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“Fine.” I shrugged.
“And should you fail, you are mine forever.” He lifted an auburn brow. “You seem to have conveniently left that tidbit out.”
Holding myself as still as possible so he could not determine which of us was the real predator here, I nodded. “For the rest of my lifetime. Not forever.”
“Final terms?” he asked with a dangerous smile.
I circled the plan over and over again, making sure there was nothing that I couldn’t manage. It felt secure. And though warning bells were firing in my mind, I could see the nerves on his face. He carried the same thoughts I did. This was incredibly dangerous. But the freedom of that house, of Thea’s kindness and Hollis’s love, of Quill’s carefree spirit, and Paesha’s fierce loyalty, and my husband’s future all came down to this one moment.
“The shows must be the next three consecutive; you cannot drag them out. Whatever your normal schedule is, that is when I will perform.”
His cocky grin faltered, ire staring back at me in human form as he spoke through clenched teeth. “Final terms?”
“Final terms.”
Again, the magic seared my wrist, sealing the deal with a power I had no business messing with. Because from this day forward, until I could free them all, I was bound to Drexel Vanhoff.
Part Two
Chapter 37
The nights were colder now. Which meant food would become scarcer for the homeless, and they would become more desperate. More likely to make deals with the devil. It wasn’t a question of who was the bigger evil in Requiem, only who had more power. A new king with a full guard to enforce his rules or a crime lord hell-bent on trapping Death’s Maiden, but with his own sort of army bound to him. A king’s man could falter or piss himself and run off, but the Maestro’s compulsion magic wasn’t the same. An order would be followed, even to the detriment of the subject.
I sat upon a crumbling rooftop in Sinner’s Square, staring out over the two cities, running my fingers over the new band on my arm. Would Death care? Not likely. Those who came before me had slipped into the seduction of lethal magic. I was no different. I’d used the power in a different way and wielded it like a promise of pain rather than the follow-through. But if I’d truly lost my soul to the Maestro, no one was safe. It was not an easy burden to bear.
The crowds trickled out of Misery’s End, tramping down the streets with their threadbare coats pulled tight to battle the icy breeze while slipping back into Requiem’s dire reality. I waited, giving those headed to the Syndicate house long enough to get home and settled before I snuck in. But when I opened my bedroom door and found Paesha pacing inside, she brought a finger to her lips before I could question her. Less than three seconds later, Orin slammed the door open, eyes nearly black and a hint of those eerie veins peeking from beneath his collar as if they’d crept up his neck. His broad shoulders heaved as Orin’s wild eyes met mine, sweeping down my body, searching for gods knew what. Still, that gaze burned a path so strong it was as if I could feel phantom hands wrapping around me, pulling me toward him.
I opened my mouth to explain. To promise him I would be careful with the dangerous deal I’d made, but the Huntress grabbed my arm and squeezed. A warning.
“Where have you been?” he demanded. “Why weren’t you home when we got here?”
He didn’t know yet. Good.
I didn’t want to lie, but his fury drew my own, and starting another fight with him was not on my to-do list after the evening I’d had. Confident the blue band on my arm was hidden, I drew a long, exasperated breath. “I went for a walk. I’m tired of being cooped up in this house.”
“How rough it must be for you,” he growled.
Paesha moved in front of me. “Calm down, Orin. She’s not your prisoner. Or have you forgotten?”
“Since when are you on her side?” he asked, glare shifting between us.
“Since she kicked your ass in the front yard, and I won that bet. Look around. Everyone’s fine.” She stepped forward, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Just because you think it’s your job to protect us all doesn’t mean it truly is.”
“It is my job,” he argued.
“Last time I checked, I was grown.”
“We have only us, and if we aren’t careful, this world will end us.”
She shook her head, a golden-brown curl falling loose. “Whatever fate the old gods have damned us to, it’s not that. But we’re a team. Remember the first night you found me on the streets and forced me to come stay here? And Ezra stayed up all night because he was confident you’d made a huge mistake bringing in the infamous Huntress? And you told him he worried too much… You didn’t have to take his place when he died.”
“P…” Orin’s voice trailed off as he softened.
“We know you lose sleep and pull strings we don’t know exist to make this little haven safe. But life’s short, and you’re allowed your own joy, too. Take a breath. I’m starting to worry about you.”
He smoothed a hand down his face, shoulders falling. “Give us a second?”
She nodded, twisting toward the door. “Come find me when you’re done, Dey.”
