City of Thorns (The Demon Queen Trials #1)(48)

I let out a long sigh.

“What? Why do you sound like you’re not enjoying this paradise?” Shai took a bite of her tacos.

“I’m feeling guilty that I got you dragged into all this.”

“Dragged me into all what? Tacos and margaritas in a pool? It’s not your fault you look exactly like some succubus.”

“I know,” I whispered. “But if I fuck anything up, Orion says he’ll kill you. Your life is in danger, Shai.”

She snorted. “Do you think I’m an idiot? I made him swear a blood oath to keep me safe.”

I stared at her. I’d never considered just extracting promises from him like that. “Wait, what?”

She took a sip of her margarita. “It’s all about leverage, darling. My mom taught me that during the divorce. You figure out what they want, and you threaten to destroy it if they don’t meet your terms.”

My jaw dropped open. So her life wasn’t at risk… “Sorry, what did you threaten to destroy?”

She squinted in the sun. “Well, don’t take this the wrong way, but I knew he needed you for whatever his plan was. So I threatened to get rid of you if he didn’t agree.” Another bite of tacos.

“What?” Shai once got mad at me for killing an ant. “You threatened to kill me? You’re a vegan!”

“Well, he doesn’t know that,” she whispered. “And you always go on about psychopaths. I feel like I learned a few things from you. I know you said psychopaths don’t get nervous, but I don’t think he realizes that, either. Because my palms were sweating and my heart was beating out of control. But I kept my voice totally calm, and it worked.” She smiled at me. “I sounded really scary, I think.”

“What did you say?”

She shrugged. “I watched a true crime show once about a psychopath who murdered his mom by cutting off her head. So I just said that if he didn’t do what I wanted, I’d cut your head off.”

“How does he know you’re not going to murder me now?”

She waved a hand. “It was a whole thing. He made me swear a blood oath in return—not to hurt you or tell anyone what you really are. He felt like he was actually getting a good deal out of that. Since I have no intention of actually murdering anyone, I’ve really never made an easier deal in my life. I’ve got my tuition paid, plus I got a much better apartment than the one I had before. And he has to keep me safe. And I got a really great cappuccino machine. This has all worked out nicely for me. You have literally nothing to feel bad about.”

“Holy shit, Shai. He never told me any of that.”

She shrugged. “Of course he didn’t. I’m his leverage. He can get you to do what he wants as long as you think my life is at risk. He should have asked me to keep quiet during the blood oath, but you came down and interrupted, and then I think he got distracted.”

I bit my lip. “Well, this is a very interesting development. So I can…stay as long as I want here.”

She frowned at me. “I’m not sure I like the look on your face. What are you scheming now?”

“I don’t want to leave.”

She shook her head. “But you can’t keep this lie up forever, can you? What would happen if the king found out you were lying?"

I cleared my throat. “Well, that is a little hitch in my plan.”

“No, really—what does happen if the king learns you’re lying? Demon dungeon?”

“Fire pit.”

Her eyes widened. “Fucking hell, Rowan. Obviously, you can’t stay.”

I lifted my finger to my lips. She couldn’t say my real name that loudly.

She had a point, except I think I was so scared of the fire pit, my brain refused to consider it was a possibility. I was in some kind of advanced state of denial. “But what if I can keep the deception going? Orion will keep me safe until I can find the information he wants.”

She rested her elbows on the side of the pool. “I mean, I can see why you’d want to stay here. You’re living like a queen, and this is heaven. But is it really worth the risk of a fire pit?”

“It’s not just the pool and the luxury. Shai—I’m almost positive a demon killed my mom. One with fire magic. And I want to find out who it was.” I left out the bit about avenging the Lilu, and the feeling that my shadow-self was growing more powerful, because she’d think I’d lost my mind.

She frowned, her dark eyes piercing me. “I can understand the temptation. But then what? What does it get you?”

“I want to know the truth.” And I wanted to murder the fucker, maybe.

“Have you found anything out so far?”

I let out a long breath. “I have a short list of suspects. Orion is one of them.”

Her eyes widened. “Fuck. Why would he have killed your mom?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know why anyone would. I only know two things—I think it was someone with fire magic, and I think it was someone with a demon mark shaped like a star. You know, the shiny forehead things?”

“I’ve seen one once. Not a star.”

“I haven’t seen that particular mark yet, either, but I keep looking. That’s all I remember from that night. And Orion is one of just a handful of demons with fire magic—along with Lydia, the king, and Mortana herself. Orion says the star mark means that you’re destined to be the demon leader, blessed by Lucifer. So my guess is that the king is the top suspect. But no one knows what the king’s mark looks like, so I’m not sure.”