Vicious Little Vows, page 1
Copyright © 2025 by Sara C. Roethle
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Art by Phoenix Designs
Chapter Art by Red Headed Trickster
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue
ONE
“You’re both being oddly calm about this.”
We were in Mistral’s bedroom, leaving Crispin and Ringo in the sitting room for a little privacy. The plan for the day was to take a closer look at the old goblin portal, but there was something I needed to do first. It was no easy task telling your two boyfriends you had slept with a devil, even if they had technically given permission. We weren’t necessarily exclusive—I hadn’t done anything wrong—but I didn’t want any secrets. Especially a secret Sebastian might let slip just to piss one of the goblins off.
Gabriel crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. His eyes were stormy, but he hadn’t seemed surprised by the admission. His tight black shirt and jeans looked out of place against stone walls and glass sconces, but he dressed in modern street clothes more often than not these days. Mostly because he had to spend so much of his time chasing me around the city.
Mistral, of course, appeared thoughtful. Thoughts I was trying to mentally prompt him to say out loud. Instead, he leaned back on the cushions of his bed, tilting his chin to drape his long white hair over the shoulder of his cream-colored linen shirt. His gray pants ended at his bare feet a few shades darker, if not a similar hue.
“It definitely wasn’t planned,” I continued, fidgeting where I stood. “The magic just kind of took over.”
“We have already discussed this, Eva. You are connected to him as much as to either of us.” Mistral shrugged. “I’m surprised it took this long.”
I looked around for something to throw at him, but Gabriel shifted away from the wall. “We should get to the pool. It’s a long walk.”
Before I could say anything, he let himself out the door.
I turned, ready to go after him.
“He’ll need time, Eva.”
I looked over at Mistral, still resting serenely against the pillows. His shirt had a thin tie at the collar, left dangling to showcase the smooth gray skin of his chest. “He’s obviously pissed.”
“He’s not—” he pursed his lips like the next word tasted bad, “pissed. At least not at you. Sebastian, however…”
My brows lifted, I walked toward him then sat down on the bed, facing him. “Do I need to be worried about violence?”
Mistral lowered his chin, a soft smile gracing his lips. “I would not invite Gabriel to the apartment for a few days. And I would ask Sebastian to refrain from any… taunting.”
“You and I both know that’s a lost cause.”
Mistral simply smiled, seemingly unworried, though he had plenty of worries beyond Gabriel’s temper. Worries like the magic of the Bogs unraveling, threatening to take him along with it.
“Right. I’ll keep them apart until Gabriel chills out.” I looked him up and down. “What about you?”
“We have already discussed this, Eva.”
“So you’re totally fine with me sleeping with whomever, whenever.” He was honestly being great about everything, but for some reason, it bothered me. Maybe because it made me feel like he not only didn’t care about who I slept with, but about me.
Probably noticing the change in my expression, he stood. Taking my hand, he guided me to my feet. Normal touches had become easier. Skin on skin didn’t always summon my magic now, as long as I stayed calm. I was getting better at controlling it, though I rarely gave myself the credit.
Once I was up, Mistral remained close, one hand snaking around my waist. His other hand tilted my chin up toward him, and a spark of magic finally flared. The main issue with controlling things was that all hints of calmness fled me when any of the guys touched me a certain way.
“Eva,” he began, his eyes darting down to my lips then back to my eyes, “I have lived many human lifetimes. In my realm I was a prince. I courted. I fell in love. I lost love.”
I gazed up into his gray eyes, relaxing, but still wondering where he was going with this.
He stroked my cheek. “You are young, Eva. You deserve to have experiences, and to learn from them. I would never rob you of that.” His fingers trailed down my neck, combing back into my hair, making more magic prickle between us. “Perhaps I feel a twinge of jealousy from time to time, but then I remember.”
I frowned. “Remember what?”
His lips grazed mine. He spoke against my mouth, lowering his voice to a whisper. “You came to me willingly. You came to me first, before any bonds had been formed.” He kissed me again, smiling against my lips. “Sebastian cannot say the same.”
I pulled back enough to meet his eyes. “It’s not a competition.”
“Perhaps not to you or I, but I take pleasure in the fact that you could have chosen anyone to confide in, and you chose me.”
Damn, how was I supposed to be mad at him when he was looking at me like that? His fingers traced light lines at the nape of my neck as he kissed me again, his hand at my back lightly kneading.
I smoothed my hands up his chest. Yes, we had things to do, but I just couldn’t help myself. I wanted to lift his shirt, to explore.
“Will you stay with us tonight?” His voice was hoarse, just the light petting between us sparking power.
My throat went dry. That sounded perfect, but if Gabriel was still pissed he might need space. And Sebastian—
Did I actually want to return to him at the apartment too?
I had thought when I finally found my mother, things would be way less complicated, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
“We’ll see how it goes.”
His brows lifted, his eyes still dark with heat. “Must I bribe you with sweets?”
