My eyes snapped open again. “It’s not working.”
“Try again, Mortana.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Rowan. The name is Rowan.”
A half smile. “Try again. I don’t want your blood on my claws unless I’m ending your life.”
With a deep breath, I closed my eyes once more and tried to summon my predatory side. Flames danced in the dark recesses of my mind, screams that pierced the silence.
I let out a long, slow breath. “I’ll get a knife,” I said quietly. “I’m getting sick of your mind games.”
But before I could take a step away from Orion, he spun me around and pressed me against the wall, dominating me with his powerful body. I was no match for his strength, and he was letting me know it.
“You know, Orion,” I said through labored breaths. “I think I actually hate you more now than ever.”
Instead of responding, he lowered his head and pressed his sharpened fangs to my throat in a pure, primal display of dominance—trapping me here, even as I tried to free myself.
“You’re a big boy. Use your words!” I shouted. “For fuck—“
I broke off in shock as his fangs pierced my skin, drawing blood. The pain of it robbed me of my thoughts for a moment, drowning out my ability to speak. I snarled and shoved my elbow back into his ribs as hard as I could. Anger seared me, rushing through my nerve endings, incinerating my worries.
He released his grip on me, his eyes dark as ink.
“When you’re shifting,” he said, “you don’t think in words.”
I looked down, pleased to see my claws glinting in the moonlight, the golden light of my demon mark aglow.
Catching my breath, I drew one of my claws across my palm. Blood streaked across my pale skin and dripped to the floor.
Orion grabbed my bleeding hand and stared into my eyes. “Good. Now, repeat after me. On pain of death, I swear a sacred oath that I believe I have a strong theory of how to kill King Cambriel.”
I repeated him, word for word, stating that I would divulge the king’s weakness as promised. I felt the magic of the oath skitter up my spine, and when the oath was done, I pressed my bleeding palm against his. He gripped my hand tightly, holding on with a firm grip. As our blood mingled, a vision started to burn in my mind.
I wasn’t in my parents’ house anymore, but in a dungeon with five large serpents…
Fear knocked the wind out of me.
The vision changed, and a body swung soundlessly from a gallows above me, her shadow moving back and forth over a silent pit. Her neck was bent, broken, and I could see that her eyes were still open—blue eyes, pleading. She was still alive. Terror choked me fiercely, like my soul was splitting in two.
Gasping, I pulled my hand away from his. I was shaking. “What the fuck?” I whispered, staring at Orion.
I was no longer in the prison but back in the mansion. I let out a slow, trembling breath.
He frowned at me. “What?”
I shook my head, trying to clear my head of the horrible vision. I wasn’t scared of snakes, but those serpents had scared me half to death.
His eyes glinted. “You’re mine for the next few days. That’s about all the time I have before the oath kills me.”
“There’s something you should probably know. The entire Osborne police force is looking for me, and they might report me to the king. I broke the contract between mortals and demons when I killed someone.”
“The king will probably find a way to sweep it under the rug. And if he doesn’t, let’s burn that bridge when we come to it. Tomorrow, we leave to find the Dying God.”
“Sorry, what?”
He arched an eyebrow. “We’re going to Hell.”
I stared at him. “Hell.”
“Until we leave, I’m not going to let you out of my sight. As soon as I do, I know you’ll run, so you will be with me every moment of every day until I get the secret from you. And as soon as I get that secret, you will leave the City of Thorns for good. You will no longer be allowed within my kingdom.”
I glared at him. We’ll see about that, dick.
Maybe I didn’t want to live my life on ramen noodles in a basement anymore. Not to mention that I was a wanted woman in the mortal realm. This was my home.
I looked down at my palm, watching it heal. When I met Orion’s gaze again, I straightened.
He was right about one thing. I did need to learn to be a demon. And everything he’d said to me tonight filled me with anger.
It’s just hard to hate someone you no longer respect at all.
Screw you, Orion.
“Where are we sleeping, then?” I asked with a sharp edge in my voice. “Your place or mine?”
His expression was cold, almost bored. “Yours. I’d rather not be seen with you again. It was embarrassing enough the first time.”
I wanted to scream. “Guess what, Orion? You’re not the only one with a dead family, but you’re the only one using it as a license to be an absolute twat.”
He let out a short laugh. “The thing is,” he said blandly, “I don’t really give a fuck what you think. Apart from our one little tryst, I find you tedious and pathetic. And the truth is, I was only drinking from your raging lust because that’s how I feed. That’s all. I want you out of my life.”
I was so furious now, my entire body was shaking with adrenaline. “And that lust? That was inspired by your incubus magic. Because there’s absolutely nothing appealing about a miserable twat with interpersonal problems. You know what I think?” I continued. “The world would have been better off if you’d never left the dungeon.”
Stony-faced, he walked past me. The pure vitriol of his words made me feel like my chest was cracking open. I could hardly breathe.
Chapter 7—Rowan
What. An. Asshole.
So, I was only interesting as long as I fulfilled his incubus lust for sex? Clearly, there was no need to bore him by ever speaking to him again. The miserable fucker could have silence.
I clenched my jaw, trying to master my anger as we walked through the dark city streets slightly west of my parents’ place.
When we finally crossed into Mortana’s old apartment building, the human male who opened the door for me was a welcome sight. He grinned at me. His hair was as red as mine, and a smattering of freckles flecked his nose.
I crossed into the hall, my gaze roaming over the grandeur of the lobby. It was like an ancient, luxurious hotel, the floors tiled with blue and amber. Golden stone arches stretched high above us, and a staircase curved up to the mezzanine, where I’d find my apartment. My gaze drifting upward, I stared at the seductive image of Lilith and the snake curled around her body painted on the ceiling.
I sighed and turned back to the human. “Good to be home.”
He beamed at me. “Lady Mortana. I wasn’t sure you’d return, but I did hope I could tell my girlfriend I’d met you.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve just started my internship here.” He glanced down at the ground. “Sorry, I’m not supposed to speak to you.”
Internship. In other words, the demons had convinced him to work for free. Orion would probably point out again that the demons learned their most evil shit from the mortals.