Page 163 of Devil's Deal

I lick my lips, because the very thought of drinking his blood makes my body hum with thirst. He smirks, noticing. But when I reach for the crystal bottle, he snatches it away.

“Does it mean you agree?”

I nod. Of course, I do. It plays right into my scheme.

“The next time we meet, you get to fuck me,” I say, swallowing thickly. “And you’ll tell me why you want to claim me immediately after.”

He laughs softly. “So she learns. Very well, darling. Here, let me do it.”

He fixes the chain around my neck. I sit up, and the crystal bottle hangs between my breasts, heavy and cold.

“Wait a moment. Let me make it less obvious.”

He passes his hand over the bottle, and it shrinks, becoming the size of a pendant. I turn it in my fingers, watching the light playing in the polished surfaces of the crystal.

“It’s beautiful.”

He smiles. “I’m glad you approve. The chain will open only for you, as will the bottle. When you open it, it will go back to its original size and shrink again once you put the stopper in. It’s enchanted to vanish if anyone else gets a hold of it.”

I nod slowly, understanding why. Blood is important. What I don’t understand is why he trusts me with it—unless he told me the truth, and it really is just a way to keep me safe.

But doesn’t he think I might use it against him? I stare into his golden eyes, trying to read his thoughts, but all I see is fondness and something else, something elusive and heavy that I can’t make sense of.

Then I remember how he said my magic was weak. Maybe he doesn’t believe I have enough power to use his blood against him, and to be fair, I don’t.

“Come here.”

He leans back against the tree, pulling me into his lap. I lean my head against his chest, listening to the steady drumbeat of his heart. The rhythm reminds me of something, and I try to puzzle it out while he combs his fingers through my hair.

“Won’t you be mine, Jaga?” he asks, his voice soft and easy, as if he hadn’t demanded this so many times, as if I hadn’t said no every single time.

“Not if it means I must obey you in everything,” I reply, sighing. “But even then… No. I can’t.”

He shifts, bringing me closer so I sit on top of his erection. He rocks me in his lap, murmuring in pleasure.

“Why not? We could be good together. We are.”

I shake my head, trying to untangle my thoughts and emotions, thread by bloody thread.

“Because I feel all those people you killed, all those I killed, standing between us,” I finally say. “And it seems like the distance is insurmountable. Besides, we aren’t good together. Not really. We fight, we lie, and we’ll never be equal.”

I shift, rocking myself on him, until he grips my thigh with a low groan.

His heart rate speeds up, launching into a new rhythm, and I finally realize what the previous one reminded me of.

“Enough,” Woland murmurs, pressing down on me until I still. “That’s enough.”

He breathes hard, and I turn to look at him. His pupils are blown wide, lips parted, cheeks dark with a flush. When our eyes meet, he grins.

“But I like fighting. Equal or not, you’re the first person in a long time who poses a real challenge.”

I huff. “And once I give in, that challenge will be gone. You told me yourself.”

His smile vanishes, and he frowns, looking angry. I sigh, pressing my head back to his chest. I’m not ready for our truce to be over yet. It feels like a moment out of time, out of reality, and I need it to stretch for as long as it can.

Because I can’t stop thinking this is the last moment of peace between us. Maybe even the only one.

“Enough about us. Can you tell me why the poludnica sang that song? I just remembered it, and I’m really curious.”

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