“Outsmarted him?” I say disbelievingly.
“According to whispered legends, they were quite the temptresses themselves,” Cleo says wickedly, eyes gleaming. “Imagine, the ancient Fae women; naked and powerful and glorying in the earth. What new god wouldn’t try to meet their demands?”
“So, he wasn’t always a god,” I say with bright eyes. I lean forward, ignoring the pain. “What was he before?”
Cleo shakes her head. “That I don’t know.”
“How did these first Bloodbane outsmart Sadal? What does that mean?” Thal asks. I can hear the frustration in his voice as Cleo keeps dancing around the question.
“They made him agree to give them power, they might have even loved him for a time, but they refused to give up themselves. That’s the downfall of every Bloodbane witch, you see. Now, we give up our whole selves for power, for freedom, for love.” Her eyes grow dark, a frown tugging at her lips. “At least, that’s what we think he gives us. But it’s only chains.”
“What happened?” I ask.
The torch light flickers in her eyes. “They left him when he started to make demands of them. He grew greedy and they were children of the earth; they were free. They didn’t want him anymore. So, they left.”
“Do they still have their power?” I ask, the words tumbling from my lips. “Are they more powerful than Maaz? Where are they now?”
“They kept their power. But more importantly, they know more about Sadal than anyone in this world or in the ether. They were his for eons,” Cleo explains. “If they’re still alive, you would find them in the wastelands.”
Thal cocks a brow. “There’s nothing out there. They couldn’t have survived.”
“The wastelands are the only place Sadal would never go,” Cleo snaps.
My brows furrow in confusion. No one has been to the wastelands for thousands and thousands of years, since before my father was born. I’ve seen paintings of the dreary region, covered in pale dust and cracked earth. It’s hard to imagine anyone living there now.
“Are you sure?” I ask, staring thoughtfully at her.
“Positive,” she says through gritted teeth.
I look at Thal. He glances down at me and shakes his head warningly. He doesn’t trust this Bloodbane. He wouldn’t trust any Bloodbane. I wouldn’t either, except that I’ve never heard a witch proclaim her hatred of Sadal so intensely. I believe her.
“Thal,” I murmur. I meet his gaze, lips pressed into a tight line. “I need you to do something for me. Something dangerous.”
Chapter 7
Verity
In the tent, I pour over the Bloodbane text. I find myself reading more quickly than I did in the past. Now that I’m not engrossed in the Bloodbane and trapped in Sadal’s temptations, I haven’t felt that inexplicable pull towards the magic that I did before.
Outside, I can hear the demon’s howling, celebrating their victory over the Fae army. The Bloodbane witches are drinking whatever alcohol they brew themselves in the keep and have brought with them. From time to time, they fly past the tent on their deadwood brooms with wild abandon, whooping.
I see shadows streak past, another drunken witch trying to race the others. I stare morosely at the walls of the tent, listening. In the back of my mind, the constant thought of all the Bloodbane dying nags at me. I wonder constantly how I could end the plague that they are on the world.
I turn back to the book, eyes roving over a page on mass poisoning. It’s not my taste, I muse, turning the ancient page. Moonlight spills into the tent as the flap opens and Sadal waltzes in. I narrow my eyes at him, but he hardly looks at me. I think back to the moment I struck him, wishing I had done more. If I had a knife in my hand, perhaps I could have ended everything then.
I can feel the cold dagger strapped to my thigh, hidden beneath the folds of my dirty dress. The urge to reach for it now as Sadal lingers in the room is almost overwhelming. But now isn’t the time. I’m not ready.
Sadal glances at me, as if he knows my thoughts. “You haven’t joined the festivities?”
“I have nothing to celebrate,” I say coldly, glaring at him.
Sadal closes the distance between us but I don’t shrink away. I straighten my shoulders, scowling. He leans over me, arms braced on either side. I can’t help turning my head as his lips hover inches from mine. My nostrils flare, heart pounding with anger and fear.
“Verity,” Sadal murmurs. “I’m hungry for you.”
The hair on my skin raises at his words. “Stay away from me,” I manage to say without stumbling over my words.
A purr rumbles from his chest. “It won’t be long now, Verity. When all of this is over, tasting you will be so satisfying.”
I wonder vaguely if he means to literally eat my body. My face pinches with fear as I imagine how much time I have until Sadal makes good on this fearsome promise. He leans closer and I feel his cold, wet tongue trail over my cheek. I flinch, stomach twisting with fear and disgust.
When he pulls away, he licks his lips like a lion after feasting on a gazelle. He flashes me one more dangerous look before sweeping out of the tent. When he disappears from sight, I feel my body trembling. My breath, trapped in my chest, comes shattering out of me. I wipe furiously at my cheek, getting the stain of Sadal off of me.
My hands curl into fists at my sides and I whirl back to the book. One spell, one spell specifically for Sadal. I touch the dagger through my gown to reassure myself it’s still there. One spell, and one dagger. Scowling, I tear through the book, grazing over each page to find what I need.
And then I see it. Eyes wide, I
