City of Thorns (The Demon Queen Trials #1)(18)

“Do you just have unlimited money?” I asked.

“Pretty much.”

“Can I have a new cell phone, then? Mine was knocked out of my hands last night in the fight with the frat boys.” I raised a finger. “Oh! And I’d like my lucky pen back.”

A smile tugged at his lips. “I just told you I have unlimited money, and that’s all you ask for?”

“I’d like my student loans paid off, like we talked about. And to get the undergrad degree. And while I’m at it, a hundred thousand dollars.” Why not?

“Ah, that’s more like it.”

I stirred the cream into my coffee. “But will you need a blood oath from me?”

He shrugged. “I’ll need a blood oath that you will keep my secret.”

I blew out a long breath. “Okay.”

“But just in case you don’t value your own life sufficiently—and frankly, why would you? Given how sad your life—”

“Can you get to the point?”

He gave me a wicked half-smile. “Please consider Shai’s life as well. I want you to do your best work for me.”

I dropped my head into my hands, starting to get dizzy. “Do we really need to get Shai involved? I don’t want to put her in danger.”

He gave me that you’re an idiot look again. “Then don’t fuck anything up. It’s really that simple.”

I pulled my hands from my face. “And when this is over, Shai will be perfectly safe, right?”

“Yes, and you should try to learn the king’s weakness as soon as possible. It’s the best way for you to keep Shai safe, and to ensure that none of the demons slaughter you. If you stay here too long, you’ll make a mistake, and then you’ll be found out and killed.”

My chest tightened. There went my hope of staying in an apartment like this. But more importantly, if I couldn’t stay here long, I’d be kissing goodbye to my hope of finding my mom’s killer. I wasn’t going to do that overnight.

I sighed. I’d have to find out as much as I could, I supposed. “I’ll do my best.”

He scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “You know, you might not want to stay in Osborne after you leave. It’s too close to the City of Thorns, and you could also be in danger at that point.”

My mind was whirling. “Well, there isn’t really much keeping me there.”

“Yes, I did get that impression.”

I gave him a sharp look. “But how do I know you’ll keep your end of the bargain with paying off my loans and degree?”

“I wouldn’t expect you to take my word. You can call the loan servicing company today to confirm.”

Holy shit. Of all the things that were happening, the most thrilling aspect of it was the idea of seventy-five thousand dollars of debt cleared in one fell swoop. No more monthly payments. No more interest. No more lifetime of debt.

Wild euphoria rushed through me, and I grinned. “I want to be there when you pay the FedLoan Servicing people. I want to listen in. I want to hear it all.”

I realized I was gripping his arm, and I must have looked a little maniacal because he was staring at me like I’d just announced my legs were made of ocelots. Obviously, Orion was deeply alienated from the mortal challenges of student loan interest, or he would have understood this elation immediately.

I released my grip on his arm, still unable to believe this was happening. “Before I get too excited, can I get an idea of what would happen if King Cambriel discovered I was a fraud?”

His eyebrows rose. “Well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pleasant. It would be even worse than your life in Osborne, if you can imagine such a thing. Torture, a slow death in a fire, and your ashes thrown in the sea. Let’s try to avoid that.”

A shudder rippled up my spine. But after four years of dreaming of getting within these city gates, this was my chance to find out something about Mom’s death.

Orion stood and pulled a dagger from a sheath. Eyes twinkling, he held out his hand for mine. I rose from the table and shoved my hand toward him, and as he gripped the knife, he looked into my eyes. “I need you to repeat after me. ‘On pain of death, I swear a sacred blood oath to keep my mission a secret from other demons.’”

I inhaled deeply, then repeated the pledge verbatim. As soon as I finished the final word of the oath, Orion tightened his grip around my hand. He drew the blade across my palm, and the sharp sting of the cut made me wince. A line of red gleamed from my skin, and my blood dripped onto the table.

He then cut his own palm and pressed our hands together.

I wasn’t sure if it was the sight of the blood or something about the magic of the oath, but as our hands clasped, my head swam. In my mind’s eye, I saw a crystal-clear vision: stone walls, cracked to expose a bit of the stars. Then a shadow swinging over the stone—the bloodied, swaying feet of a hanged body. Wood creaked above, and a pain pierced my heart to the core.

Unnerved, I pulled my hand away again, and the vision cleared. I stared at Orion, my blood still dripping onto the table.

He frowned. “What?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. I just felt…pain.”

He held out his hand again. “Let me heal you.”

When I touched him again, I immediately felt his magic washing over my skin, a warm and pleasurable tingle.