Page 89 of All the Devils are Here

I shook my head, trying to make sense of all the puzzle pieces. “If he wanted to escape so badly, why not just take back his own heart?”

“He can’t.” Ban shifted and stared at me with golden eyes. “It’s one way.”

Ariel leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “The first thing to know about magic is that it rarely makes sense. It’s wild and unpredictable. But there are a few rules. One of those is that taking power requires a sacrifice. It’s not always your life, but the kind of power he wanted?” He shrugged. “He knew the deal when he made it. One of the other rules is that a gift of magic freely given can’t be taken back.”

I stood and began to pace, irritation rising under my skin. “I feel so dense right now. So he had to offer his own life to get the power, and then he had totakefour lives to get his own back? What is this, a bank that charges interest?”

Laurent laughed softly, but covered the sound as Ariel continued. “Magic doesn’t have reason or logic. It is a force, and for the most part, it can make its own rules. For Prospero, the island gave him its own life, and whoever came before him. It wants more in return. It’s about survival, not punishment.”

I looked at the three of them. “Let’s just say we do exactly what we’renotgoing to do, and he takes Laurent’s heart. And whatever magic he borrowed gets given back. So then he’s just an immortal spirit who can go wherever he wants?”

Laurent nodded. “And he’ll still have power. Giving back theoriginalmagic isn’t a part of the deal.”

“But you think he’ll die if we can keep this power from taking over me?”

Ariel shook his head. “Not in the mortal sense. But he will fade away without the magic. Like I would if someone ripped the magic out of me.”

“Is that possible?” I looked at him, panic gripping me. It wasn’t something I’d thought to worry about.

“Very few, if any, would be able to do that.” He dissolved and appeared next to me. “Don’t worry about it.”

“At least maybe the island isn’t angry with me anymore? Or at least less angry?” I sat down and took a sip of my coffee. There was a thought that I didn’t think they would like, but at this point, I wasn’t able to hold it back. “I have one more question.”

They all waited patiently.

“What if I give it my heart?”

I thought I’d known silence before, but I hadn’t. Not a breath of air moved. None of my mates breathed, and then Ban was in his feline form growling and Ariel was on his feet. Laurent was so still, I wondered how much of his body I couldn’t see had turned to stone.

“No.” Ariel said. “You want to be stuck here for the rest of your life?”

I shook my head. “Of course not. But if I have this magic to trade, then Prospero would fade away, right? Can’t you be free once he’s gone?”

He glared at me. “In theory, yes. Once his consciousness is gone things will be easier.”

“Then what the fuck is the way out of this?” I asked. “If we can’t guarantee that once he’s gone you’re free?”

“None of this is about us, Meg. We’re trying to keep you alive. Everything else is secondary.”

I stood. “Not to me. If I’m going to be your mate, then we’re going to care aboutallof us at the same time. Not just me.”

“That’s not the way it works.”

Rage that wasn’t entirely mine rose under my skin. Frustration and the need to scream, too. Standing, I crossed my arms. “This isn’t a misunderstanding about how mates function, Ariel. I might be the weak one in this situation because I’m human, but I amnot. Weak.And I’m not going to sit here and be the damsel in distress just because you want me to. This ismylife. I want it to beourlife.”

“It can’t be our life if you’re dead, Meghan.”

I nodded. “You know what? I didn’t think about that. You’re right. I’m completely oblivious to the fact that I could die, given the fact that one of my mates is unconscious because I was dropped in the middle of ashark buffet.”

“Meg,” Laurent said.

“What?” I turned to him and found him watching me carefully.

He sighed. “You can’t give your heart. It won’t fix things.”

I opened my mouth to ask why, and Ariel beat me to it. “And even if it would help, we wouldn’t allow it.”

Looking over at him, I felt calm close over me. “You don’t allow me to do anything, Ariel.” I turned and looked for the door. “If I go outside, am I going to get skewered by something?” I made sure my question was only directed at Laurent and Ban.

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