The expression of pure hatred he gave me was like a slap in the face, and I felt myself take a step back.
My stomach caved in on itself, and I managed to find my voice again. “I’m going to get you out of here. I swear it. I’m going to make this right.”
He shook his head, over and over again. His jaw was clenched, the muscles in his face bulging, and his expression promised murder. Not good.
“Logan?” I searched his face. Dark circles stained under his eyes, and he looked sick. He probably was, just as I was. Mortals couldn’t live in the Netherworld indefinitely, just like the demons couldn’t live in ours. But he wouldn’t look at me. His eyes were on the sand at his feet.
“Logan?” I tried again. Nothing.
His refusal to answer was worse than if he had slapped me across the face. I wish he had. Anything was better than the silent treatment right now. And when he moved away from me, well, that just about made me fall to my knees.
My heart dropped to the sand at my feet. Shame. Regret. Stupidity. All were rushing through my mind and body. It was almost too much.
But then I remembered she had done this. Not me. Vorkol wanted to hurt me in any way she could to get what she wanted. I didn’t know how she knew about Logan, but the demon bitch was good.
Angry tears threatened to spill down my cheeks as I looked up and met Vorkol’s happy expression. “What the hell is this?” I growled, my voice shaking with rage and sorrow.
She raised a perfect brow, her smile growing to reveal her white teeth. “Consider this a favor,” she purred, but I could barely hear her above the blood pounding in my ears.
“Favor?” I let out a short laugh. “You should stop smoking that demon crack.” Blood pounded in my temples. “How is this a favor?” Why don’t you come closer so I can slice your throat? I told her with my eyes.
“To help loosen your tongue, little bird,” said Vorkol, seemingly pleased. Duvali gave a little laugh. “I can keep torturing you until you break, or I can keep torturing him until you break. It’s your choice. See, you do have choices here, little bird. But you have to make up your mind at some point.”
“You psychotic bitch,” I cried, my body shaking and my nails digging into the leather of my gloves. “Let him go. He has nothing to do with this.”
“Of course he does,” she said, her red eyes widening. “I’m giving you a way out. He’s not a witch, but I hear the angel-born are warriors. I’m giving him to you.”
My lips trembled. “You can’t give people away like pets.”
Vorkol lifted her hand and pointed. “The angel-born will fight alongside you. He will bleed alongside you. And he will die alongside you. And if you’re smart enough,” she continued, “you’ll give me what I want, and you both can go free.”
At that, Logan’s head snapped up and I could feel his eyes on me. I couldn’t look at him. If I did, I would lose it. I wouldn’t be able to think logically, and I needed to focus. I had to be smart. Stupid and emotional would get me killed. Would get us both killed.
“How do I know you’re not lying?” I said, breathing hard, my throat burning with every gulp of that foul air. “You told me before if I won the duel I could go home. I killed your damn spider. But I’m still here.”
Irritation flickered on Vorkol’s face. “You cheated. Interference doesn’t count. Meddling is not winning.”
I pursed my lips. “If that were true, why did you let me finish? Why didn’t you stop the fight?”
Vorkol clicked her tongue and smiled. “I was entertained. You entertain me. Because the entertainment is over when I say it’s over.” She shrugged and added, “And it’s not over.”
Logan appeared next to me a heartbeat later. “Samantha,” he said, and I turned to look at him at the sound of urgency in his voice. “If you know something that can help us get out of here... tell her.”
Damn, he was pretty. His disheveled state and the anger rippling on his face made him all the more sexy. My mouth opened but I closed it again. How could I explain this to him?
“You don’t know what you’re asking,” I told him.
His brown eyes were fierce. “I’m asking you to help us get home. Tell her what she wants. I don’t want to think about the alternative.” When I didn’t answer, he leaned closer until his breath was hot on my neck. “We’ll die if we stay here.”
I frowned. Like I didn’t know that.
“Sam?” he pressed, his breath sending delicious tingles all along my skin. “Tell her. Whatever it is. Just do it.”
He really loved giving me orders. I stepped away. His nearness was making it harder to think. My eyes met Vorkol’s and I said, “And if I tell you what you want, you’ll let us go?” I asked. My eyes flicked to Faris, his face tensed and twisted in worry. I swallowed hard. “Both of us?” My eyes were back on the Greater demon.
Vorkol gave me a small, horrible smile. “Yes. Both of you.”
“And alive?”
“And alive,” agreed Vorkol. “Do we have a deal, little bird?”
Logan’s posture eased a little. He thought I was going to tell her. He didn’t understand.
I closed my eyes and took a breath, not a deep one. I tried to get a handle on my anger and focus. It wouldn’t profit me anything to lose control.
Turning her words over, I looked for loopholes in her phrasing, but I knew I was just fooling myself. I’d been at this a long time. Demons were master tricksters, liars, schemers and award-winning actors. Vorkol was the most talented of them all.
If I told her how I managed to kill Vargal—about my gift—we were dead. She’d never let us walk out alive, not after she’d taken my blood and my power. She might even kill everyone in this entire arena, just to keep it a secret, to keep it hers. She probably would. That’s what I’d do if I were her.
Either way, we were going to die. But if she let us live tonight, I had one more night to figure out how to escape. And escape was my only option.
I opened my eyes and braced myself for what I was about to say, and for Logan’s reaction.
“No deal,” I said, my voice carrying over the silence for a mere second before the arena burst into a chorus of excitement. The pricks wanted more fighting, but their mistress didn’t.
Vorkol’s expression became almost grotesque, and she rubbed her fingers across the armrest of her chair. “If you fail the next challenge, there won’t be anything left of you for me to play with.”
“I’ll take my chances,” I answered, seeing her eyes narrowing at my answer. That was not what she thought I’d say.
“Are you crazy?” shouted Logan as he whirled at me. “Tell her. Or I’ll make you tell her.”
I frowned, my anger bubbling to the surface again. “Really? I’d like to see you try.”
Logan clenched his jaw, reining in his anger. “You want to die here? Is that what you want?”
“No.”
“So tell her how you killed him,” said Logan, his voice final, but there was a bit of regret there as well.
I shook my head. “There’s nothing to tell. We fought. I defeated Vargal.” I dared a glance at Faris. His brown eyes were rounder than I remembered.