“No,” he agrees easily. Too easily. “But if any of the territory leaders abuses my gift, that could change rather quickly. Which leads me to my next point.” He studies me far too intently. Bargainer demons hold their powers close, keeping their secrets, but I’m nearly 100 percent certain they don’t hold the same magic that my people do. Which means he can’t see my emotions swirling around me. Not like I can see his.

Which is right around the moment that I realize he’s being... genuine? There’s no calculation there. Only the neutral gray of worry.

“I’m listening.”

“I am aware of your history and the complications that this sort of circumstance will bring you. I extended this offer as a courtesy so you weren’t the only one left out of negotiations, but I want your word that your history will not factor into how you treat my human.”

“Oh, fuck off with that noise.” The human in question props her hands on her hips and glares. It’s honestly impressive that she doesn’t seem scared of him in the least. Especially when he’s three times her size and she barely comes up to his shoulder. “You know damned well that I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

“That’s not the point.” He turns that severe expression on her, and it’s a testament to her strength that she doesn’t wilt in the least. A hint of exasperation feathers through him, and it’s almost like she can see it too, because her lips quirk just a little.

I don’t know if I should step in or just watch this play out. There’s something going on here beyond what I expected. Bargainer demons are notoriously protective of their humans, so I expected Azazel to threaten me to ensure my good behavior. It’s not necessary, though. I need this human, unexpected or not.

Her smile, such as it is, drops away. “I gave you my word, Azazel. More, I signed that damned contract. If it’s as good as you claim it is, you have nothing to worry about.”

I’m not sure if she’s saying it to reassure him... or to threaten him. From the worry that strengthens in the air around him, he’s not sure either. Under other circumstances, I would be wholly entertained to see this demon, who’s been a royal pain in my ass for decades, set back on his heel so effectively. But this isn’t another circumstance. I need him not to go back on this bargain.

I shift, flaring my wings out the slightest bit to draw their attention to me. “As entertaining as this is, if we’re going to make a bargain, let’s sign the contract and be done with it.”

For a moment, I think Azazel might call the whole thing off. Instead, he shakes his head slowly. “Very well. As discussed, there will be regular check-ins with a demon of my choosing. If at any point the contract is violated, the gargoyle territory becomes mine. There are several clauses to ensure good behavior from all parties.”

“Yes, yes, we’ve gone over it.” She motions impatiently. “I’m hungry, tired, and the last thing I want to do is continue circling this subject with both of you. Give me the pen and I’ll sign.”

“You should read over the contract.”

She doesn’t. She just plucks the pen from his hand and scrawls her name on the appropriate line.Grace. A pretty name, light and ethereal... and nothing like the woman standing next to me.

Her impatience batters away at me, but I have too much history with bargainer demons to sign a contract without reading it through one last time. Azazel sent over a copy for us to study before attending this auction, but I’d be a fool to assume there were no edits made between then and now.

Sure enough, there is a clause that’s been added halfway through. I read it and then read it again. I glance at Azazel with raised brows. His only answer to my unspoken question is a tight nod. Still, I can’t help asking, “Were the same edits made to all the contracts?”

“No.”

Whoisthis woman? Or was this clause about her not being able to harm anyone in my territory added because of what happened with my father? A horrible little voice whispers in the back of my mind:If she kills me, then at least I won’t have to worry about anything any longer. It will finally be over.I shrug and sign in the appropriate place.

“With that, I’ll leave you to it. Your first check-in will be sometime this week. I expect you to extend the same courtesy to Ramanu that you would to any member of your court.”

I’ve bent over backward to please my court, twisting myself up in knots to try—and ultimately fail—to earn their goodwill and trust. To combat years of my father’s rule that ate away at both until there was nothing left. It’s no small miracle that I’m even able to rule at all, though that’s less a testament of my skill and more proof that my people are scared enough of the curse to steer clear of me. For now.

An impossible situation. That’s nothing new, though. I’ve been fighting my way uphill, inch by inch, for years. I won’t be able to make further headway until I have an heir who lives to see their majority and convince my people the curse is broken, but at least I have a path forward to that outcome.

I just need to convince this strange, potentially dangerous human to bear my child. Somehow, I think all the impossible hurdles I’ve cleared to date will be nothing compared to this challenge.

3

GRACE

Ithink I made an error. My nerves are starting to get the best of me, and the hint of sorrow that flickers through Azazel every time he looks at me makes it almost unbearable to be in his presence. I just want this over with. The gargoyle—Bram—is an unknown, but unless I am spectacularly unlucky, he won’t have a magic castle that will lock me in. I should be able to pick any normal lock.

It’s not that I intend to break my word. Just bend it a little.

I want to know what happened to my mother. If she’s dead, and all evidence points to that being the case, it happened here in the demon realm despite Azazel’s promise of safety. Ideally, I would have the whole of the bargainer demon territory to the answers Azazel is keeping from me. As it is, I’ll have to slip my gargoyle captor and make my way back here on my own.

I don’t plan tostaygone, of course. As soon as I have my answers, I’ll honor my word and play companion to the bat-man.

Hardly an ideal situation, but I’ve been dealing with impossible situations for years now. Being the last monster hunter from one of the most famous monster-hunting families in the human realm means I’m the one people call when they have no one else.

For the first time, guilt flickers through me. I was also thinking about myself when I agreed to pay the price for Mina’s bargain. I needed answers, and the demon realm is where they live.