I can’t inherit my father’s blacksmith business because I’m a girl. Silly, but true.

So when Papa grew ill, he took in an apprentice and then arranged for me to marry him.

I’m going to be the blacksmith’s bride.

Except I have zero interest in marrying Hollis, the jerk who plans to bar me from my own forge and already has a girl on the side. He’s going to put me out on the street the moment the vows are done.

When Papa died, I ran out of ways to postpone the wedding.

So I went down to the forge at midnight and did something a good girl wouldn’t.

I summoned a devil and told him my problems. He named his price, and I said yes, because by then I’d have said yes to anything.

I assumed I had time. Weeks. Months. Some polite interval before he came to collect.

The chapel doors burst open.

He’s all black horns, molten gold and truly terrible manners. And he gazes at me like the vows haven’t happened yet.

Because they haven’t.

“You’re early,” I tell him.

He doesn’t smile. Devils apparently don’t. “You’re mine.”