City of Thorns by C.N. Crawford

Chapter 27

With a margarita in one hand, I dipped my legs into the pool outside my room. Since I’d slept through most of the day, twilight was already spreading its coral mantle over the sky, and the shadows were growing longer. The setting sun bathed the golden stones in blood-red light, and it dazzled orange off the flowing Acheron River. On the far bank, shadows pooled in the wilderness.

As requested, Orion had left me alone—with his number programmed into my new cell phone. If Nama or Lydia, or anyone else, cropped up looking for trouble, I was supposed to hit star seven,and my protector would appear in a whorl of shadows.

I also had the doorman and mortal servants looking out for me, one of whom brought me a pitcher of margaritas and vegan tacos. And most importantly, Shai was on her way over for a dip in the pool with me.

This would continue to be my pool, if I had my choice—if I didn’t have to leave here, and if Shai’s life weren’t at risk. This place was intoxicating in a way that started to make me wonder if I’d lose my mind here. I wanted to sink my claws into this city. I wanted to take it over like an invasive species. When I thought of Nama, a sense of competitiveness started to rise in me.

I had an insane impulse to stake my claim on this city—permanently. I wanted to actually be the demon duchess, to bring the Asmodean Ward alive again. The incubi and succubi didn’t deserve their fate. Whoever Jezebel was, the woman probably hadn’t deserved to be thrown from her palace window and eaten by dogs. I wanted to plant my roots here as a succubus just to spite the rest of these judgmental fuckers.

So clearly, the intoxicating powers of this city were making me go mad, because none of that could happen. I had very limited time here.

And why was I starting to care about the fate of the Lilu? I sipped my tart cocktail, letting the taste of lime roll over my tongue.

I suppose, for one thing, people thought I was a Lilu, so I was starting to feel like one. Behavioral confirmation. For another, it was just the injustice of it all. It seemed like the Lilu had been murdered because of others’ raging jealousy and insecurity.

“Mortana!” Shai waved at me as she crossed through one of the arches. She wore a yellow sundress, and her hair in a halo of curls. “Nice place.”

I grinned at her. “Come in the pool with me.”

“As long as I can eat tacos in the pool.”

“Of course.” I pointed at her margarita waiting by the side of the pool. “And you have a drink.”

Shai pulled off her dress, revealing a bright red bathing suit, and slipped into the water.

In the City of Thorns, it seemed like the weather was permanently tropical. Another reason it would be great to sink my roots into this place.

I let out a long sigh.

“What? Why do you sound like you’re not enjoying this paradise?” Shai took a bite of her tacos.

“I’m feeling guilty that I got you dragged into all this.”

“Dragged me into all what? Tacos and margaritas in a pool? It’s not your fault you look exactly like some succubus.”

“I know,” I whispered. “But if I fuck anything up, Orion says he’ll kill you. Your life is in danger, Shai.”

She snorted. “Do you think I’m an idiot? I made him swear a blood oath to keep me safe.”

I stared at her. I’d never considered just extracting promises from him like that. “Wait, what?”

She took a sip of her margarita. “It’s all about leverage, darling. My mom taught me that during the divorce. You figure out what they want, and you threaten to destroy it if they don’t meet your terms.”

My jaw dropped open. So her life wasn’t at risk… “Sorry, what did you threaten to destroy?”

She squinted in the sun. “Well, don’t take this the wrong way, but I knew he needed you for whatever his plan was. So I threatened to get rid of you if he didn’t agree.” Another bite of tacos.

“What?”Shai once got mad at me for killing an ant. “You threatened to kill me? You’re a vegan!”

“Well, he doesn’t know that,” she whispered. “And you always go on about psychopaths. I feel like I learned a few things from you. I know you said psychopaths don’t get nervous, but I don’t think he realizes that, either. Because my palms were sweating and my heart was beating out of control. But I kept my voice totally calm, and it worked.” She smiled at me. “I sounded really scary, I think.”

“What did you say?”

She shrugged. “I watched a true crime show once about a psychopath who murdered his mom by cutting off her head. So I just said that if he didn’t do what I wanted, I’d cut your head off.”

“How does he know you’re not going to murder me now?”

