Page 128 of The Devil's Trials
Heat flares in my cheeks, and whatever response I had dies on my lips.
She props her hand on her hip. “Xander didn’t tell you about me?”
I shake my head without saying anything. I’d give anything to go back in time and not leave the bedroom. Running into an ex-lover of Xander’s is pretty high on my list of things I’d be thrilled to avoid—I think outnumbered only bygoing to hell.
“Ouch. I guess I wouldn’t either. We were betrothed, after all.”
My eyes widen as my stomach sinks. “What?”
She waves away my surprise as if it’s a ridiculous reaction. “It was a long time ago.”
“Why didn’t you marry him?”
She purses her red stained lips. “Some things just aren’t meant to be.”
“Did you love him?”
Francesca laughs. “Love? It had nothing to do with love.”
I frown, my brows tugging closer. “That sounds incredibly lonely.”
She arches a perfectly shaped brow at me. “Doyoulove him?”
My heart pounds in my chest, as if it’s attempting to break free of my rib cage. “I…um…” I sigh, and I have no idea why, but I tell her, “As much as I’ve tried to shake him, I just can’t. He’s ingrained in my soul. I knowhe’s changed since Lucia—he didn’t have a choice—but I still see flashes of the Xander I believe loves me too, which makes me want to fight for him. So I will.”
Francesca rolls her eyes. “Ugh. Such fluffy human emotions.” She straightens, holding my gaze. “I grew up with Xander in hell. My loyalty to him is undying.”
I’m not sure how I’m supposed to respond to that. This woman scares the shit out of me, so the chance of saying the wrong thing has me keeping my mouth shut.
“You look confused,” she observes. “Does Xander not shareanythingwith you?”
“He does,” I say in a short tone.
Her lips twitch. “Right, well, Marrick is my father. I’m sticking with Xander because I give a shit about him, but also because the man who raised me is the only creature in this world—or the underworld—that scares me.” Her gaze darkens, and I’m not prepared to see the flash of fear there. “He wants to rule, to take charge of the demons by creating his own.”
I blink, my stomach plummeting. Xander told me what Marrick was up to, but I had no idea his daughter was part of Xander’s council—or that they were supposed to be married. Instead of seeking more information that’s only going to make my head explode, I say, “Is Xander back?”
Francesca inclines her head in a subtle nod, making the butterflies in my stomach flutter at the thought of seeing him.
I swallow hard. “Is he…I mean, did he—”
“Ask him yourself,” she says a moment before the hair on the back of my neck sticks up and my pulse climbs.
I know he’s standing there before I move a muscle. I feel him to my very core, and being so physically aware of someone is jarring.
Inhaling slowly, I turn on my heel and face him. The air releases from my lungs in a viciouswhoosh, and my feet become blocks of cement as I stare at his disheveled appearance. But it’s the darkness in his eyes that sends a chill all the way to my bones. His posture is rigid and his all-black attire is tattered and stained.
My world narrows on him as he approaches, stopping a few feet away. Emotion clogs my throat, my muscles trembling as I stand before him. I swallow hard. “You’re here,” is all I can find to say.
He cocks his head to the side, his eyes roaming my face. “Appears so.”
“Does that mean you passed the final trial?” My voice is low, and I can’t stop my hands from shaking at my sides. I’m terrified of the answer but I have to know.
Xander nods.
A fraction of the pressure in my lungs releases. At least he won’t be forced to patrol the darkest parts of hell.
But whatwillhe have to do?
