The Unlikeable Demon Hunter (Nava Katz #1)(25)

I sank onto the leather club chair, a match to Rohan’s that was grouped next to a large unlit fireplace, sneaking glances to gauge his mood. Tough to do since he was slumped on the sofa next to me, head bowed.

Neither of us said anything for a good long while.

I sniffed my T-shirt to make sure I didn’t smell too disgusting. Not bad. Casting around for something else to do, I studied the pile of history texts left on the low mahogany coffee table, then got bored and just watched Rohan, waiting for his hands to unclench from the padded arm rest before I spoke.

“Why’d you quit singing?”

His head jerked up. “What?”

“It was around the time when you became Rasha, and maybe touring or being in the band might have been tough, but you could have kept singing. Writing music. You left the biz entirely.”

“Yup,” he replied in a “leave it alone” voice.

I’d only raised the topic trying to forge some kind of connection between us. I’d had my dancing, he’d had his singing, and I’d thought maybe there’d be some common ground we could bond over. After meeting Drio, having Rohan on my side was imperative. But his reticence made me actively curious.

“Was it a vocal chord thing? Did potential permanent damage end it?” In about three seconds, I wove an entire tale of the doors closing on Rohan’s musical dreams, finishing up with him staring up at his doctor with impossibly sad eyes and asking à la Oliver Twist, “Please sir, may I sing another?”

Rohan glared at me.

“All right. Sheesh.” I slouched back against my chair. “I’m sorry you got stuck with me,” I said in a sincere voice. ”I’ll try not to die on your watch.”

“Drio was right. You’re the shiny prize. The demons are going to want bragging rights of killing the first female Rasha. And your head. They’ll want that too.”

“So they re-assigned you boys here to keep it attached to my body. Was this a demotion for you?”

“You’d think so.”

I stopped fidgeting and met his eyes. Unimpressed. “Gee, thanks.”

Rohan nudged my knee with his. “No. Until consensus among the Executive is reached on your status, they want the best around you.”

I tried to ignore my queasiness at what would happen if consensus wasn’t reached in my favor. Also, the tingle running up my leg from his touch.

“I appreciate it.” I hoped I sounded suitably grateful. These guys were right about needing them to keep me safe and help me find my footing, especially if Asmodeus figured out it was me who’d offed his spawn. Much as I wished this would go away, I was a Rasha until death do us part.

“What happens if the Brotherhood decides they don’t want a sister after all?”

Rohan took his sweet time answering. “I think if push came to shove, they’d decommission you.”

My stomach squicked. “Is that a euphemism for ‘bullet to the head?’”

Another long pause. Seriously? I drowned my apprehension in a tidal wave of positive sentiment but my apprehension broke free and bobbed to the surface, shooting me the finger for my efforts.

“Not murder,” he finally said. “You already have too public a profile within the Brotherhood.”

“Knowing I’m only going to stay alive because they might get caught is hardly reassuring.” I grimaced. “What about a timely unfortunate accident? I mean, Rasha die.”

“They’d try to quietly retire you. Alive,” he reassured me.

“Would that be so bad?” I sat up, intrigued. “Hey, could we transfer my powers to Ari?”

Exasperation on his face, Rohan got up.

I grabbed the side of his jeans, his quad muscle tensing under my palm as I pushed him back onto the couch. “Fine. Maybe it doesn’t work that way. But I refuse to believe that simply re-running the ceremony was the final proof that I’m the sole Rasha twin. Ari is still an initiate and I’m going to prove it.”

“Good luck with that.”

“I’ll train hard. In return,” I continued, “you help me petition the Executive on Ari’s behalf.”

“Me? No. Not interested in getting involved.”

Why were all of them so block-headed about helping me with this? “You don’t want to be here. The faster I get up to speed, the faster you get to go home.”

“I have a mission here other than you, you know.”

“Yeah, but if you’re as good as Kane says you are, then I bet you’ll wrap that up soon. Come on, what could it hurt to try? At best, Demon Club gets the Rasha it wanted. At worst, my training schedule is accelerated and you go on your merry way. Deal?” I held out my hand to shake.

“No deal. I wrap up the primary mission, and I’ll be on my merry way regardless. There’s enough other people to watch you.”

I leaned back, arms crossed. “Then let’s negotiate.” I’d spent a lifetime listening to my lawyer father.

“You’ve got nothing of value to offer me,” Rohan said.

“What’s the mission?” What if I could help Rohan complete this mission his way?

“Look, the gig that brought me to Vancouver is…” Rohan rubbed his hand roughly through his hair, sending it into spiky disarray. “I’m getting a lot of pressure to take it in a direction I don’t agree with. Got enough of my own shit to deal with as far as the Executive is concerned. You’re on your own.”