Darius sounded furious, which I wasn’t used to. With me, he was pure Old World courtesy. I could understand his anger, though. What Kerry had done to his brothers was simply brutal.
“With this one, my friend,” the first voice said, “the way to hurt him isn’t to hurthim.”
Samuel Castle.
The realization stopped my breath.
At least I could sympathize with Darius. He had explained that he and his brothers had been enslaved since 900 B.C. or something crazy like that. He had also talked about some of their former masters and the cruel deeds they’d been forced to do.
Yes, I detested being held against my will, but I could understand where he was coming from. I didn’t like it, but I could understand it. He longed for his freedom as passionately as I did, and I couldn’t hold that against him.
But Samuel Castle? For what he did to Kerry, I wanted himdead.
There was a soft knock on my door.
“Gemma, we have a visitor,” Darius announced.
I remained silent, but stood as the door swung open. The djinni came in and stood to the right of the door, and Samuel Castle entered. I met his flat black eyes for a second, then shifted my gaze to Darius. His eyes were just as black, but they glittered like faceted onyx.
“You invitedhimhere?” I hissed.
“No, unfortunately, he found us.”
“Darius, you told me that, as your guest, I had a right to your protection.” I lifted my chin. “Do you still stand by that?”
“I mean you no harm,” Castle assured me.
“Like I believeyou,” I retorted.
“But you trust the djinni who kidnapped you?”
“Yes. I knowDariushas honor.”
The look on Darius’ face reminded me so much of Kerry’s when I complimented him, it pierced my heart.
“No harm will befall you while you remain in my custody,” he vowed.
The tight spool of fear in my chest relaxed a little.
He was no one’s ideal of a hero, but neither was Kerry. They both knew a kind of violence I couldn’t comprehend. They understood evil because it had lived inside them, yet I’d trust either of them with my life.
Unlike Samuel Castle, they were ashamed of the innocent blood on their hands.
“Thank you.” I gave him a nod, then turned to the real enemy. “What do you want, Mr. Castle?”
“I hope you know that you’re only a game piece on a chess board. You’re the last queen standing, and the next few moves end with you being sacrificed. Darius, however, wants to bargain with Harker first, which means youmightsurvive this. The problem is—”
“Kerry will kill you the second he sees you,” I finished for him. “What’s in this for you?”
“At the moment, Harker and I share two common goals. Kill Hubler and thwart the demon prince. I need you, your friends, Darius, and his brothers for that to happen.”
“I understand why you need the miracle worker and the djinn, but why Kerry?”
“He’s powerful—more powerful than I am—and he can confront Fire and the others in the open while I can only do so insecret. I cannot risk Fire realizing I’m working against him yet. I need him to think I’m under his thumb for a little longer.”
“How many pawns do you have in this game?” I wished my thinker wasn’t so busted. I really wanted to understand what was going on here. “And are you playing the black or the white side?”
“Too many pawns. And I’m onmyside, little girl. Always. But I’ll try to keep you and your friends alive if I can.”
