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“Now this is only going to hurt a little.” Shay advanced, holding a dagger that I somehow hadn’t noticed. My body tensed, all of my energy rousing, even as it felt like the talisman was draining my lifeblood.

“Yeah, this is where I stop being the meek little hostage and start showing you I don’t go quietly.” I brandished my own weapon, pulling out my knife. Silver might’ve hurt her a little more since she had obviously begun the transition into becoming a demon. A few choice words in Latin might’ve even crippled her.

But I didn’t get a chance to open my mouth. Shay rushed toward me, faster than she should’ve been able to, her knife at my neck.

Embarrassing.

Her eyes glinted, flames dancing across her black eyeballs, sulfur seeping from her claws as she stretched her lips to show off her mouth full of fangs.

Her dagger cut through the skin of my neck, a whisper of pain causing my eyes to expand but not enough to signify my throat being cut. Not enough blood either. Just a trickle.

When Shay held a small bowl below my chin, all I could hear was the frantic thrashing of my heart and the slow drip of my blood against the surface of the bowl.

Shay kept eerie, horrible eye contact with me the entire time, not saying a word.

“I don’t swing that way,” I grunted. “But I’m flattered.”

She scowled, pushing me back so I stumbled.

“You think it’s charming, you’re charming. Men are only interested in you because you’re easy. Crass.” She spat at me, worms writhing in the dirt where her spittle landed. “Dante only wants you because you’re easy. Colton only wants to save you. Once he realizes what you are, he’ll discard you.” Pure hatred painted her tone, her grotesque face.

“And when he realizes what you are?” I held my hand up to my throat to staunch the bleeding. “He’ll just get down on one knee?”

A stab of agony erupted in my midsection, and I doubled over.

“That hit a nerve.” I coughed blood into the leaves.

Vaguely concerning.

Shay’s back was to me, the bowl still in hand, facing the tree.

“I’m going to call my master.” She sounded smarmy, painting the tree with my blood. I memorized the symbol she made, not because I planned on calling a demon of my own in the future, but if I survived this, it would be good to have on record.

“For whatever reason, you’re … interesting to him.” She seemed to struggle to verbalize the compliment as she carved the sigil into the tree, the tightness in her tone clear. She was … jealous. And she wasn’t as powerful as she thought. She had to answer to this demon. “He requested I bring you to him instead of my sacrifice.”

I didn’t have time to wonder what in the fresh hell a demon prince wanted from me. I had to use every second I had. As quietly as I could, I got the salt from my pocket and started hastily making a circle. I hung on to the hope that she needed more than a basic sigil or two to conjure a demon prince.

“It sounds like you demon-blessed witches are still just women after all, aren’t you?” I decided keeping the conversation going would be my best route, stumbling around the tree.

Unfamiliar words flowed from Shay’s mouth, twisted, wrong, creating a high-pitched, ringing sound in my ears.

She was concentrating on her task, her being distracted gave me the upper hand.

“You still have to answer to a man, after all of this?” I continued to spill the salt. “Nothing but a little girl, doing what her father tells her.”

The chanting stopped. I rushed to finish my circle, to end up in my initial spot, but I still had a few more feet to go.

“Shut the fuck up!” Shay snarled. Relief raced through me when she continued painting blood on the trunk, not turning around.

“Daddy issues, huh?” I risked taunting her instead of being silent. I was like a toddler; if I was quiet for too long, a smart person would know I was up to no good.

Shay, the bitch, was damn smart.

My risk paid off. Shay kept her back to me. Her movements became a little jerkier, the leaves of the tree started smoking, but she didn’t look at me.

My circle was almost done, just the dicier task of pinning her to the tree remained.

“When do you think your master will stop being sated with mortal souls and ask for yours?” I leaned on the tree directly beside her, concealing my left hand and the salt I was spilling.