Without looking at Envy or Pride, I accepted Wrath’s arm and held on as he magicked us away. With this new information, it was becoming harder to convince myself that Vesta was truly dead. Was it possible she had betrayed Greed and taken up with my sister and the wolves?
I couldn’t be sure now, but I would certainly find out. If I asked enough questions, I’d eventually get answers to this growing mystery. And if I made a few enemies, it would be a small price to pay.
TWELVE
Wrath didn’t take us to his bedchamber or mine. He didn’t even take us to a bathing chamber to remove the dirt and blood. When we emerged from the smoke of his demon magic, we were standing on the glittering shore of the Crescent Shallows.
Steam rose from the ice-blue surface, inviting us to dive into its deceptively peaceful-looking waters. Nothing “made” could enter the magical water or else it would kill. Plenty of bones jutted out of the shallows like the hulls of broken ships to prove death was no old wives’ tale. Despite its gruesome appetite, there was something serene about the underground lagoon.
The prince turned me until I faced him, then gingerly reached for the front of my gown, peeling it back to get a better look at my wound.
I hissed through my teeth as the material suctioned to my cut gave way to Wrath’s gentle prompting, taking some skin with it and causing it to reopen. It oozed and bled.
Wrath winced as if my pain were his own. “This is infected.”
“Where were you?” I asked, unable to wait another second to know. I ran my hands over him, relieved to find him whole and healthy. Not that I’d see any indication he’d been hurt with his ability to heal quickly. “How did you escape? And what about the poison?”
Wrath looked like the poisoning and stabbing he’d just been through were the least of our concerns at the moment, but it was greatly important to me.
He sighed and withdrew a small vial from his pocket, holding it up. The liquid shimmered like a morning sky on my island, a crystal clear blue.
“Celestia is very talented at creating tonics and tinctures.” He pocketed the tiny vial. “I always carry something as a precaution. I took it as soon as I could, then left your sister’s temple when the wolves shifted back to human form. The gates were spelled shut, so it took some time for me to get to the portal that leads to Pride’s circle.”
“Couldn’t you transvenio there?”
Wrath shook his head. “Magic cannot be used to travel there, so I had to go on foot.”
I thought about Envy and Pride’s test and the jab the Umbra demon uttered before I’d killed it. I had well and truly made enemies here. “What did I do to you… before?”
“Nothing.” Wrath’s face went perfectly blank. “Don’t worry about Envy or Pride’s foolishness. They shouldn’t have tested you or your loyalty.”
“If I betrayed you, that’s not nothing.”
He glared down at the claw marks as if they personally offended him, promptly avoiding the subject. Which made me think perhaps his brothers did have cause to test me. “I should have ripped that wolf’s spine out and shoved it down its throat. Made it suffer for every ounce of pain it inflicted upon you.”
He certainly didn’t lack imagination. To mitigate the anger I saw rising in him, I nodded toward the sparkling water. “I thought this was off-limits for me, given what happened last time.”
Last time, I’d felt as if my heart were about to stop; the pain had been so acute, so terrible, he’d taken me directly to the Matron of Curses and Poisons, my mother unbeknownst to me at that time. She’d crafted a tonic for me, and all had been well. As far as I knew, she was still holding Vittoria underground for the time being, and I wasn’t thrilled by the prospect of having a similar reaction without her nearby.
Wrath drew me closer so he could inspect my wound again, his gaze icy and hard.
“It wasn’t you; it was my wings. The magic that binds them reacted against the spell-lock that obscures your memories. When combined, there were too many magics at play, and the waters acted as if both were threats.” He took in the uncertainty in my face. “I had Celestia research more about it. She doesn’t think you’ll have an issue if you reenter the water. The healing properties should work now, as they were always meant to. If I thought otherwise, I’d not chance it.”
A story came back to me. One Celestia had mentioned that night. About the water belonging to the goddesses and trying to take back what was theirs. Wrath had called it a folktale and told her to stop spreading lies. I looked from the water to him, trying to puzzle it out. Something didn’t quite make sense… something—
“Strip.” Wrath stepped back and nodded to my gown. He shrugged out of his shirt and undid the button on his trousers. His devious lips curled at the edges, like he knew exactly where my thoughts had traveled with that one word. “Let’s get into the water and heal that wound before it gets worse.”
“I am immortal, aren’t I?”
“Not fully. At least not yet.” He held out his hand, encouraging me to step into the water I remembered being as warm as a bath. “Come join me, my lady. Please.”
I recalled he’d once said there were truth properties to the shallows. Right now, I wanted some truth from him as much as I wanted to heal. I stepped to the edge of the glittering dark sand and let the ice-blue water lap at my toes. The lagoon was magical, enchanting. It called to me.
Wrath moved back, going a little deeper, to make room. I followed him in and took his hand, relishing the tiny bubbles that fizzled pleasantly across my skin.
We waded out until my chest was fully submerged and the magic of the water began tending to my wounds. It felt incredible. And a little odd as the magic cleansed my cuts, then knit my skin together. Even the wound I’d made when I’d sworn a blood vow in Pride’s throne room healed. Any momentary discomfort vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.
Wrath watched the magical water work, concern present in his normally stoic features. He looked ready to jump in and attack at the first sign of trouble. “Better?”
I glanced down, pleased to see the wound had healed. Faint silver lines remained, but the scar didn’t trouble me. Not half as much as the secret I feared Wrath was still keeping. “Much.”
My husband tentatively reached over and dragged a finger over my flesh, checking to make sure it was well and truly healed. I looked over his shoulder, admiring the moon phases painted along the cavern’s walls while he continued his thorough inspection. I had wondered before if he’d painted the celestial scene but couldn’t picture him spending hours with a paintbrush or bucket of paint. Though he often surprised me. Perhaps he had.
“Is there a reason you keep saving my life when it’s not exactly in danger?” I looked at him again, waiting. “I imagine there must be something that worries you.”
Wrath circled me, the waves from his movements gently breaking against the shore. I wasn’t sure if the curse made it difficult for him to speak or if he was purposely picking and choosing what he’d share with me. “As far as I know, if your heart stops now, while you’re not entirely immortal, it could kill you. Until I know for certain, it’s a risk I refuse to take.”
“Envy said a drop of immortality wins out against mortality every time.” Though I left out the part where Envy had also been concerned if that were entirely true.
“Are you that willing to give up your heart to find out?” he asked.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, needing the physical contact. His arms went around my waist automatically, anchoring me against him, solid and comforting. We’d been through hell, and I wanted a reminder that we were here, together. Safe. He dipped his face and captured my mouth with his, the kiss hungry and filled with raw, powerful emotion.
When we finally broke apart, breathing hard, our lips pleasantly swollen, I grinned. “For you? I’d give my heart up.”
He looked at me, his expression hard to read. And I wondered if maybe he wasn’t quite ready to give me his heart in return, that even though we were now mostly married, perhaps all the demons from our past hadn’t yet been banished. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t mentioned anything about us completing the ceremony that would seal our marriage for good.
Granted, there hadn’t been much time to discuss it before we were attacked by wolves and separated, but still. Before I could worry over it, Wrath’s mouth slanted over mine again, like his very life depended on the connection.