The Kraken's Sacrifice (A Deal With a Demon #2)(10)

“We don’t have as many humans in our territory as you do,” Embry cuts in. No one looking at us would mistake zir and me for anything other than siblings, for all that Embry inherited our mother’s more green-based tones. Ze and I both got our father’s crooked nose, which ze is looking down right now. “Honestly, Thane, he’s right. What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t—”

“I think that is abundantly clear.”

“Enough, Azazel. We both know this wasn’t intentional.” There’s no relief to be had in Embry’s defense, though, because ze points a finger at me. “But you should have asked for more details before bringing her back through the canal.”

“It’s the quickest way home.” That’s the only thing I was thinking about.

No, that’s a lie. It wasn’t the only thing I was thinking about it. I couldn’t get the sight of Brant’s bracelet in Ramanu’s hands out of my head. We may not have many humans, or the like, in our territory these days, but the bracelets were always in high demand before among people who wanted to play tourist in their respective rivers and lakes. Especially parents of children who lived close to bodies of water. The assurance that they wouldn’t drown was worth its weight in gold.

Not that Brant ever charged enough for the bracelets.

Seeing Ramanu holding one of them, knowing the demon possibly even got it from Brant himself, felt like a slap in the face. I couldn’t think beyond the need to reclaim the item and get out of the castle as quickly as possible. The deep path is the fastest, so that’s the one I took.

It never occurred to me that it could hurt Catalina.

I glance at the bed. She levitates over it, wrapped in a bubble of magic that Embry assures me is proven to help humans with this particular sickness.

A sickness I caused with my carelessness.

“They can’t adjust to depth changes as quickly as we can. If you take her deep, you have to ease her back to the surface.” Embry swirls zir fingers through the air, eyes narrowed as ze considers Catalina. “She’ll be fine.”

“This time.” Azazel still looks like he wants to beat my face in. I don’t blame him. I made a mistake—a costly one. He glares. “No one can argue this isn’t harm. I’d be well within my rights to call this contract null and void.”

I tense. If he does that, I’ll lose the territory to him. I’ll lose Embry’s territory to him. The thought leaves me sick to my stomach. “I meant her no harm.”

“Intentions matter less than the result. You caused harm, no matter what you meant to do.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Someone get the record books, Thane has apologized.” The raspy quip makes us all look at the bed. Catalina has her eyes cracked. She still looks too pale and almost frail, but she must be feeling better if she can mouth off.

Azazel is at her side in an instant. “I apologize, Catalina. I didn’t realize Thane’s intentions to travel the way he did, or I would have educated him on the dangers involved for you.”

She looks at him, and there’s something wary in her hazel eyes that makes me want to shift between Azazel and her. It doesn’t make any sense. If anything, she should be looking to the demon for protection from me. Azazel is a fearsome leader, but he has a reputation for taking great care with his humans. Surely she must know that, or she wouldn’t have entered into the bargain with him in the first place.

Catalina blinks, and the moment passes. “I’m fine. No harm done.”

“I disagree,” he growls.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter if you agree or not, does it? Now be a good demon daddy and tell Thane you’re not going to take his territory over a simple misunderstanding.”

Embry’s eyes are far too wide as ze takes in the human. “Catalina—”

“A simple mistake,” Catalina says firmly. It doesn’t seem to matter that she’s flat on her back in a room filled with three beings bigger and stronger than her. There’s not even a waver there.

Something akin to admiration flares inside me. I don’t understand this woman, and frankly, I find her borderline abrasive in the short time we’ve known each other, but she’s no coward.

Azazel curses softly. “I promised you safety, Catalina.”

“There are no guarantees in this world, just like there are no guarantees in mine.” She smiles a little. “Thanks for riding to my rescue like a horny knight in shining armor, but I’m perfectly fine.”

She’s lying through her teeth. Oh, it’s not there in her voice or her placid expression, but I can feel it in her body all the same. She’s not fine, for all that she wants us to believe it. But why? What motivation could she possibly have to lie for me? If the contract is broken, Azazel will sweep her back to the castle and spend the next seven years ensuring she wants for nothing to make up for it. He’s a bastard, but he’s a fair one.

Azazel finally nods. “Should anything change—”

“It won’t.”

He turns to me. “No more mistakes, Thane.”

“You have my word.” I didn’t intend to be careless with her, but Azazel is right. Intentions matter little where harm is concerned. “It won’t happen again.”