He’s out of the room before I can catch my breath enough to speak.
The bedroom door shuts with a soft snick, followed by the unmistakable sounds of an electronic lock clicking into place and two long beeps that can only be an alarm. I bolt out of bed and crash against the door, frantically yanking on the knob, but it’s no use.
I’m trapped. No escape.
Eight of Swords strikes again.
But here’s the thing about the Eight of Swords. Sure, the card features a bound, blindfolded woman surrounded by a cage of swords, but it’s notreallyabout the imprisonment. It’s about the path forward. A reminder that there’salwaysa way out, if only we’re willing to open our eyes and see it.
For so long, I refused to see anything but the cage.
But after tonight?
I’m tearing off the blindfold, busting out of this cage, and finding my own damn path forward.
Chapter Fourteen
JUDE
I light the cigarette and take a few good pulls, but not even the finest witchweed can calm me down tonight.
Gathered before the fireplace again, all three of them are staring at me, waiting for some big proclamation that will solve all the mysteries.
Sorry, boys. Not this time.
Exhaling a thick plume, I say, “The girl doesn’t know anything.”
“For fuck’s sake, Jude,” Drae says. “You were in there over an hour. What did you talk about?”
“You fuck her?” Auggie wants to know. Cheeky bastard’s got that gleam in his eyes like he’s waiting for me to say no so he can have a go instead.
“Piss off before I bend you over and use your arsehole for a fucking ashtray.” Another drag, then I tell them about the augmenter thing and her shite-for-brains parents.
“Do you believe her?” Drae asks.
“She didn’t know what I was, Drae. Asked me if I was a mage—got all grumpy with me when I wouldn’t tell her.”
“No oneknows what we are,” he says.
“Yeah, but they allbelievewe’re fae. That’s how the curse works, right? But not with this girl. She couldn’t get a read—not even the false one she was supposed to get.”
Drae nods, and I continue the story with the bit about the blood ritual and the demon.
“She says his name is Zorakkov.” I nearly choke on the word, on the memory of the fear I saw in her eyes when she told me about him. At the moment, it’s taking every bit of restraint I’ve got left not to go hunt down the bastard myself, saw off his demon dick with a rusty butter knife, stick a candle in the end, and serve it to him like a piece of birthday cake.
“Are you getting all of this, Rook?” Drae asks.
“Checking on it now.” Rook sets his tablet aside and reaches for his laptop.
“Is her reaction typical for a witch coming into contact with demon blood?” Auggie asks him.
“Not that I’m aware of.” Our resident genius bangs away on the keyboard, then pushes his glasses up his nose, squinting through the lenses. “All right, I’m getting some hits on our boy, Zorakkov. Let’s see… fantasy name generators, demon romance fan fiction, an old D&D module… This is useless.”
“The demon romance fanfic might be worth exploring,” Auggie says, peering over Rook’s shoulder. “Click on that.”
“Youclick on that.” Rook snaps the laptop shut and gets to his feet. “I need to hack into the seminary school database for this. Give me fifteen minutes—I’ll be back.”
“There’s something about this girl,” I say, watching Rook retreat down the hall. “I’m telling you, Drae. I sensed it that very first night in the park. And now that she’s here in our home? Fuck. I can’t explain it.” I suck in another drag, everything inside me still buzzing. “All I know is I haven’t been able to get her out of my fucking head for a minute, and every time I get close to her, I feel like I’m either about to burn up or throw up. Or both.”
