“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.”

Célie blinked, the indignation in her eyes winking out. Her mouth parted in awe. “King Auguste’s entire treasury?”

“Indeed. Unless, of course, our fair maiden objects?” He extended his free hand toward me, but I knocked it aside with a scowl. Ass. “As I thought.” He tutted softly. “You are too afraid.”