Gods & Monsters (Serpent & Dove #3) by Shelby Mahurin

My heart sank miserably, and I shook my head. “We have more important things to worry about. Besides,” I added, loathing the note of bitterness in my voice. “It won’t work. Not this time.”

“I don’t see why not. He fell in love with you before.” She dropped her hand. “And I would argue it’s the most important thing.”

“He didn’t know I was a witch then. He thought I was his wife.”

“Nuance. Your souls are bound. Magic can’t change that.”

“You can’t really believe in soul mates?”

“I believe in you.” At my incredulous look, she shrugged again, watching the flames crackle. “And perhaps I’m willing to make an exception when it comes to the two of you. I’ve been here this whole time, you know,” she added. “I watched Reid take his forefather’s life to save yours. I watched him throw his entire belief system out the window and learn magic for your sake—and wear leather pants in a traveling troupe. I watched you sacrifice pieces of yourself to protect him. He fought an entire pack of werewolves to return the favor, and you fought tooth and nail in these waters to return to him. You’ve befriended a god, swum with mermaids, and now you can even transform into a three-form shape at will. You can probably do a whole slew of other fun new things too.” Her brows lifted with her shoulders. “I’m certainly not betting against you—unless you’re too afraid to try?”

Nicholina’s hateful voice filled my mind. But you should feel lucky you tricked him, oh yes, because if you hadn’t tricked him—such a tricky little mouse—he never would’ve loved you. If he had known what you are, he never would’ve held you beneath the stars.

Goddamn it.

Beau, who’d been listening in silence, watched me too closely to be comfortable. He arched a brow. “I don’t know, Coco. I don’t think she can do it.”

I glared mutinously at the fire. “Don’t start with me, Beau.”

“Why not?” His dark eyes searched my face and missed nothing. “You just said as much yourself. It won’t work. He’ll never love you again. I’m merely concurring with the sentiment.”

“I’m not doing this.”

“Yes, you’ve made that perfectly clear. Better not to try at all than to fail, right?” He shrugged dispassionately. “I couldn’t agree more.”

“Beau!” Célie’s eyes widened in protest. Perhaps she was too naive to see Beau’s manipulation, or—more likely—perhaps she insisted on being the voice of optimism despite it. “How can you say such wicked things? Of course Reid will love her. The bond they share is true. You saw their kiss—it woke him up despite the magic!”

“Oh, Célie, enough with this true love nonsense.” He returned his cool attention to me. “You want truth, sister mine? I shall give you truth. You were right before. Without memories of your relationship, you are only a witch to Reid, and he hates you. You are no longer his wife. As far as he knows, you were never his wife. Indeed, he’s probably plotting creative ways to kill you at this very moment.” He leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially. “My money is on strangulation. He never has been able to keep his hands off you.”

Célie’s eyes flashed. “Really, Beau, you shouldn’t—”

I mimicked his movement with a black smile, leaning toward him until our noses nearly touched. “Let’s sweeten the pot. I bet it’ll be a knife to heart.”

Coco rolled her eyes as Beau shook his head. “Not intimate enough.”

“There’s nothing more intimate—”

“Oh, I disagree—”

“You’re both ridiculous,” Célie snapped, shooting to her feet in a spectacular display of temper. “You want to sweeten the pot? I wager all the riches in my father’s treasury that Reid does fall in love with you again, despite knowing you’re a witch.”

A beat of silence passed as she glared at me. Pink tinged her cheeks.

“I thought you stole all of your father’s treasure?” Beau asked suspiciously.

“Not even close.”

He pursed his lips, considering, while I quietly seethed. They were treating this like a game, all of them. But this wasn’t a game. This was my life. And why did Célie care so much, anyway? Reid had wrecked their own relationship for the sake of true love with me. As if reading my thoughts, she whispered, “The two of you have something special, Louise. Something precious. How can you not fight for him? He has certainly fought for you.”

You’ve lived in fear too long.

Fear has helped me survive.

Fear has kept you from living.

“I think I’d like to accept that wager, Mademoiselle Tremblay,” Beau mused before turning to Coco. “What do you think, Cosette? Does the fair maiden stand a chance of seducing her gallant knight? Shall true love win the day?”

Coco carefully stoked the fire. “You know what I think.”

“It would seem we have a wager.” Beau held out a hand to Célie, clasping her wrist and shaking it. “If Lou fails to seduce her husband, you will give me all the riches in your father’s treasury.” His teeth flashed in a hard smile. “And if she succeeds, I will give you all the riches in mine.”