Page 145 of Anchor

“Of course, I do. Your reputation precedes you,” Seth said. “People talk about your beauty everywhere.”

I risked a quick glance at Seth, hoping he didn’tlookas fake as he sounded. I hadn’t known the guy long, but even I knew he was full of shit, even though this woman was beyond beautiful in a very scary kind of way.

“You’re so, so sweet,” she said, bringing a hand to her mouth as if to hide her smile—and again, I couldn’t get over those nails, pained a blood red. “Much sweeter than your brother—heisyour brother, I assume.”

“Taland, yes,” Seth said. “That’s my little brother.”

My stomach fell and fell because my body knew what was going to happen even before I did. “And you’ve come to pay his debt, I assume?”

Every hair on my body stood at attention.

“Actually, we were hoping to talk to him,” Seth said, and Yuri pretended to be absolutelyshockedat his words.

“Oh, but you can’t just ask that, handsome. What would become of my name if I allowed anyone to just waltz in here and demand totalkto my prisoners?!”

She laughed. It was cold and bloody, and it was all I could do not to jump her or turn to my magic that wasbeggingme to release it right now.

“No, your brother is in his grace period, which, if you didn’t know, is the seven days we keep those who’ve failed to deliver to the Devil alive, so that his loved ones or friends can come pay the price he owes. He’s in day…” She looked at the tall guy by her side, and he raised four fingers. “In day four, correct. Now, if you’re not here to bring what he promised the Devil, you still have three more days to go fetch it.”

That script on the piece of marble Taland had taken from the Vault was right in the center of my mind’s eye and I couldn’t believe Taland hadn’t made me return to get it, knowing what would happen.

Regret made my limbs heavy—I remembered that night when I put him in the trunk of Madeline’s Mercedes, how I’d told him that we werenotgoing back for that script when he first realized he’d lost it.

If only I’d known…

And how was I supposed to go get itnowwhen the IDD was after me, when my grandmother was after me? If I asked Cassie for help, she would try to get me inside, but there was a good chance we’d get caught, and if we did, Taland would die.

Three more days, that’s all he had. Three.

“What exactly did he promise the Devil?” Seth asked, but the womantsk-ed him and shook her head.

“That’s not for me to say. If your own brother didn’t tell you, how can I?” She feigned innocence so well.

“But if I?—”

“We can’t get you what Taland promised,” I cut Seth off because my mind was working, and if I didn’t speak now, I was afraid I’d burst for real. “Not in three days.”

Yuri arched a brow at me. “Then I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

“I can offer you something else,” I said, and maybe I’d lost my damned mind, but I didn’t regret it for a second. “I can offer you something that’s worth more than what Taland promised the Devil.”

“Oh?” Yuri slowly folded her arms in front of her chest. “Is that so.”

It wasn’t a question, but I answered her anyway.

“Tell the Devil that he doesn’t have to take my word for it—I will demonstrate before he agrees to anything. And I assure you that he’ll want this.”

I had no clue what the hell that script was or why the Devil had wanted it in the first place, but the bracelet around my wrist was worth more. I would lie to them, tell them they could use it, too—who cared? I’d demonstrate and all those colors that the bracelet drew out of me were bound to make anyonewantthem. Any Iridian.

Goddess, please, let him want the bracelet,I prayed, because if the Devil didn’t care for it, I had nothing else to give him in exchange for Taland’s life. I’d still try to break into the Vault, but I’d die before I made it out. I was sure of it.

“Interesting,” said Yuri, and she started pacing in front of us for a moment, fingers around her pointy chin as she looked at the floor. “Very interesting. I wonder if it’s true.”

“It is,” I said, even though it might have been a better idea to just let her come to her own decision. “It’s very true. I’ll demonstrate for the Devil.” Probably through a camera or something, I figured, since the actual guy would be in the Tomb as we spoke.

“If she means what I think she means, Yuri, the Devil will want to see—I guarantee it,” Seth said, and it was almost like he was forcing the words out of his mouth, and the look he gave me said he was…regretful.

Maybe he didn’t want me to give the bracelet to the Devil?

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