The Unlikeable Demon Hunter (Nava Katz #1)(75)

“How do we break this compulsion and get your memories back?” I asked on our drive back.

“The surefire way? Kill Asmodeus.”

At least that fit in with my plan to help Ari. I twisted my hair into a bun at the nape of my neck. “How do wards work?”

“The magic in the wards is the same magic that flows through a Rasha’s veins,” Rohan said in a clipped voice. “As is the blood used.”

“So only Rasha can set wards?”

“Yeah. And only Rasha can undo them.” Rohan clenched the steering wheel. “Montague let a demon enter a Rasha house.” Rohan curled his lip. “Asmodeus had to be close enough for us to hear the memory loss command.” The odometer needle inched higher and higher.

I sympathized with his anger, but I didn’t want to die in a horrific traffic accident. “Speed limit,” I yelped, my death grip on the seat easing up as he slowed the car down. “You think Asmodeus used the sakacha and dremla attack as cover to buy time for Montague to take down the wards? Allowing Asmodeus to get close enough to compel you into forgetting me?”

“Yes.”

I rolled down the window, letting the breeze cascade over me. My concussion symptoms were gone and the burn on my arm was starting to fade. Too bad that my Rasha healing didn’t cover wounds of the emotional variety, because the painful needles of ice piercing my heart since I’d found out about Ari’s disappearance hadn’t eased up any.

Rohan took a hand off the wheel to squeeze my shoulder. “We’ll fix this.”

“How did Asmodeus even know how to find Montague,” I said, “if Montague snuck into town for this liaison?”

Rohan braked at a red light, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. “Prince of Lust. He’d make it his business to know things like this.”

I frowned. “I still don’t get why he helped Asmodeus at all.” How could he betray everything he stood for and help a demon? Even I wouldn’t do that and I’d just been Rasha for a few days. Protecting Leo’s identity wasn’t the same thing. “You think he was compelled?”

“Probably threatened to take away his playmate,” Rohan said darkly. The light turned green and we shot forward. “The jax demon. There’s a secretion in its tongue that,” he made the sound of a bomb going off with the accompanying hand motion. “Provides a very good time.”

“What is wrong with you men? You’ll strangle yourself, let demon cats lick you, all because you need a bigger bang.”

“It’s insanely addictive.”

I threw him a look.

He threw me a look back. “So I’ve been told.” He slowed the car at the chapter house gate.

“That’s no excuse.”

“It’s not. And if Montague was still alive?” Rohan’s finger blades popped out and he studied his hand in a scarily casual way. “I’d kill him myself for the betrayal.”

The gate opened, allowing Rohan to swing into the long driveway.

“I made Ari bring my stupid sheets and then fought with him, stupidly forgetting that I’d told a demon out for revenge where I live.” I buried my head in my hands. “I should have at least been guarding him.”

Rohan braked in front of the house and cut the engine. “You’d have gotten yourself killed fighting the minions off.” He flung open his car door. “As a new Rasha you couldn’t have taken those demons on your own, so quit beating yourself up about it. Which brings us to last night.” Rohan escorted me up the stairs. “Asmodeus learned about you and revamped his plan. That’s probably why he left the fight.”

“No point killing me when he still planned to toy with me.”

Rohan paused at the front door. “Make you hurt the way he does. I think you’re right and Ari is still alive. He’s worth more to Asmodeus that way.”

“Great.” My mouth twisted. “My brother is being tortured because of me.”

“Tortured isn’t dead.” A stricken expression flashed over his features. “You can come back from tortured.”

“To live what kind of life?” I walked into the foyer, my shoulders hunched tight up around my ears.

“That’ll depend on Ari.” His clasped my wrist with a feather-light touch, his brows drawing together with an expression of uncertainty. “Last night. It’s… blurry. I really spoke to you about my music?”

He sounded so hesitant. So unlike himself. “You really did,” I said.

Rohan stalked off. I didn’t understand the big deal and honestly, right now, I didn’t care. I needed to find my twin.

We assembled in the library where Rohan caught Kane, Baruch, and Drio up on the situation, leaving out Leo’s identity, for which I was grateful. And surprised. Though they were super pissed at me for going behind their back with the snitch to begin with.

Also, Drio bristled like he wanted to eye-for-an-eye me for getting away on his watch. I stuck close to Rohan because if Drio didn’t remember me, he certainly didn’t remember his reluctant promise to protect me.

“Pretty genius,” Kane said. “At best, the memory loss complicated things for you immensely, at worst, we might have killed you ourselves.”

“Still might,” Drio said. “We only have her word about who she is.”