pardon?"

He stared into those demonic eyes, his voice becoming a little stronger. "I am not her."

It seemed perplexed. Beside him, Morgana was sucking in panting gasps of relief, her hands clinging to his sleeve. "Thank you. Thank you."

"I'm not doing it for you," he said coldly.

"Morgana for Cleo. That is the deal," the demon said.

His lashes lowered and he nodded. "I will hand her over when my wife is at my side, and not before."

The demon turned, its cloak flaring behind it as it paced back to the safety of its hexagram, but he'd thrown it. It looked at him, and he remembered the little conversation they'd had about pressure points. "Place the Relics at each point that doesn't hold a cross. When your wife appears, you will hand over your mother."

It wasn't as though they had much choice, not until Cleo was safe. Bishop stalked slowly toward the furthest point, which also happened to be the one behind the demon, the Chalice in his hands. Lucien moved toward the northern point of the star with the Wand, which left Sebastian with the last.

He tugged the Blade from within its sheath, feeling the heavy weight of it in his palm. Last chance. He didn't want to let it go, but the demon held all the cards, and if he could distract it while Bishop got close...

Sebastian gently laid the Blade in the snow at the point.

The man on the cross beside him suddenly moaned, and he almost lashed out with his sorcery. Sweet mercy. He was still alive, still....

"Malachi Gray?" Sebastian breathed in horror, recognizing the face that had tormented him so when the incubus danced with his wife.

The incubus bared bloody teeth in a pained smile, sucking in breath. Blood dripped from his palms where the spikes had been driven in deep. "In the... flesh."

Jesus. Horror finally penetrated the cold mask he'd been wearing. He turned to face the demon, fighting to keep it off his face. "Do you treat all your allies this way?"

"Gray made the mistake of thinking he could break faith with me," the demon replied. "He tried to kidnap your wife, and remove her from my care."