Page 25 of Lifeblood

I raised an eyebrow. Hearing such a relatively vulnerable statement from Gareth left me speechless.

“This is why it’s so important we figure things out between us all peacefully,” Lance said. “And it seems like we have. Because Morgan le Fay will attack sooner or later. She’s already closing in. Her Blackthorn Court is powerful and only grows the more she attacks. Her twisted, demonic magic creates these aberrations that fight for her.”

“What’s her goal?” I asked. “Her endgame?”

Mordred shrugged, but it looked painful, like he didn’t like not having an answer. “Total destruction with her Wild Hunt. Control. She wants everything in revenge for what the long lost demon kings did to her. We’re just unfinished business standing in the way. Every time we get close to taking her out, she pulls one over on us.”

A demon witch with more power than four demon kings combined. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be party to this. But I knew there was no choice, not for me.

“Okay, so let me get this straight.” I held up fingers so I could tally all my points. “Morgan le Fay wants to destroy you all. So, long ago, she cursed you. The mate bond between us all could end those curses. But we also can draw power from the bond, power you need to end her. But then there’s also my blood, which you need to keep your immortality.”

“Yes,” Gareth and Mordred said in unison. They then also scowled in unison about it.

I glanced down at the wraith bite wound Lance had healed. It was nearly entirely gone now, including the icy, cold feeling in my veins. But some dried silver blood remained. “Then why the wife lottery? Why all of those women, and what happened to them?”

Lance was the first to offer an answer—finally. “All of this started when Morgan le Fay was a demon king’s wife many years ago. She was spurned and she never let it go. Part of our curse is that Morgan demanded the women be sent to her before anyone got close to removing our curses, even though we don’t know exactly what that means. It could be a mate bond. Something as vague as true love. Or even happiness—any of those things could rid us of curses. So Morgan made us pluck the women from their lives. Bring them to us like a show, just for a day or two to maximizeourpainandtheirs, and then we must hand them over to the Blackthorn Court.”

Tristan jumped in then. “We don’t like to do it. But Morgan has people we care about held prisoner. We’ve never found a way to deal with that.” He looked guilty about it, a guilt I understood.

“To make it worse,” Mordred added, “these women are often turned into demons and sent back as attackers like the wraith today. It’s a never-ending cycle because Morgan le Fay doesn’t want it to end. She wants us to suffer.”

“You said they don’t die,” I argued as a furious rage built within me. “You were angry at me for me eveninsinuatingit. Sounds like there’s a good chance theydodie after becoming demons.” One could even argue that becoming a demon was death enough. And regardless, the kings had lied by omission.

“You accusedusof killing them,” Tristan said. “We don’t. We wouldn’t even hand them over, except…” He trailed off.

I wanted to stay angry… but an understanding settled over the flames of my anger, putting it out. The kings could save those women by sacrificing their loved ones the same way I could’ve saved so many women by giving my life for theirs, as I’d assumed I’d be doing today for Maria.

Call it a fatal flaw if you wanted. But it seemed these demon kings and I had a lot more in common than we thought.

“We could end it—all of it—with you,” Gareth said. “Your Humanlands are next if the Demon Courts fall.”

I felt like if the demon kings had just said all of this to those in charge in the Humanlands, many things could have been worked out and resolved. But given the secrecy with which they’d been treating all of this withme, I could see how maybe they wouldn’t want to share it all. It’d make them seem vulnerable, which was something they couldn’t afford to be if they were already partially bending to Morgan le Fay’s wishes.

And all those women. The wraiths today. The demon kings and I were equally guilty here. Or at least, enough to commiserate with each other.

“See,” I said as I made up my mind once and for all. “All I needed was the truth.”

“Morgan has spies everywhere outside the Demon Courts,” Lance said. “We told you as much as we could before.”

I nodded. “Maybe. But honestly, knowing this… We will make this work. I’m of equal blame.”

“No—” Mordred started.

I held up a hand. “Iam.So, let’s first give you all atasteof my blood. Get you a little more powerful with it and then try to set these mate bonds. The combined power should put us on the right track.”

Tristan’s cheeks flushed and it reminded me of what Lance had said about him being so easy to make blush. “A taste?”

I nodded again because I wasn’t sure what else to say. All of this was crazy, but it was happening. “A date for each of you. Bring your own shot glass.” I dangled my arm in front of me, intending it to be a joke. None of the demon kings so much as smirked. “Okay, fine. Yes, let’s do this your way, then.”

This was going to be a long day.

Mordred appeared beside me with shadows still swirling around him. “Fantastic. Me first. Come on, little lifeblood.”

CHAPTER10

Mordred all but pulled me with him from the great hall. His living shadows cocooned around me and seemed to shift me just above the floor as though I were floating.

I opened my mouth to protest, to say I was in fact capable of walking with my own two feet, when a tendril of shadow pressed against my lips.

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