“Crispin bought donuts this morning.”
He sighed dramatically, loosening his grip, but not quite releasing me. “It seems I’ve been outmatched.”
“That’s not true and you know it. But Gabriel’s right about one thing. We should get to the pool while it’s still light out.”
It definitely wasn’t the top priority, but it was the only thing I could do something about right now. Sebastian was trying to figure out a way to contact his sister without actually going to the hells. The thought of working with her gave me the heebie-jeebies, but he was right. It might be necessary if she actually knew where my great grandfather was. We needed to find him before he learned about me. Find him and kill him.
So yeah, right now, thinking about the pool was easier.
Mistral’s fingertips danced across the side of my brow, trailing down my temple. “So many thoughts, and none of them about me.”
I lifted the brow he had just been stroking. “I thought you said you weren’t jealous.”
“Jealous, no. Competitive, perhaps.”
I met his eyes again as he drew me back in. “Should I be worried?”
“About a great many things, dear Eva. But you already know that.” He kissed me again, deep and long, his vanilla and ozone scent filling my senses. Cool magic trickled down my skin like raindrops. When he pulled away, a few tiny stars drifted around us.
Smiling, he slid his hand down my arm, raising goosebumps, then twined his fingers with mine. “Just promise me you won’t jump through the pool like you did with the portal in Emerald Heights.”
“I didn’t jump through.” I scowled. “I was pulled.”
He tugged me toward the door, glancing back at me. “Still, I believe I will maintain my grip on your hand.”
I smirked. “I guess I can deal with that.”
He slipped on his socks and boots near the door, then pulled me closer to his side as we exited and walked down the hall. Hopefully Gabriel would be waiting with Crispin and Ringo. I didn’t think he would intentionally confront Sebastian, but you never knew. Just in case it was a possibility, the Bogs was the best place to be, considering it was one of the few places Sebastian couldn’t go.
Though that would soon change too if Sebastian had his way. Since Mistral couldn’t leave, the only way for us to fully test the conduit star would be for the devil to come to the Bogs. And while the goblin holding my hand tended to be a rather agreeable sort, Sebastian might just be the exception.
TWO
Dappled sunlight kissed my bare shoulders, providing little hints of warmth in the cool shade of the trees. A larger source of warmth curled against my neck, anchoring himself with a lock of my hair. Ringo shivered with excitement, pleased to be part of the adventure this time. Ahead of us, Mistral led the way. At my side walked Crispin. And bringing up the rear was Gabriel. I couldn’t help but picture him as a brooding storm cloud behind us. The massive sword strapped across his back only added to the image. Thus far, the magic of the Bogs hadn’t really tried to hurt me… unless you counted dropping me into a nest of hostile merrows. Okay, so maybe it didn’t always have my best interests at heart.
“Are there many trolls in these parts?” Crispin was saying to me as he strolled by my side. As he walked his blue eyes caught flashes of sunlight through the leaves, making them flash almost white then back to blue. “While your former employer is impressive, it would be a unique experience to see a full-blooded troll. They don’t tend to appear in the city.”
Ringo shivered. “Trolls will try to eat you.”
I raised an eyebrow at Crispin as we continued down the overgrown path. “He’s not wrong.”
Crispin’s brow furrowed. “But surely with the ruler of this realm along—” He gestured to Mistral ahead of us, his long white hair shining whenever a hint of light broke through the tree cover.
“That depends on whether I choose to protect you,” Mistral replied without looking back, his voice drifting down the narrow path.
Crispin looked at me, clearly unsure if Mistral was being serious.
I shrugged, and he frowned. “Lovely.”
“Hey,” I said, stepping over a fallen log. “At least the old portal here didn’t pull me through into a pocket realm.”
“Silvana is grateful that the one in Emerald Heights did.”
I was grateful in a way, too, even though it had been a harrowing experience. The thought of those elves being stuck in that tiny realm for so long…
They were resilient, I’d give them that much. Especially considering the shadow creatures lurking in the woods. When King Francis first detailed the dark “things” endangering the realms, I hadn’t entirely believed him. Now I did. They had taken the shape of animals in the forest, but what else might they become if they were loosed upon the city? I wished I’d had time to ask my mom about them—she had been the one to sever the pathways after all, and it was for that very reason. But during the short time we’d had with her, my great grandfather wanting to kill her had taken priority.
“You’re wishing you brought coffee, aren’t you? You only make that face when you want coffee.”
I sighed, glancing at Crispin. “I don’t know how you can watch me while walking without running into anything.”
He shrugged. “It’s an elf thing.”
“Here we are,” Mistral announced ahead of us. He looked up a steep rise, at the top of which was a cave. It hadn’t seemed nearly as daunting that night when we’d climbed down, helped along by the land, which had been pleased with our… activities.
Crispin leaned in near my shoulder as we stopped to observe the climb ahead. “You don’t think Gabriel would carry me, do you?” he whispered.
