Page 152 of Devil's Doom

And yet, when he speaks next, my heart twinges like a raw, exposed muscle, torn open and bleeding.

“I’m sorry, Jaga.”

I refuse to look at him, busying myself with turning the blanket into a nest. There’s nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. I’ll stay right here, in my spot by the chains. Make it easier for him when he wants to put them on me again.

“You were right,” he says after a heavy pause. “I betrayed you first.”

I bite back an urge to snort. No, I will not engage. All that will do is give him an opening for another horrid manipulation scheme. I’m done speaking to him, because what for? I’ll never trust him, anyway.

We sit in silence. I’m curious how long Woland’s patience will last. If I were to bet, I’d say fifteen minutes or less. He’ll curse soon. Maybe throw something.

I know he won’t truly hurt you,said Chors. And in a way, he was right. Woland didn’t rip me to shreds. He didn’t kill me. But there are other ways to hurt, and my heart still bleeds from the wounds he gave me.

Even this, the cold floor, the chains, is nothing.

“I spoke to Chors. He said you came to him seeking Weles.”

Woland sounds hesitant, as if not knowing what words to use. I prick my ears but refuse to turn toward him. I won’t look at him if I can help it, and I make another bet with myself, deciding he’ll likely force me to look within five minutes or less. He can’t stand to be ignored.

“He thought you knew,” Woland says when I don’t answer. “And I didn’t tell you because I didn’t trust you. Not until you were mine, anyway. But I think it’s time for you to know. It’s already bad enough out there. I doomed us both. I made a mess.”

Gods, I know he is a masterful liar. I still remember the loving expression on his face right after he told me his love was a lie and wiped my memory. Iknownot to trust him. And still, I look up, curious to see the flawless performance.

The devil admitting he did something wrong. Ha. Something to tell my grandchildren, the ones I’ll never have.

His face brightens a little when our gazes meet. He’s still on the floor, hunched, his head bowed. For the first time, it seems like his antlers are too heavy for him.

His mouth is pinched tight, eyes brimming with sorrow, and I clap thrice, the sound loud and startling in the quiet chamber.

Woland frowns in confusion, then his nostrils flare as he gets it.

Applause for the bard. What a moving song. I almost thought it was real.

He’s angry and impatient, just like I knew he would be, but I lose my bet with myself. He neither curses or explodes in any way. All he does is close his eyes and breathe until he’s calm again, and this time, I snort.

Fine performance. Let’s see you do it again tomorrow.

He watches me with painful intensity, his throat working, large hands clenched into fists in his lap. He really looks like he’s in pain, and I quash a quiet trembling of my heart.No.I will not love him anymore. I will not trust his lies.

“I’m sorry, Jaga,” he says again, and I squeeze my eyes shut, refusing to accept his words. “I’ll tell you every day. I didn’t treat you right. I’ll make it up to you.”

I turn my back to him, lying on my side in my nest. I heard that one before, and I’m not stupid enough to believe it again.

Woland sighs heavily but doesn’t leave me or rage.

“You don’t have to forgive me. I don’t think I forgave you, either,” he says quietly. “But we need to be allies, at least. This is… It’s worse than I thought. No, that’s not right. I didn’t think at all when I did it. But Jaga, Perun knows. All the gods know. This place isn’t safe for you anymore. Frankly, I don’t think anywhere is.”

I curl up tighter, ignoring him. It’s his mess. Let him fix it.

“And I know you have no reason to trust me,” he plows on, not understanding that nothing he says can ever sway me. Maybe his actions might work, if they are consistent overyears, but I doubt even that.

“And that’s why I’m going to tell you my biggest secret,” he says, voice dropping into a hoarse whisper. “I’ll trust you with it, Jaga. It’s collateral, too, just like my blood you carry next to your heart, but it’s so much more precious than that. This secret—you could use it to destroy me.”

I can’t hide the excited shiver that flutters over my back.It’s a lie,my instincts scream with confidence. I can hear him out, though. I’m curious what he came up with.

But before I sit up, something itches in my chest, over my heart. Like a thin thread, being pulled taut. A bodiless voice speaks right in my ear, feminine and sweet.

“Ah, here you are, redhead girl.”

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