Nonna tried warning us about the Malvagis’ lies. I should have listened.

He stepped into my path, moving almost faster than my senses could detect. “Have my actions not told you the truth? Forget the last several weeks. Saving your life from the Viperidae. The impenetrable palace. The elemental bath. Do you think I need to sleep in a place protected by magic? I, who cannot be killed?”

“I don’t have time for this.” I marched past him toward the stairs. “I’m going back home to stay with my family. Envy is holding them captive. Something else he said that turned out to be true.”

He stormed up after me. “No.”

“I don’t recall asking for permission, demon.”

“Envy will stick a dagger in your back the second he gets what he’s after.”

“Am I your prisoner now?”

“No, but I’d be happy to toss you in a dungeon, if that’s what you’d like.”

I ignored him and rummaged through new dresses that had magically appeared in a broken dresser sometime in the last few hours. Wrath had a serious obsession with providing clothing for me.

I found a simple charcoal dress that would be easy to run in and laid it across the bed. I couldn’t believe I now had to choose my wardrobe based on if I could easily flee from a demon, vampire, or other nasty assailant.

Wrath crossed his arms and set his feet. If he thought I’d hesitate to change in front of him, he had much to learn of me. I stepped out of my current dress and the silky material pooled at my feet. Wrath watched impassively as I slipped into the new ensemble.

Now that I knew that Envy wanted the Horn of Hades, I needed to locate my amulet. Immediately. Before I handed it over, I’d strike a bargain with him. I’d make him vow to lock the gates of Hell before any more demons snuck through them, and then he could go to war with the entire underworld. As long as our world was protected, I didn’t care what happened in their realm.

I tied my long hair up with a ribbon, fastened a small belt with a pouch around my waist, and added moon-blessed chalk and dried yarrow to it. It was the best I could do by way of protecting myself. I left the room and headed back down the stairs.

Wrath followed me through the corridor and paused near the door to the gardens. I stuck an arm out and barred him from crossing the threshold.

“Do not come after me, I mean it.”

“Emilia, please. Don’t—”

“I swear on my blood, if you follow me, I will sever our summoning bond and send you straight to Hell.”

Wrath pressed his lips together—the only outward indication he was less than pleased, but didn’t argue, or make a move to come with me again. Feeling relieved, I slipped out the garden exit, pushed through a tangle of vines and overgrown shrubs, and darted into the night.

Forty-One

Two doors away from my home, I became aware of the near silent footfall behind me. After the night I’d had—with my best friend’s scrying from Hell, thirsty vampires, and devious demon kidnappers—I wasn’t sure what to expect.

There were any number of nasties out for witch blood. Maybe the Umbra demon was back, or another Aper demon was in pursuit. For some reason, I thought about Envy and Greed teaming up to collect the Horn of Hades before divesting me of my skin, and shivered.

I wasn’t at all prepared for Fratello Carmine. His dark robes swished across the stones, like little whispers of warnings to run and hide.

I quickly wedged myself between two buildings next door to my house, heart hammering as the sound of his pursuit grew closer. He kept a steady pace, head swiveling from side to side, as he passed me by. I wasn’t sure who he was looking for. Maybe he was trying to find where Antonio had brought Claudia. I should have known he wouldn’t let my friend leave without being sure the devil wasn’t in her.

I waited a few beats before I peered around the side of the house. He’d stopped near the end of the street and was having a hushed conversation with another member of the brotherhood. Fragments drifted over to where I hid.

“Antonio . . . night . . .”

“. . . unholy.”

“. . . missing.”

“Found . . . signs?”

I leaned against the building and took a few deep breaths. Antonio was missing because a prince of Hell was holding him hostage. And it was all my fault for asking him to walk Claudia home. I needed to fix this before anyone else got hurt. Brother Carmine hardly needed a reason to start a witch hunt. The mere fact that he’d been called back from wherever the church had sent him was a sign they believed the devil was on the prowl.

I slipped out from the shadows and hurried into my house.

There were three demons crammed inside the kitchen with my family. One was the ram-headed demon that Envy still had guarding my parents. The other was nothing more than a dense shadow hovering above Nonna and a slumped and sedated Claudia—the Umbra demon. Antonio wasn’t among the group, and my stomach twisted with worry. I wasn’t sure how demons felt about humans who devoted themselves to God, but it didn’t bode well for my childhood friend. I also didn’t see the vampire anywhere. I hoped that didn’t mean he was feasting on Antonio.

The final demon in the room was the traitor prince himself, Envy.

