Page 174 of Devil's Deal

I grit my teeth and shake my head. “That wasn’t the deal.”

“I suppose it wasn’t,” he says with rueful amusement. “But I still want to know.”

“Why don’t you just go back in time and check since it’s so easy for you to control it?” I snap then, the memory of his earlier betrayal amplifying my anger.

“I can only manipulate time in the present. I can’t go back to the past,” he says, and I huff, suspicious since he shared that so easily.

Probably another lie.

“Jaga, I really hope we can get past this,” he says, pressing me closer. “I did what I had to and I hurt you, but believe me when I say…”

“No,” I interrupt, the hurt in my chest welling up until I choke on it. “You still have more to tell me. What did the prophecy say about me, if it’s really me?”

“It is,” he says without hesitation. “And it said you would decide the balance of the war. Whoever claims you will win.”

My breath rushes out of me, and I clench my fists, the magnitude of that crushing me. Somewhere in another world, there is a war with creatures of various races and kinds dying, and it’s supposed to all hinge on me? It boggles my mind, and I snort.

“This makes no sense.”

“Prophecies rarely do.”

“But how is that supposed to change anything?” I burst out.

He strokes my back but stops immediately when I growl in anger.

“I don’t know, Jaga. Maybe you’ll fight on the side of the person who owns you. Maybe just the fact of having you will change things. Maybe your children will be those who win the war. We shall wait and see.”

I snort darkly. My children. His audacity has no bounds.

We lie in silence for a while, and I fume, more and more anger sparking until I’m hot and eager to move. The fact I’m stuck with him like this adds fuel to the fire.

“Did it even occur to you to just tell me what was going on and ask for my help?” I ask after a while, my voice trembling from fury.

Because he could have, and I would have helped, I’m sure of it. And instead… All that. So many people dead. All that fight and struggle, and betrayal after betrayal, ending with this—forcing me to have his child. It’s evil, but even more, it’s just stupid. So much wasted effort.

Woland laughs so heartily, he shakes, jostling me with him. I dig my nails into his waist, but he only laughs harder, so loud, he makes birds caw in outrage somewhere nearby.

“You’ll wake up the whole forest,” I grumble under my breath.

He makes an effort to stop, snorting a few more times. Finally, he wipes tears from his eyes, and I huff with impatience.

I can’t wait for his thorns to be out.

“Jaga. Dear. My darling,” he says, his voice brimming with mirth. “I’m sorry, but you don’t have a good heart. If a bunch of gods came to you saying their war hinged on your choice, would you actually believe them and let one claim you to help the poor citizens of Slawa? Or would you shop around? Perun has much more to offer than me, after all. A smart, ambitious woman such as yourself would have gone to him, don’t you think?”

I am too furious to consider his explanation, so I just aim to hurt him.

“You’re right about one thing: you have nothing to offer me, and yes, I would rather go to anyone else but you. Why were you the one to claim me, though? There were a bunch of you. Couldn’t Nyja do it? I’d tell her yes. Or Strzybog. Unlike you, he’s pleasant enough. I’m sure I would have agreed.”

He growls, pressing his face to the top of my head. “No. Only me.”

“If you can get me pregnant,” I hiss, but clamp my mouth shut before I say too much, too soon.

Woland scoffs, completely unbothered.

“I may be old, but I am virile. You will have my baby. And despite what I said, I’m glad. It will be my first child born from affection and respect for a woman. I will protect and provide for you both. Already, a house is ready in Slawa, just for you. It’s comfortable and big. You will be happy there.”

I tense. “In Slawa? What do you mean?”

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