Page 67 of A Dark and Lovely Devastation

“Yes,” she cried into his hand. “Oh please, I accept, I accept!”

One of his clawed hands reached out and wrapped around the fist that clenched the last token. “As do I.”

The faintest of warmth singed along Macha’s palm before the token vanished from her hand.

Her blood cooled. Ornan released her and gave her the most gracious of smiles. “Thank you, Macha, I look forward to our arrangement. Now I must speak to your sisters one last time. Please let me chat with Badb.”

“Wait…” She sensed him pausing, responding to her. Yes, she wanted this.

Badb roared within her. Macha had been so lost in the rapture of Ornan boiling her blood, her sisters’ voices had faded away entirely.

What have you done?Morrigan raged. But it was Badb that caused Macha to tremble.

I’m sorry, sister,Macha thought.

I wish to speak with him, Badb demanded.

Yes, yes. Whatever you want.

Badb wanted to tear him apart for his trickery. Her fists balled. Ornan marked the movement with his eyes.

“My business with Macha is complete. Or shall I say it is beginning?” He raised an eyebrow and smirked. “You have promised me my dues.”

Reaching out, he pulled a knife and an empty vial out of thin air. Morrigan had been wise to refuse him straight out. Drawing blood in front of a demon was dangerous.

“Leave and come back. The vial shall be ready for you by then.”

Ornan pouted. “Yes, yes.” He moved into the shadows and vanished.

She used the knife to prick her finger, and she worked her blood into the tiny container until it was filled, replacing the stopper. As soon as she did, the knife, along with the small mark on her finger, disappeared.

Ornan appeared out of the gloom of a nearby stack.

She held out the vial. “I offer Morrigan’s blood to you, Ornan of the demons, as a gift from me.”

He snatched up the vial. “I accept this gift from you, Badb. And I look forward to the fulfilling of our arrangement. I would very much appreciate it if I might speak with Morrigan?”

Oh hell, oh hell. What had just happened? Everything I had been trying to do—it was gone. No, it was so much worse. Badb’s deal with Ornan. His binding deal with Macha. I wanted to be sick.

Ornan gave me a dark smile. “I guess you should not have refused me.”

I had no choice now. Macha using my body. Macha conceiving at Ornan’s request. I never thought I would admit it, but it turned out there were things worse than falling.

“We are done.” My skirts swirled around my legs as I spun to stalk away. I’d tell Dagda. The stakes were too high. For the Otherworld and for me.

“Still trying to get out of paying for you bargain, I see,” Ornan sneered from behind me.

I whirled back around, tired of his games. Furious at everything he’d just stolen from me. “There is no bargain. You have my blood, you took my last wish—”

He held up the bottle, swooshing it as it splashed up against the glass sides of the vial. “I do have your blood. But I had requested that you offer it to me of your own volition and you did not. No, Badb had to take over your body and give it to me as agift. You know what a gift is, do you not?”

I swallowed. Badb had given Ornan my blood, not me, and now—I still owed him.I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut in.

“This is what I want. And this time, you have no choice but to comply. You will neither speak nor communicate a word concerning what has happened here today—nor shall you communicate anything involving me or my dealings with your sisters forthwith. You shall not communicate about anything that you know will come in the future.”

A power issued out of him as the last words left his mouth and my throat constricted as if in obedience, the force of his compulsion settling on my shoulders like a weight.

Ornan’s wicked smile became content. “A queen’s silence on such important matters pertaining to her kingdom is rare indeed.” He turned to the shadows. “Do you sense that, Morrigan? It is the feel of a bargain locking into place. It is glorious, is it not?”

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