Page 136 of Architecti
“Did she die?”
“No.”
A nasty sneer curls his lip and makes spite dance in his features.“Then I fulfilled my end of the bargain.I gave you what you asked for.”
I stand tall, my body tense and rigid.My fists clenching and unclenching.
“I didn’t ask to be cheated on.”
His face twitches as if he’s trying not to smirk.He leans forward on the desk, clasping his hands.
“Let me get this right… you thought, because your girlfriend?—”
“Ex.”
There’s that twitch again, and it makes me want to pick up one of the blades from his shelves and cut it from his smug face.
“You thought because yourexcheated on you that it would negate our blood contract?”He raises an eyebrow.
“I thought it was worth a shot.”
“Nothing breaks a contract, Mercedes.”
“My name is Midnight.And that isn’t true, is it?”
He leans back in his chair.“Oh?”
“There are several recorded cases of contract breaks.Renegotiated, angelic blessings from the Crowned Moth and…”
“And?”he says, raising an eyebrow, clearly knowing exactly what the last method of contract breaking is.
“And the death of the demon.”
He laughs, wipes his nose.“And you thought you could what?Summon me in that salt circle and stab an angel blade in my back?”
I shrug.“Anything’s worth a shot when you’ve nothing left to lose.”
He tilts his head at me, examining me.My arm sears hot, the brand flaring bright red.I’m dragged across the room until he lunges for my wrist and pulls me halfway across his desk.
“For wasting my time, I’m going to make you my personal reaper.”
“No,” I snarl through gritted teeth and try to wrench my hand away.I will not let him control even more of my life and what little time I have left.
The brand on my arm grows so hot it makes my eyes water.I bite the inside of my cheek against the rapidly blistering skin.My brand morphs and changes.The stench of burnt flesh fills the air, and I gag.
I wriggle harder, desperate to stop this, to change my fate.But I should have learned this by now.We mere mortals do not control our fate.We are nothing in a world of angels and demons.
Several entropy moths materialise and flutter around my head, sealing my fate.
That cunt.
Finally, he releases my hand, and I recoil, stumbling back and cupping my still sizzling wrist.
“You will spend the next nine years reaping souls for me, Mercedes, and then you’ll have the pleasure of reaping your own soul.”
With every ounce of poison I can muster, I say, “And if I refuse?”
“Feisty, aren’t we.I already have control of your soul… but I tell you what.I like your sass, and I’m in a good mood today.I’ll give you one IOU during the nine years to be used however you like.No questions asked.”
