City of Thorns (The Demon Queen Trials #1)(28)

But the Asmodean Ward was something altogether different. Here, canals flowed through the city instead of roads, and deserted boats floated in turquoise water. The streets were narrow and deserted, occasionally opening up onto squares with faded grandeur. Classical buildings were adorned with columns and tall windows, and the faded stone looked like it had once been painted bright colors. Many of the fa?ades were crumbling, the windows boarded up. An empty fountain stood in the center, carved with statues whose faces had been smashed.

My heart clenched. Sadness permeated the air here like a dark miasma. I felt the loss of this place viscerally.

Across from us stood a palatial building with arched, mullioned windows. A canal flowed on one side of it. Workers were rushing in and out, carrying furniture inside and replacing broken windowpanes.

Orion pointed to it. “There. That’s your home for now. No one has lived in the Asmodean Ward in centuries, but they’re making sure it’s fit for Mortana.”

I turned to look behind me, unnerved to find that three female demons had followed us into the abandoned ward. There was nothing for them here—no restaurants, no shops. No one lived here. They were simply watching us, and they didn’t seem to care about being subtle.

A tall, brunette demon with sapphire eyes and black horns was glaring at me, arms folded. The look in her eyes was pure wrath, sending shivers through my bones. In her leather shorts and corset, she looked as sexy as she was terrifying. Two blondes flanked the horned one, all of them statuesque. But the most interesting thing about this trio was that the horned one had tattoos of flames on her arms. Did she have fire magic?

I needed to know how common flames were among demons.

Moving closer to Orion, I wrapped my arms around his neck, and I shot a smug smile at the trio. In response, Orion wrapped his hands around my waist. His intense magic sizzled over my body, heating me.

I reached up and pulled his head down closer to my mouth. “Orion,” I whispered, “I can see that people want to kill me already. I need to know what their powers are like.”

“What do you want to know, love?”

“What about fire magic?” I whispered.

His arm brushed down my back, and he looked over my shoulder. He reached for my hand, then he led me toward a building that looked like an abandoned brick mansion, the windows boarded up with wood. He kicked through the ancient wooden doors into a room of faded marble and dusty tile floors.

I coughed in the stale air. I could see that at one point, this place had been truly stunning. Busts in alcoves lined the hall, carved with flowing hair and crowns. But their faces were smashed, too. A few of the statues had been pushed to the ground and lay shattered on the marble. An old, dusty diary had been forgotten on the floor, as had a moth-eaten cape. Two crystal glasses and a decanter stood on a table. A maroon stain darkened one part of the floor, disturbingly the color of dried blood.

It was hard not to be curious about an abandoned demon mansion, so I peered through one of the doorways to see something that looked like a ballroom, covered in dust and cobwebs. A harpsichord stood in one corner, and more crystal glasses and plates littered the tables. It was like the Lilu who’d once lived here didn’t see it coming. Like they’d left mid-meal. It made my heart twist to see it.

“Why was this all left here?” I asked. “If the Lilu are gone, why did no one take over their palace?”

He turned to look at one of the smashed busts, and he traced his fingertips over its rough contours where the face used to be. “Demons are superstitious. When something terrible happens, a place is thought to be cursed. Haunted.”

“Do you believe that?”

He shook his head. “No. Haunting requires a soul, and I don’t believe we have them.”

But for some reason, since we’d come in here, the shadows seemed to thicken as if this place spooked him. Hot magic warmed the air around him.

“Do you think mortals have souls?” I asked.

His eyes slid to mine, his expression distant. “I’ve never spent any time thinking about mortals. Maybe you have souls. It’s honestly difficult to take interest in fragile little creatures that only live for a few years.”

I’d really have to just get used to his condescension. “Right. Okay. I suppose none of that matters right now.”

“You wanted to ask about fire magic.” His gaze pinned me. “Why fire magic specifically?”

I shrugged. “There was a demon woman outside with fiery tattoos. I’d heard a rumor that demons can light people on fire, and I happen to be more than a little terrified of it.”

“That’s Lydia—Duchess of the Luciferian Ward, House of Shalem. Fire magic is rare. Most of us possess only strength and speed relative to mortals. A few have ice magic. The ability to summon water, or to cause a storm—there are some examples of elemental magic. But fire—only the most powerful can summon fire. Those from a branch of royal lineage. Some say it means you’ve been touched by Lucifer himself.”

Now this was the most important thing I’d learned since I’d arrived. “So who’s on that exclusive list?”

“The king, Lydia, and Mortana.”

And now I had three suspects.

Orion raised his hand, and flames burst from his fingertips like candles. The fire danced in his eyes. “And me.”

I stepped back from him, my heart pounding, and the flames disappeared.