“Where’s Alexei?” I asked, not wanting any other surprises.

“He’s back in the kingdom, watching over House Envy until I return.” Envy lounged on Nonna’s rocking chair, his boots kicked up onto our island. Dirt splattered the stone top. The very place where my sister used to labor over potions and drinks. Something dark and vicious ignited inside me at the sight. Envy didn’t appear concerned. “Unless you have the other amulet, pet, this visit is most unwelcome.”

Maybe it was the simmering rage I’d tried smothering after my encounter with Wrath, or the sight of my loved ones huddled on the floor in our own home, or pure recklessness, but I’d had it. I marched over and smacked Envy’s boots off our island. “Show a little respect, your highness. This might be how you treat things in your hellhole, but this is our home.”

Envy’s blade was at my throat before I had time to blink. “You asked Wrath about the soul, didn’t you? I imagine you didn’t like what he had to say.” He pressed the dagger a little harder. I felt a slight prick as it pierced my skin. I held still, not daring to breathe. “Do not take your own wrath out on me, or I will turn this blade loose on your grandmother. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as watching a witch bleed. Especially one who—”

“Silentium.”

The spell rang through the room as if Envy’s words had been cut off with the swish of a knife. Nonna rose up from the ground, a faint purple glow surrounding her. I couldn’t believe it. She’d forced the demon prince into silence. She clutched her cornicello and began chanting a spell I’d never heard. I stared, unblinking, as her voice grew stronger. I didn’t know she’d healed. The demons didn’t seem to realize it, either, an error they were about to pay for. Nonna drew an image in the space before her, and a glowing, unearthly cimaruta charm appeared there.

I was so stunned by her show of power, I didn’t notice the glittering black portal forming behind Envy. My mouth opened in shock. Holy goddess above . . .

The purple light surrounding Nonna ended in tips of silver now. Envy, for the first time, looked worried. He took a small step backward, eyes flashing toward his demons, but Nonna yanked a handful of dried fennel from her skirt pocket and whispered an enchantment that locked his feet in place.

A flick of her wrist and black thread spooled into the air before the prince of Hell, then slithered toward his feet like serpents. The other two demons moved toward Envy, only to be driven back by black shadows spun from the spell. I could barely hear over the pounding of my heart when I saw what my grandmother had done. She’d magically sewn his feet to the floor. Now he couldn’t speak, or move. His eyes widened enough to show the whites.

Nonna returned to her spell. “A key to lock, a moon to guide.”

My attention flew back to the magical image of a rue branch as each of the five stalks began shifting and stretching into different shapes. A key and a full moon formed at the end of two branches. I suddenly knew exactly what Nonna was doing. She caught my eye.

“Now, Emilia!”

I held on to Vittoria’s cornicello and focused on the glowing cimaruta, feeding Nonna’s spell with my own power. “A dagger to kill, a snake to die.”

Two more images appeared on the glowing charm.

Nonna nodded in approval, and we said the final part of the spell together, our voices ringing as a swirling vortex of wind howled inside the portal.

“Blessed owl go forth and fly.”

The final image burst at the end of the cimaruta. Now all five charms pulsed with purple light. Nonna walked over to where Envy stood frozen, leaned in, and whispered something that made his eyes widen even more.

Then she planted both hands on his chest and sent him straight to Hell. The two remaining demons dove through the portal after him. Nonna dropped her amulet and slumped against the island. The cimaruta faded away. A breath later, the portal closed. Silence blanketed the room. I kind of felt like falling to my knees, or throwing up.

My attention shifted to my parents who were still in that foggy, near-unconscious state. Claudia was also slumped over, her eyes shut as if in sleep. Whatever magic Envy had used on them must need time to wear off. Nonna crossed the tiny kitchen and plopped into her rocking chair. “Grab the wine from the ice box and take a seat, bambina. We have much to discuss and not much time. That spell won’t last for long. I have a feeling he’ll be back.”

I stared at my grandmother. She just drew a glowing cimaruta and banished a prince of Hell to the underworld. And instead of looking drained, her eyes were alight. In fact, if I looked closely, I swore little twinkling stars shined in her irises. “What kind of magic was that?”

“The kind that will demand payment. Now get me the wine.” I poured two glasses and handed one to Nonna. She took a deep pull and exhaled. While she sipped from her glass again, I set mine down and pulled my hair back. The spell we used had made me break a sweat. Nonna’s attention snapped to my neck, her color draining. “You’ve been Marked.”