Page 47 of Taken By the Shadow Prince

I blow out a breath. “What is with you people and trying to get me to talk about my sex life?”

He blinks at me. “I want to make it very clear that Ineverwant to hear details about your sex life. I’m just... hoping that youhaveone, at least. You’re too lonely for your own good.”

“I’m perfectly fine,” I tell him.

“Fine isn’t good enough,” Ellis answers. “I want you to behappy. And that is one way to experience a little bit of euphoria, isn’t it?”

“I could make serotonin capsules if I really wanted to.”

He shrugs. “You could. But, anyway, I’m not actually here to talk aboutwhatyou do with that man, but more where you found him.”

“I’m not sure where I was exactly,” I say absentmindedly. “And, like I said,hefoundme.” I try to keep my words nonchalant.

But my brother knows me too well. “Bullshit,” he says. “No way in hell someone’s brave enough to approach you when you’re on a mission. You get this terrifying look in your eyes. And with knives strapped all over you...” Ellis shakes his head. “No fucking way.”

“Please,” I tell Ellis. “Just accept the answer.”

“Just tell me the truth,” he counters. “We’re twins. We’ve never kept secrets from each other.”

And... and he’s right. We don’t lie, and we hide nothing from one another. I’ve always been shit at keeping things from him—which is a real bummer when our birthday rolls around and he demands to know what I got him.

I always cave.

So I try a different tactic, instead. Because lying to him won’t work, but if I try to act unbothered by it, then perhaps he’ll decide that this is no big deal. Maybe he’ll think I’m joking and laugh before walking away. I say, “He’s a demon prince that I made a bargain with. Can you hand me the cactus needles and my mortar and pestle?” I don’t actually need either of them. I just need him to forget to pay attention to what I said.

It doesn’t work. “The fuck did you just say?”

“Cactus needles? Third shelf from the top.”

“That’s not what I meant, Mavey, and you know it. What did you do?”

I groan. “Listen, it’s not a big deal. I was out of options, and didn’t have much time.”

“Forwhat? Look at me, Mavey.”

I frown and turn my head to look over my shoulder. “Don’t be so dramatic,” I say, but my voice is soft. “It’s not such a bad thing.”

“What was so important that you thought it necessary to bring ademoninto this? A demonprince, at that. And—and why are youfuckingthis demon prince?”

“I never said I was—”

He cuts me off. “You don’t have to say it. I know you like the back of my hand, Mavey.” He crosses his arms across his chest. “What did you bargain for?”

I blow out a breath. “We needed demon witches, alright? And I couldn’t make a spell to find them, and I didn’t have enough time to try anything else. I don’t regret making the bargain, Ellis. Not even a little.”

“Don’t you remember the stories Ma used to tell us about those creatures? And they’rereal?”

“Of course I remember. But they’re just stories.”

Mostly.

“Still—how could youriskit?”

“I risked it because Ihadto. I did it for you, for Mair, for the entire fucking country, alright?”

He stares at me for a long moment. “What’s the bargain, then? What did you agree to?”

I fall silent. Because Ellis—this will hurt him. “It doesn’t matter.”

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