City of Thorns by C.N. Crawford
Chapter 23
When our cab arrived at the Temple of Ishtar, another red carpet stretched out to greet us.
The temple was just north of the Tower of Baal and south of where Orion lived. Small crowds of demons flanked either side, snapping photos on their cell phones. It was after one a.m., and I was starting to get the impression that no one here slept. As I stepped out of the car, I felt underdressed for this crowd of onlookers. But Mortana wouldn’t be self-conscious, so I just gave everyone that smug demon smirk. When Orion was by my side, I made sure to walk with a swing of my hips over the carpet.
A humid ocean breeze rustled through my hair, and I licked the salt off my lips. The Temple of Ishtar was actually a bar now, but it still looked like a temple, with Doric columns and carvings of a beautiful, winged woman jutting out from the roof.
With Orion, I ascended the steps and passed through the towering open doors. There, I found myself in an enormous hall of golden stone. Demons in gowns and suits stood on a floor of blue and gold tiles. On the walls to the right and left, mosaics formed images of golden lions. Directly across from us, the columns were open to the sea, and a balmy breeze rushed in. Sparkling phosphorescence made the waves glitter under the night sky.
I glanced at the golden-brick cocktail bar to my right, where row upon row of liquor bottles stood before the mirror. God, this place was amazing. It was unfortunate I wasn’t actually a succubus.
When I glanced at Orion, a shiver of unease rippled through me. For a number of reasons, I didn’t want him to be my enemy. But given how he’d reacted to the star question, I’d have to keep my eyes open to the possibility.
I watched as he crossed to the bar and chatted with the bartender. Was he avoiding me?
After today, my nerves were completely shot. But Mortana,my shadow-self,wanted a drink. So when a server brought over a tray of bubbly cocktails in champagne flutes, I plucked one off and took a sip, tasting gin and lemon.
When a hush fell over the room, I turned to see King Cambriel arrive, his golden hair falling over a gorgeous velvet suit. He walked arm-in-arm with Lydia, who wore a black leather jacket over a silky gown with slits in strategic places. The dress showed off little glimpses of her waist, her ribs, and part of her thigh. She looked cool as hell.
What was not as cool was the way she snarled at me when she met my gaze.
She didn’t know this, but I was probably the one person in this bar who didn’t actually care that she was on the king’s arm. At least, not beyond the fact that I had a deal with Orion.
I had two goals here tonight. One was to get the king’s attention so that I could start to learn about his weaknesses. But the other was my own. Could I sufficiently rile up this crowd that I saw some of their demon marks? Could I churn up emotions powerful enough to make some of them shift?
Orion had said that he, the king, Lydia, and Mortana all had fire magic. That meant three marks I needed to see in order to rule them out.
Right now, Lydia had the king’s attention. I thought I had an idea of how to enrage her and provoke the king’s emotions at the same time. I watched as Lydia grabbed a champagne flute, then leaned in, whispering to the king in a conspiratorial way.
Time to get his attention, and that meant getting Orion’s attention. Jealousy would be my friend tonight.
But before I could find Orion, a female demon with a halo of white curls caught my eye. Her cheekbones shimmered with pale glitter. With a tight smile, she sauntered over to me. “Well, Mortana. Congratulations are in order.” She touched her throat and swallowed with a grimace. “I’ve never met a demon with your powers of poison before. Quite intriguing. Miasma magic.”
I gave her a fake smile and a shrug. “I don’t often have a reason to poison people.”
“I’m Nama.”
Ah…the one with the ice powers.
When her glance darted over my shoulder, her expression changed. She licked her lips, and her pupils dilated. I stole a quick look behind me to see Orion.
So that’s why she’d approached me. Keep your enemies close…
Her gray eyes locked on mine again, and the look she gave me sent a chill through my body. “It’s interesting to see the duke getting close to someone new. Before you arrived, he and I were going to be quite good friends.” She flicked her white hair over her shoulder. “I’ll admit we haven’t had the chance to become properly acquainted yet, but I think I’m considered one of the best marriage matches for him.”
“Oh?” I took a sip of my cocktail, trying to get into the bitchy Mortana mindset. “Considered by whom?”
Her lips thinned. “By many. He and I both come from wealth. You know, we have a lot in common. We both love the sea.”
My shadow-self found her irritating, so I lifted my cocktail glass and stared into it. I swirled my drink, looking disinterested in her. “Everyone loves the sea. Why would you possibly think that would make you well suited? It’s akin to liking sunlight.”
“He likes pastries, and I’m an excellent cook,” she said sharply. “And when I injured my thigh in a sea cave, he healed me. Listen, Mortana, have you been spending a lot of time around mortals, by any chance? You seem as dull-witted and unsophisticated as they are. There’s something really not right about you.”
I gave her a patronizing smile. I was starting to find that it wasn’t hard at all to come up with what Mortana would say. “Maybe I’m unsophisticated, but I’m going to guess that you hurt your thigh on purpose, then ran to Orion crying that you needed help. Don’t you think he could smell the desperation?” I sipped my cocktail, watching as her cheeks went red. “Don’t mistake pity for affection, my dear.”
Wow. Mortana was a bitch. And maybe it was kind of fun.
Nama’s eyes darkened to shadows, and her jaw went tight. She leaned in and whispered in my ear, “You’re older than I am, Mortana. But I’ve been told why the king wisely rid the city of your kind. The succubi whores like you brought disrepute to our city, begging for cock like you did. Disgusting. Dirty. I heard what he said about you. How you beg for it on your hands and knees. And you might charm Orion for a week with whatever tricks your twat can manage, but he’ll quickly see that you are all used up. No better than a mortal whore. He’ll want someone younger. Cleaner. They always do. Tell me, harlot, do you know what happened to the succubus Jezebel in the ancient world?”
I kept that serene smile on my face, but I had no idea. “Of course.”
“Maybe you’ll find yourself thrown from a palace window, trampled by horses, then eaten by stray dogs,” she hissed. “Just like Jezebel.”
Ah. Learned something every day.