“See for yourself,” she stated, and moved away.
Caution tensed my muscles as I neared the table. When I peered over the rim of the chalice, my heart caught in my throat. I tried to make no noise, no expressions, but the Demon Princess was too astute to neglect to notice the smallest change. Words tumbled out, “It looks the same.” I glanced up at her, waiting for an explanation.
Her red lips twisted into a cruel smile as she pressed her fingers together. “Yes, it does. That means the bargain is still in effect. If there was a breech on one side, the chalice would have killed you when you glanced into it.” I glanced at her. Evil witch. She allowed me to near the thing so it would kill me. My jaw clenched. She continued, “There is one way to determine the outcome of the bargain.” My gaze locked onto her horrid eyes. Her deep voice made my skin crawl, “We each take a sip.”
“I’m not drinking your blood!” She reached for the cup, but I jerked it away from her grasp. I cradled the cup against my body, so she couldn’t take it without risking spilling the contents. Since she was so careful with it, I assumed she didn’t want to spill it. Locoicia’s lips pressed into a thin red line. I scolded, “Do you think I’m stupid? That I don’t know what that would do to me?” I had an idea, but the knowledge that the Demon Princess bestowed upon me didn’t cover in detail what would happen if I drank the contents of the chalice when a blood bargain had gone awry.
“You’re a stupid girl,” she snapped, reaching for the precious goblet, but I twisted away—careful not to spill its contents. Fury exploded the next time she spoke, “There’s no such thing as a two-directional blood bond! It has to be one-sided to implore powers of servitude over another. And since both our blood is in there—that can’t happen!” I knew that part. That was what she’d taught me, but I had a hunch that altering the bargain wasn’t in my favor. And I was already screwed every which way. I didn’t see how she could make it worse, but I wasn’t willing to take the chance. A new blood bargain would not fix the old one. It would only complicate it, and make it worse.
The Demon Princess didn’t reach for the chalice again. Instead, she held out her hand, as if demanding something from a naughty child. My brow wrinkled in response. There was no time to think. What was better? The unknown, or drinking her blood? Determination strengthened my resolve. I reached my arm forward, carefully moving the full goblet to her... when I abruptly tilted it, spilling the contents on the floor. Locoicia frantically tried to grab the chalice before it hit the floor, trying to save any of the cups contents, but it was too late. The cup clattered against the stone as our blood formed a scarlet puddle on the stone.
She stood there for a moment. Frozen. Her arms were tense, slightly away from her sides. I watched the blood seep between the crevices in the floor, filling each space between the stones like little red rivers. Without a word, her hand shot out and reached for my neck. I twisted out of her grip, and uttered a spell that slammed her to the floor and held her in place. If she got free, she’d kill me.
I kicked the goblet that lay next to her head. It clattered across the floor, away from her face. “There is no bargain. It’s gone.”
Locoicia’s hood fell away as she turned her face, fighting to free herself from my spell. Flame-filled violet eyes were swimming with rage. Dark hair fell across her face, obscuring it from me. But there was skin. Flesh. How could that be? She was a demon. I knelt next to her, feeling my power draining by the second and brushed the hair away from her face. Shock coursed through me as I stumbled back. Alabaster skin lined high cheekbones. Hair brown as chocolate flowed in long curly locks and spilled onto the floor. The shape of her lips, chin, and the set of her eyes... My hand slapped over my mouth. There was one place, one spot on her cheek that was covered in black scales. I didn’t know what I was seeing. I didn’t know why she looked like me, and I didn’t have time to find out.
The Demon Princess snarled, fighting against the spell that pressed her face to the floor, “You fool! Spilling the cup doesn’t end anything! It forces the bargain to remain, unaltered. It needed to be changed!” she hissed.
I rose, looking down at her and said with complete certainty, “No it didn’t. I will kill Kreturus. I will fulfill my end of the bargain. I won’t default because you twisted my words. It’s set in stone, now. And, if you failed to teach me everything—I mean every little thing there was—you default. And I win.” The pain price was about to slam into me. I wasn’t sure if I could hold onto the enchantment holding her in place.
Moving rapidly toward the mirror, she called out behind me, “You’re a clever girl. A cold-hearted clever girl. How do you intend to protect young Collin Smith when you kill the Demon King? Their fates are intertwined. You need me. You need my skill and the way I use my magic, not just my wisdom, if you wish to save him.” I stopped, and turned slowly. Her body was pressed to the floor as if an anvil was holding her in place. Her words unnerved me terribly, making me pause to listen to her. Seeing her face was like looking in a mirror at an evil version of me. Locoicia spoke as I stared at our matching faces. “I’ll help you save him. There are ways to defy his destiny.” Her words grew more confident and less panicked as she spoke. I paused, staring at her. I knew she was lying, but I couldn’t walk away. I couldn’t miss the chance to save Collin. It was something I didn’t want to think about. I didn’t know what to do. I’d hoped the prophecy was wrong—that he would live. But hope was a foolish thing to hang all my hope on. I knew it. And so did Locoicia.