Wrath helped me into the carriage—the driverless black-and-gold beauty pulled by the four horsemen of the apocalypse, Wrath’s pet demon horses—and pounded his fist against the roof, signaling for the red-eyed, ebony horses with metal teeth to take off.
He flicked the velvet draperies aside, regarding the passing landscape with a growing scowl. To our left, the Black River churned, the dark-capped waves bubbling like a cauldron.
An uneasy feeling crawled along my spine. The water had been much calmer when we’d first arrived, and if Nonna Maria imparted anything, it was to look for signs of trouble.
Unrest was certainly brewing.
I wondered if it had anything to do with the blood oath the princes just signed. Perhaps the Seven Circles were already preparing for my sister’s demise. And, despite Wrath’s promise that we would find her first, maybe danger was already pounding at her door.
Wrath met my inquisitive gaze and gave a slight shake of his head. We hadn’t traveled far enough from the rival House, and Greed probably had spies stationed near the edge of his castle’s immaculate, snow-covered lawn. Like all magic, there were limits to the spells Wrath used to keep our rooms private. Since this was a moving conveyance, it was likely too complex for the magic to keep up. I nodded my understanding and turned my attention on the window. I was desperate to ask if he’d gathered any more information on Vesta from Greed, but we’d be home soon enough and could discuss everything freely there. My burning curiosity would need to wait.
We sat in tense silence as the carriage rolled down the long drive that led over a small tributary. After what felt like an hour, but had probably been only half that time or less, we finally ascended the steep hill that would take us to a bridge connecting the land between House Pride and House Wrath.
At the top of the hill, Wrath went on full alert. I wanted to know if he could sense Vittoria or if there was some other cause for alarm, but he flashed me another look that indicated it wasn’t safe to speak yet. I racked my mind for any other known threats but couldn’t think of one. He removed his gloves and withdrew his House dagger, pressing the tip into his palm, hard enough to feed the blade a bit of his blood. Both the metal and jeweled eyes glowed as if pleased and fortified by his offering. His cut healed within seconds. A fine perk of immortality. I wondered, if I was a goddess, how I could be mortal. Wrath finally broke the silence.
“If anyone approaches the carriage and anything goes badly, for whatever reason, activate your cloak and run for our fortress. Anir will command the army while I hold them off.”
“Activate my cloak? It’s magic?”
He nodded. “Feed it a bit of your power and it will reflect the world around you, essentially making you invisible. It won’t mask your scent but should give you time to escape.”
“You expect me to abandon you if we’re attacked?”
“Yes. Right now, I’m the general and you’re a soldier. You’ll do as ordered.”
“Is that so?” I raised my brows. “I don’t recall swearing an oath or making any vows.”
My tone had been measured, but my king was no fool. Wrath’s answering look would probably send his demonic soldiers running to the latrine with loose bowels.
I was not his solider. I was his wife. And if the arrogant ass thought I’d leave him, to whatever enemy might be lurking, he was sorely mistaken.
As was just evident by my power-fueled rose-gold irises, and my ability to produce fire that now burned physical objects, I was not without frightening magic of my own. And I would stand beside him, fighting with my last breath if it came down to it.
“I’m immortal, Emilia.”
“And what am I?” If I was a goddess, and we’d had years together in the past, then there was something else he wasn’t telling me. Something I’d get to the bottom of once we were home.
Wrath’s gaze battled mine, all golden fire and icy fury. It was a skirmish he wouldn’t win; my mind was entirely made up. No point he could argue would dissuade me from staying with him. After another long moment, he finally surrendered.
“If anything goes wrong, I’ll try to transvenio us onto our grounds. Stay close and get your blade out. Strike first and fast. If anyone is brazen enough to attack us during the afternoon near my House, they won’t hesitate to harm you.”
“Do you believe it’s V—”
A howl rent the air, the sound reverberating through the coach. A second howl went up. Followed quickly by a third and fourth. Soon, a whole chorus of mournful howls filled the air, bouncing back against the mountains in the distance and echoing softly.
Fine hair all over my body raised.
Wolves. From the sound of them, they were large, otherworldly werewolves. That answered my question about who was out there, but it left the why up for contemplation. The horses whinnied and growled, the sound unlike any mortal horse I’d ever encountered.
At first glance, Wrath seemed calm, focused. Until I saw the flicker of excitement in his eyes. He was made for war, for battles. Where others would shut down from fear, something shook him awake. He gave me a slow, cocky grin. “The shifters are angry.”
And that blessed emotion was fueling the demon’s already incredible store of magical power. I returned his smile, feeling relief sink into my bones. We’d be fine. Wrath let the curtains fall back, hiding us from view. Apparently, he wasn’t concerned with seeing his enemies.
Another howl went up, closer this time, louder and filled with what was probably alpha command. Domenico was here. I couldn’t imagine why the wolves were in the Seven Circles, and after Greed’s insistence that they’d attacked his commander, fear gnawed at me despite my husband’s excitement. Given the way Domenico had been with my sister, how easily and quickly he’d heeded her command to stand down with me, I couldn’t picture him acting against her.
Wrath hit the roof of the coach with a closed fist, startling me, and our carriage rolled to a sudden stop. This was it. Nervous energy hummed through me.
If the werewolves were here and so was Domenico, I prayed that meant my sister wasn’t far behind. If she was, and if they weren’t planning an attack on their own, then all we had to do was neutralize the shifters, grab Vittoria, and take her to House Wrath. None of the other princes would even know we’d found her and stowed her away.
Wrath jerked his chin toward the door, indicating he was about to open it. I clutched the hilt of my dagger, my palms damp and heart pumping. If I could find my sister and speak with her, perhaps we could avoid bloodshed altogether. Surely when she saw me, she’d stand down. Then we could discuss Vesta, and I’d have my answer one way or another about her guilt.
“Remember, stay close. Strike fast.” The prince paused with his hand on the knob, then shook his head. He grabbed me around the waist and kissed me hard and fast. “If you die on me now, I’ll hunt you down and drag you back.”
“Sounds rather threatening.”
“It’s a fucking promise, my lady.”
“I love you, too.” I cupped his face. “If you’re quite through, let’s kill some werewolves.”
His gaze darkened. “Bloodshed turns me on almost as much as your little performance did. I’m going to take you directly to bed after the fight.” Wrath flashed a devastating grin. “And we’re not going to reemerge for a long, long time. I hope you packed the pearl skirt.”
Any nervousness or trepidation I was feeling vanished. I suspected Wrath’s speech was meant to get my mind on what would happen after the battle, to give me something to focus on. He was a good general; I’d tear through a thousand wolves just to get him back into bed.
His smile was filled with male arrogance. Deservedly so after our earth-shattering lovemaking, so I couldn’t fault him there. Sensing I was ready, Wrath palmed his dagger and shoved the door open. He burst through it in a flash of violent movement. I jumped out directly after him, my blade ready.
The elation I’d just felt disappeared as I took in the sight before us.
Wolves, nearly a hundred of them, oversized and monstrous, stood on the bridge, shoulder to shoulder, blocking our path to House Wrath. But that wasn’t what had my heart thudding in my chest. It was the dozens of wolves that floated in a semicircle around us, their paws ten feet above ground. They were spirit walkers. And they were waiting in the wings to pounce if any of their brethren went down.