“Behave,” I muttered. “We need him.”
“You come to convince me to join your fight,” the Dagda continued.
“Eventually,” I agreed. “But first things first. I’d like you to remove a spell.”
“From your collar?”
I reached up and fingered the jewels. “No. From him.”
The Dagda’s gaze turned toward Jimmy, and he took in a deep breath, tilted his head and frowned. “Plenus luna malum,” he said, reciting the name of the spell. “His vampire is beneath the moon.”
“Yes. I was told that you could release it.”
“It will not be easy for me. Or comfortable for him.”
“But you can do it.”
“I can do anything.”
Jimmy snorted, and I sent him a glare before returning my attention to the Dagda.
“Will you?” I asked.
The Dagda’s gaze slid over me. “For a price.”
“No,” Jimmy said. “She’s mine.”
The words “since when” were on the tip of my tongue, but Jimmy narrowed his eyes, and I kept them to myself.
“Sacrifices must be made,” the Dagda murmured. “You know that. Nothing is for free.”
“What, exactly, are we talking about?” I asked.
“A boon. A favor.”
“Could you be more specific?” I didn’t like promising what I didn’t understand.
“I don’t know now what I might need later.”
“No,” Jimmy repeated. “It’s too dangerous.”
“You wish the spell reversed; I am the only one powerful enough to do so.” The Dagda shrugged. “I wish for a boon from the leader of the light. It’s simple. Say yes and get what you came for, or say no and go back where you came from. And good luck winning your battle without the proper—”he lifted a brow—“equipment.”
Ruthie had said we needed to be as evil as they were to win, and I’d seen the truth of this myself when I’d fought the Naye’i. She’d had no humanity, no compassion, no restraint. She’d killed horribly and often and without remorse. I would never have been able to best her without the physical strength and the inner fury of my demon. With the Grigori loose, creating Nephilim by the minute, we needed more power than mine. We needed Jimmy’s.
Since the Dagda appeared to be the only one who could remove the spell and release Jimmy’s demon, the choice was even simpler than the fairy god had made out. Because I didn’t have one.
“Just to be clear . . . You’ll release Jimmy’s demon and you’ll join our side,” I stated. “In return, I’ll do something unknown for you at a future date.”
“Both the spell and the choosing of sides,” the Dagda mused. “This will have to be a very great favor.”
“I figured that.”
He smiled. “So did I.”
“Don’t I have anything to say about this?” Jimmy asked.
“No,” the Dagda and I answered at the same time.
“How long will it take?” I asked.
“Plenus luna malum is not easily cast. I will do my best to be quick, but removing it is not simple either. You must leave him with me.”
“But—”
“You have work to do, light’s leader. You cannot tarry here.”
“You’ll let me know when he’s—” I stopped, uncertain what to say. Not better. Not cured or healed. More like worse. Cursed and possessed and insane with a lust for blood and death, destruction and chaos.
“Yes,” the Dagda agreed. “When we are finished, I will contact you.” I opened my mouth to ask how—he was underground—and the Dagda held up a hand. “I have ways. Do not worry about that.”
“You’ll have to bespell . . . something.” I traced the collar around my neck. “Or he’ll be—”
“I know what he’ll be, and I will take every precaution. I prefer my own blood right where it is and not soaking into the ground of the Otherworld.”
I took a deep breath, glanced at Jimmy, whose face was tense and pale, but I nodded, and Jimmy closed his eyes so he wouldn’t have to look at me anymore.
“The deal is made,” the Dagda said. “Now it must be sealed.”
“With blood, I suppose.”
“A kiss is so much more binding.”
“You want me to kiss you.”
He tilted his head. “Is that a problem?”
“I can just imagine what the ‘favor’s’ gonna be if you’re sealing the deal with a kiss,” Jimmy muttered. “But then that’s right up your alley.”
He was angry, hurt, betrayed. I couldn’t blame him for lashing out. So why did I?
“I could use more power.” I lifted one shoulder, then lowered it. “Why not his?”
Jimmy stared at me as if he’d just realized something and he didn’t much like it. “You’ve changed.”
I laughed. “You think?”
“No more talk.” The Dagda reached for me. Jimmy made a move, as if he’d put himself between us, and the fairy god sent him to the ground with one sharp glare from his ice-blue eyes.
“Stay,” the Dagda murmured, and then he kissed me.
As kisses went, it wasn’t so bad. A mere brush of his lips, soft and almost sweet—not even a hint of tongue. Unfortunately, at the first touch I saw the truth of what he’d do to Jimmy.