I resisted the urge to glance back at the grumpy goblin in question. “Doubtful.”
“Disappointing,” Crispin sighed, then started up the incline after Mistral.
We worked our way up, taking switchbacks where possible. I seemed to be the only one panting, and the only one slipping on stray rocks, but that was to be expected. None of the guys made comment, and Crispin helped me over the more treacherous areas. It was becoming clear just how much the land had helped us last time, including transporting us straight to the cave. Maybe we should have tried that again.
Judging by the angle of the murky sun, it would be dark by the time we returned to the Citadel. If we returned. There was always the possibility that we’d get sucked through another portal, though Mistral deemed it unlikely.
At least all the way out here, there was no one to see us. If someone ratted us out to Elizabeta, the master vampire of the city, there would be hell to pay. She had strictly forbidden us from opening new pathways, and the werewolves of Braxton’s pack were backing her up. The idea of my adopted family turning against me was almost as worrying as Elizabeta’s threats. Perhaps even more so.
And it was a big part of why I was anxious to return to the apartment. Maybe Sebastian would actually be able to reach his sister. She was our best chance of finding my great grandfather, acquiring the Realm Breaker, and protecting my mother.
I wiped sweat from my brow as we reached the cave. My neck was sore and scratched from Ringo’s clinging. Normally he would run about on his own, but he seemed uneasy being so deep in the forest. Given that we’d first met when I’d saved him from a troll’s cookpot, I couldn’t exactly blame him for being cautious.
Hands on hips, Crispin observed the cave entrance with narrowed eyes. “The magic does feel different here, but I would have missed this place searching on my own. There is already so much… unsteadiness.”
I met Mistral’s eyes beyond Crispin. I had told the elf a bit about the unstable nature of the Bogs, but not everything. Crispin didn’t understand just how dire that unsteadiness was.
I jumped when Gabriel touched my lower back, but it was only to move me a step away from the edge. Looking down, I appreciated the gesture. I’d hate to make the climb again, and that was assuming I’d actually survive the fall.
“May I go in?” Crispin asked, his head turned toward Mistral.
Mistral hesitated. He’d agreed to this—it was worth exploring—but I knew he was protective of his secrets, lest they be used against him. He was more comfortable with Crispin exploring my connection to the land, rather than the land itself.
When Mistral’s eyes landed on me and he finally nodded, Crispin strode into the cave.
I looked back at Gabriel, who at the very least wasn’t glaring at me, then walked past Mistral to follow Crispin.
It was just as I remembered it, a large stone cavern with glowing blue water at one end, lighting the space. Crispin had already reached the water, and stood peering down into it. I joined him, appreciating the shade and damp air after our long walk. Ringo leaned forward on my shoulder, gripping a lock of my hair like it was a rope tethering him to a mountain. His already large, round, eyes had grown three sizes larger. “Pretty,” he said.
He wasn’t wrong. The aqua glow of the water was almost mesmerizing. I knelt down, running my fingers through it, not nervous since I’d done so before without incident. Where my fingers trailed through the water, brighter currents of shimmering light followed. It was a magical place, that much I could tell, but it wasn’t the overwhelming power of the Bogs I’d experienced elsewhere.
Crispin knelt beside me while Mistral came to stand at our backs. I didn’t see Gabriel, so he must have decided to guard the entrance, or at least, that was the story I was going with. Not that he was pissed and couldn’t bear the sight of me.
Crispin watched me a moment longer before trailing his fingers through the water. It glowed for him all the same, though he had no connection to the Bogs that we were aware of.
Deeming the cave safe enough, Ringo hopped down from my shoulder, creeping closer to the pool, its aqua glow reflecting off his eyes. As I watched, his fur turned darker, matching the gray of the stone beneath him. It was a curious trick of his species that Crispin had learned about, teaching it to Ringo—though it was more a matter of just letting Ringo know it was possible.
On his knees, Crispin leaned over the pool, peering down through the depths.
“Can you tell how deep it is?” I asked.
He shook his head, still looking down. “I was just wondering if there were any portal markings like in Emerald Heights.”
“There is only solid stone at the bottom,” Mistral said behind us.
I looked back. “You mean you’ve gone down there?”
He shrugged, the movement graceful. “Would you not be curious? It was some time ago. I dove to the bottom searching for the source of the spring, but no source exists.”
“There must be some source with the way it bubbles,” Crispin said.
“You are free to check for yourself.” There was a hint of laughter in Mistral’s voice. Perhaps he thought it unlikely Crispin would go on a diving expedition after he’d expressed concerns about trolls.
“Well,” Crispin said with a shrug. “I wouldn’t be a true scholar if I didn’t study every possible angle.” He stood, reaching for the buttons on his shirt.
“Dude, I don’t think he was serious.” I stood, placing myself between Crispin and the water. “You don’t know how the magic will react to you. Is it really worth drowning over?”
