Lord of Embers(The Demon Queen Trials #2)(64)

My gaze wandered around the space. In a weird way, it reminded me of the coziness of the underworld cabin—lots of dark wood and candles for ambiance. Except here, there was unmistakable luxury: a red velvet comforter, bookshelves crammed with beautiful old volumes, and an antique mahogany desk by the window.

Rain started to fall against the glass.

In her elegant skirt and black sweater, Shai looked like she belonged here.

“Thank you, Shai. It’s beautiful. But I’m not sure it’s a great idea to stay in a room with your name or credit card info. Jack and the mortal police have already connected us.” I sighed. “It’s only a matter of time before they find me here.”

She pulled out her suitcase. “Okay. Where will you go, then?”

“Into hiding, I guess.” I didn’t really have a plan yet, but I knew I could live through winter with almost nothing. “I’ll forage for acorns and berries in a forest.”

She pulled on her wool coat. “I’m serious. Why can’t you try to convince Orion to at least let you back in the city?”

“Because I’m his rival, and even if I weren’t, he doesn’t like me.”

Oddly, after everything I’d been through, the words stung worse than an arrow through my ribs.

“You can’t charm him?”

I handed her one of the glasses of wine. “You’re going to want a sip of this, Shai. Sit down for a second.”

In her coat, she perched on the end of the bed and took a sip of wine. “Okay. You’re scaring me. What’s happening?”

I twirled my wineglass. “I haven’t been sure how to tell you this, but Orion is going to kill everyone.”

Her brown eyes widened. “Sorry, what?”

“Not in the City of Thorns, although I’m sure he’ll kill a fair number there, too. But mostly out here. He wants to murder all the mortals. He thinks he can find a way to break the spell that keeps demons bound to the city, and he wants to set them free. To feed. To get revenge.”

Her mouth opened and closed. “I always knew he was unhinged. Is that really possible, though?”

“Orion will probably find a way to do it. This is a man who dug himself out of a dungeon over a century, and the whole time, he was dreaming of murdering mortals. For all his other flaws, he gets shit done in the most impossible circumstances. And he’s all fucked up.”

She tilted her head back and drained her glass. When she’d finished, she wiped her mouth. “Okay. We need to tell everyone. We need to everyone.”

evacu ate

“To where? He’s not going to stop at Osborne.”

She set the empty wine glass on the desk. “Please tell me you have an idea of what to do. What about that forest god?”

I took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking of going to see him, but I don’t get the sense he cares if mortals die. He’s actually really into death.

I think he helped me because he wanted to make the fight for the throne a little more interesting.”

“But it’s over, right?” she asked. “Orion is king now. There’s no changing that.”

A lump rose in my throat, and I swallowed hard. “If I want to stop him, I’ll have to kill him.”

“You? You can’t kill him!” She stared at me. “I’m sorry, Rowan, I’m having a hard time adjusting to your killer demon abilities. I still think of you as the person who got nervous and puked at graduation.”

“Yeah, me, too.” I watched the rain pelt the glass. “Look, Shai, you should go to the City of Thorns. We know it’s safe there. And I’m going to figure something out. I’ll come up with a plan, I promise. I’ll stay here a little longer to clear my head.”

Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her pocket. “Shit. My Uber is here.”

“Go. We’ll be in touch over text.”

Her gaze flicked to the window. “What are you going to do if the police show up?”

“At the rate my magic is draining, I should be able to fly for a few more days. I’ll be fine. And after that, they’ll never find me.” Insanely, I was even considering hiding out in the underworld cabin.

She hurried toward the door. “Okay. Text me, if you can. I’m leaving you the hotel keys. You can stay here for a week if you don’t think you’ll get caught.”

When she shut the door, I dimmed the lights a little, preferring the candlelight. I sipped the wine and stared out the window. I’d failed, yes.

But that couldn’t be it. My parents had given their lives trying to keep me safe, believing Orion must not rule. I couldn’t bear to think of how disappointed they’d be right now, knowing that he’d won. My chest ached.

A clanking sound made my ears perk up.

I looked to the right and caught a glimpse of someone shuffling along the sidewalk on a walker. It was Mr. Esposito, getting drenched in the rain. Why was he always out in this weather? He really needed looking after.

As he walked past the hotel, I saw him drop something—a brown paper bag.

Damn it. It was lying there in a puddle now, and he hadn’t even realized. I tapped the window a few times, trying to get his attention, but he shambled on down the hill.

I grabbed a key, left the room, and hurried down all four flights of creaking stairs. Rushing past the receptionist, I went out the front door.