She waved a hand. “It was a whole thing. He made me swear a blood oath in return—not to hurt you or tell anyone what you really are. He felt like he was actually getting a good deal out of that. Since I have no intention of actually murdering anyone, I’ve really never made an easier deal in my life. I’ve got my tuition paid, plus I got a much better apartment than the one I had before. And he has to keep me safe. And I got a really great cappuccino machine. This has all worked out nicely for me. You have literally nothing to feel bad about.”

“Holy shit, Shai. He never told me any of that.”

She shrugged. “Of course he didn’t. I’m his leverage. He can get you to do what he wants as long as you think my life is at risk. He should have asked me to keep quiet during the blood oath, but you came down and interrupted, and then I think he got distracted.”

I bit my lip. “Well, this is a very interesting development. So I can…stay as long as I want here.”

She frowned at me. “I’m not sure I like the look on your face. What are you scheming now?”

“I don’t want to leave.”

She shook her head. “But you can’t keep this lie up forever, can you? What would happen if the king found out you were lying?"

I cleared my throat. “Well, that is a little hitch in my plan.”

“No, really—what does happen if the king learns you’re lying? Demon dungeon?”

“Fire pit.”

Her eyes widened. “Fucking hell, Rowan. Obviously, you can’t stay.”

I lifted my finger to my lips. She couldn’t say my real name that loudly.

She had a point, except I think I was so scared of the fire pit, my brain refused to consider it was a possibility. I was in some kind of advanced state of denial. “But what if I can keep the deception going? Orion will keep me safe until I can find the information he wants.”

She rested her elbows on the side of the pool. “I mean, I can see why you’d want to stay here. You’re living like a queen, and this is heaven. But is it really worth the risk of a fire pit?”

“It’s not just the pool and the luxury. Shai—I’m almost positive a demon killed my mom. One with fire magic. And I want to find out who it was.” I left out the bit about avenging the Lilu, and the feeling that my shadow-self was growing more powerful, because she’d think I’d lost my mind.

She frowned, her dark eyes piercing me. “I can understand the temptation. But then what? What does it get you?”

“I want to know the truth.” And I wanted to murder the fucker, maybe.

“Have you found anything out so far?”

I let out a long breath. “I have a short list of suspects. Orion is one of them.”

Her eyes widened. “Fuck. Why would he have killed your mom?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know why anyone would. I only know two things—I think it was someone with fire magic, and I think it was someone with a demon mark shaped like a star. You know, the shiny forehead things?”

“I’ve seen one once. Not a star.”

“I haven’t seen that particular mark yet, either, but I keep looking. That’s all I remember from that night. And Orion is one of just a handful of demons with fire magic—along with Lydia, the king, and Mortana herself. Orion says the star mark means that you’re destined to be the demon leader, blessed by Lucifer. So my guess is that the king is the top suspect. But no one knows what the king’s mark looks like, so I’m not sure.”

Shai stirred her drink with her straw. “Maybe if you want to find the killer, you need to learn more about your mom instead of learning more about demons. What was her connection to this world?”

“I searched all her things after she died, looking for clues. I couldn’t find anything.” I closed my eyes, running through my memories until something sparked in my mind—something I’d seen recently. “Except a key.” My eyes snapped open. “It was a skeleton key like the ones they use here. Like the one Orion used to unlock my apartment door. I found it hidden in a drawer, but I never knew what the key went to.”

“Do you still have it?” she asked.

I nodded. “She didn’t leave much behind. Just the key, some clothes, old books, and enough money for a few months’ rent. So I kept the key.” In the gathering shadows, as darkness fell, it was hard not to feel a pang of sadness. Mom had a whole life she’d never told me about.

“I can go in and out of the city,” said Shai. “I can grab the key. If you can find what it goes to, maybe that’d be a clue.”

I smiled at her. “Thanks, Shai.”

She grabbed her cocktail off the side of the pool. “What do you have planned for tonight?”

I took a deep breath. “Spying for Orion, of course. In the king’s penthouse.”

Her eyebrows rose. “But you’ll be careful with all this, right? Because everything you’re telling me sounds dangerous as hell. Particularly the fire pit situation, considering the king is one of your suspects.”

“Yep. And Orion, too. I don’t trust him at all.”

“Is that right?” Orion stepped from the shadows, his pale eyes burning like stars. He wore an expensive-looking charcoal-gray suit. “And here I was imagining we might be friends.”

My stomach flipped.

He cocked his head. “We have a party to get ready for, don’t we?”