Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked, 1)

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.”

“By Envy’s blade?” I rubbed at the place on my neck where he’d pressed his dagger. “I didn’t think he’d cut me that deeply.”

“No, bambina. You’ve been Marked by a prince of the underworld in a different way. It’s supposedly a high honor among their ruling Houses. Very few are given them.”

She had to be mistaken. Instead of arguing, I headed into our little bathing chamber. I moved my hair to the side, and leaned in. I didn’t notice anything unusual, let alone a special mark.

“See?” Nonna appeared behind me and traced the area. She must have used some spell because suddenly a tiny, shimmering S gleamed back at me. I squinted. Or was that a snake?

I stood there, unmoving. It was the place Wrath’s tongue moved across me the night I’d almost died in the Viperidae attack. He’d also traced it again earlier tonight. I tentatively reached up and brushed my fingers across it. Coolness bit into my skin. I frowned. “What does it do?”

Nonna didn’t seem at all pleased. “It allows you to summon the demon who placed it there without the use of an object that belongs to him. As long as the prince of Hell draws breath, nothing will prevent him from answering the summoning.”

“You mean . . . I can just summon him without his dagger?”

Nonna nodded slowly. She seemed on the verge of a lecture, so I quickly let my hair fall back down. “It’s a dangerous thing, Emilia. Who placed that on you?”

There was no point in lying. “The Prince of Wrath.”

“Are you certain?” she asked. I nodded. Wrath had been the only one who’d touched me. I tried not to think about his lips on my neck earlier tonight. Or how it had made me feel. Nonna just stared for another minute. “I suppose there’s no denying it now.”

“Denying what?”

“The prophecy. Back when I was a young woman, I was entrusted with being one of the keepers of the Horn of Hades.”

I was at a loss for words. I replayed her confession and somehow managed to formulate a few decent questions. “Keepers?” I asked. “How many are there? And what prophecy?”

“Patience. I’ll get to that, bambina.”

My hand moved to my sister’s amulet. “Did you ever wear them?”

“No, never. Each generation, dating back from when La Prima first handed them off, a witch was chosen to guard them. We were told of an ancient prophecy involving twin witches. When they were born, on the night of a terrible storm, only then could the amulets be worn.”

I took a deep breath. It was a lot to absorb at once. “How do you know Vittoria and I are the subjects? Maybe there are other twins . . .”

“No other twin witches, both with magic, have been born into this line.”

“Ever?” I asked. Nonna shook her head. “What exactly was the prophecy about?”

Nonna took another long pull on her wine, her expression sad. “The twins would signal the end of the devil’s curse, and would be forced to make great sacrifices to keep the gates of Hell intact. If they choose to do nothing, Hell will reign on earth. The twins are meant to bring balance to both realms. As above, so below.”

My heart thrummed. There was something about that phrase, something buried deep . . . I’d heard it before, twice. The first time when I was under Lust’s influence. And then when I was recovering afterward with Wrath. “What does that part mean, exactly?”

“No one knows for certain,” Nonna said, her attention shifting to where my parents were now stirring. “It has been a constant argument among the thirteen witch families of Palermo. Some believe it refers to the use of light and dark magic. Few think it means a prince will fall in love with a witch. Others believe it means one twin will rule in Hell to stop this world from being destroyed. And then there are others who think both twins are meant to sacrifice themselves to save both realms. One to heaven, and the other to Hell.”

“How does being Marked fit in with—”

“If the prophecy holds true, there’s not much time left. The gates are breaking.” Nonna suddenly pushed me out of the small room and down the corridor. “You must run, Emilia. Leave us here and go. We’ll wait a day or so and then go into hiding as well. We will find a way to meet again one day. For now, you must leave here and do not draw another prince of Hell’s attention. Do you understand? Do not trust them, any of them. We will find a way to temporarily spell the gates. You concentrate on staying hidden.”

“I can’t—”

“You will. You will because you must. Leave here before that demon returns. We will find a way to stop the prophecy, we just need some time.” Nonna cupped my face tenderly, her brown eyes watering. “Love is the most powerful magic. Above all else, remember that. It will always guide you where you need to go.” She dropped her hands and stepped back. “Now go, bambina. Go be brave. Your heart will conquer darkness. Trust in that.”