He stops speaking and I go tense, sensing something’s wrong. His presence is suddenly wary and alert, hackles raised,listening.
“What is it?”I ask.
“I’m not sure,”Syrus says slowly.“I can feel—wait, Leah, listen to me?—”
A powerful pulling sensation grips my body, like being caught in a hurricane with a strong wind ripping everything away. Except it’s Syrus the force wants, wrenching his presence from my mind. I call his name, but it gets lost in the rush of him leaving my body, until only a gaping emptiness remains.
Chapter 30
Leah
Iclutch my chest, gasping from the impact. It’s like half of me has just been dragged out through my ribs, and it takes me a few seconds to reorient myself again. As soon as I do, the panic starts to set in.
He was trying to warn me about something, and then he was snatched away from me. Did something happen to him back in Malice? Was he attacked?
“Syrus?”I try to call out to him like I’ve done in the past, guiding his consciousness to find mine. But rather than projecting outward, the thought stalls, hitting up against a wall as if there’s nowhere for it to go.
I’m alone again in the chamber, Hathwell’s body lying in front of me, the flow of blood slowing, and a deafening silence in my head. I close my eyes, trying to think. My mind could conjure up a thousand awful reasons why Syrus disappeared, but getting hysterical about it won’t help me.
I need to get back to Infernum. I can’t wait around hoping he or Aster or Viz will come find me. Not when something terrible could be happening to Syrus right this minute.
The problem is, I can’t open a rift back on my own. Since I’ve started understanding Cyrax, I’ve been able to start memorizing some of the runes needed to create a rift. Except every set of runes is different depending on where you want to go, and I’ve been spending all my time trying tomemorize the ones toget outof Infernum when we’ve gone on our Strata missions.
I need to find someone who can get me back in. And in honor of the demonic forces that created her, I thank the darkness that Aster never fucking shuts up, especially about the hottest social spots across the two realms.
I stand up and throw one last look at Hathwell’s corpse. When he stood across from me in the courthouse and promised to love and honor me, I bet he never imagined that of the two of us,I’dbe the one leaving this chamber alive.
That flash of triumph fills me again, and I feel no regret as I hurry from the townhouse.
I head south, toward the river, and only have to ask a few strangers for directions as I go. Aster told me there are certain bars demons like to hang out in when they visit Strata. Like with the Aradis rift, the more well-established a haunt is for catering to a specific set of wingers, the less likely that ephilium and demons will run into each other while in Pax, which is best for everyone.
The first bar I go to is alarmingly empty. Maybe there aren’t as many demons coming to Strata these days, with the soul deals suspended and the patrols on the lake.Luckily, I spy a woman drinking alone in the corner—not what you’d expect from a human woman at three o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon. I glance at the barman, but he’s not paying any attention, and I slide into the seat opposite her.
“Hello,” I say. She looks me over, raising an eyebrow.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes, actually,” I say. I don’t have the luxury of being subtle, so I just dive in. “That is, if you are in fact a demon.”
She stiffens, her eyes sliding over to the barman. “Whatever you’re looking for, I can’t give it to you,” she says flatly.
“It’s just a simple favor,” I say. “And I’ll make sure you’re rewarded?—”
“Stop,” she holds up a hand. “I don’t care what your sob story is. I’m not working today. I probably won’t be working tomorrow either,” she sighswith the air of someone eager to vent. “It’s a fucking joke. But the Lord of Malice commands it, and he’s terrifying, so I’m not risking my neck by disobeying him to make a deal with you—even if I wasn’t saving up what little lake water I have left.”
“Well, the good news is, I don’t want a deal,” I say. “And I’m workingforthe Lord of Malice, but something went wrong, and I need to get back to Infernum to speak with him. He’s expecting me.”
She stares at me and then bursts out laughing. “Sure, and I’m Lady Jing’s courtesan. Pull the other horn, darling.” She knocks back her drink, clearly making plans to leave before this lunatic human could bother her further.
I take a deep breath. I’ve not actually tried this beyond a few words, but my gut tells me I can do it.
“If you don’t help me open a rift to Infernum right now, trust me when I say you’ll make an enemy of Syrus Kaldare for the rest of your fucking life,” I say in Cyrax. She goes pale and nearly chokes on her drink. “If youhelp me, however, you’ll be generously rewarded,” I add.
“Where did you—? How—?” she splutters.
“The Lord of Malice taught me,” I say, still speaking in the demon tongue. I knew using his real name before would help convince her. I highly doubt there are many humans who know his history. “Look, if I wasn’t telling the truth, then the moment I stepped into Malice, you know the wards would be triggered, Malice’s security would turn up, and I’d probably never see sunlight again. So there’s no risk to Infernum. But I’m not suicidal—Iamtelling the truth, and as a snare, you more than anyone could benefit from being in Syrus’s good favor.”
She sits back, digesting this, and I pull out my Infernum knife, laying it on the table between us.
