Page 48 of Forbidden

Shetsked. “Come now. You wouldn’t forsake your precious guild on an uncertainty. Tell me what made you leave all you’ve ever known for a creature like Wolf.”

He didn’t want to tell her how Wolf made him feel. Thatno one had ever made him feel wanted the way Wolf did. He didn’t want her to know that he’d do anything for him. That was far more leverage than she needed.

“You’re not the only one, as I’m sure you’re aware. Two others from your guild have taken demon lovers.” Her eyes flicked toward Talon and away. “I want to understand why. Their presence here—yourpresence here—threatens my enterprise. Apparently the guild holds grudges, and they don’t like that some of their soldiers have left. Coming here puts a target on all of us.”

He had to spin this in a way that didn’t give her any intimate knowledge about the depth of their feelings for each other. Turning her attention on the guild might be the best way to do that.

“We’re expendable to the guild,” he said, keeping his expression and voice calm while his mind ran like a hamster on a wheel. “We’re raised from a young age to believe that we’re fighting for a cause bigger than ourselves. Many paladins give their lives fighting demons. Even more wind up carrying lifelong damage from the injuries they’ve sustained over their years of fighting. The prophets don’t do battle, but we’re… sheltered in a way the paladins aren’t. We aren’t supposed to interact with the paladins, because we might give away secrets—reveal visions we’ve seen and alter the course of the future. It’s… lonely.”

She arched one finely sculpted brow. “You expect me to believe you fell in with demons because you werelonely?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “Kind of? I can’t speak for the others, but Wolf is… possessive and… all-consuming. He wants me, and that’s… nice.”

She narrowed her eyes like she didn’t quite believe him. “You left your guild behind fornice?”

“I left my guild behind because I knew he would make me happy. Far happier than I was with them.”

Her gaze sharpened. “You knew. You’d seen it in a vision?”

Adrenaline fizzed through him. It was fine. There was no reason to panic. “I did, yes.”

“What else have you seen?” She leaned forward.

There it was. He knew she’d ask eventually. His mouth was dry as bone. “Like I said, I can’t give you specifics.”

“You had specifics about fucking Wolf. You must know other things. Like the other humans who have left the guild. What are they going to be doing at this new base of theirs?”

He paused to take a breath and calm his racing heart. “They need money. They’re working as private investigators. And they still patrol at night, killing the monsters. They’re no danger to anyone here, though.”

“Will there be others?” she asked, studying him intently. He felt like a bug under a microscope.

“Others?”

“Other humans who leave the guild. There have been three of you so far. It seems too strange to be a coincidence.”

“I-I don’t know.”

She cocked her head slowly, and he felt distinctly like a hare to a fox. “You’ll have to lie better than that, little human.”

The scrape of a shoe on the floor caught his attention. Right. Talon was behind him. He wasn’t alone. Lilith seemed to realize it, as well, because her gaze flickered over his shoulder to the leviathan, and her face soured.

“Fine,” he said, endlessly grateful for Talon’s careful reminder. “I do know, but I’m not telling you. Just like I’m not telling the guild or Shadrach or anyone else who asks meto tell them about the future. I can’t tell anyone anything, because it might change things. And changing things could be catastrophic. I’m not given these visions because I’m meant to intervene. I’m just meant to witness it. I won’t tell you what happens or what I’ve seen. I don’t care what you threaten me with.”

Her mouth pursed into an unhappy moue, and her eyes darted between him and Talon. No doubt, he’d be eating those words if Talon hadn’t been there.

“I just want a little assurance that having you holy men hanging around my club and my people won’t have any ill effects on my business,” she said, sitting back with a practiced, relaxed air. “I’m sure you understand.”

“Well, then you can rest easy,” he said, standing. “I can tell you with confidence that we will cause no problems for your peopleoryour business. Wolf will continue to work as the bartender here. Talon and Malachi will be occasional customers who stay out of your way. And the guild is fracturing from within. I don’t know yet how that’ll turn out, exactly, but it can only be a good thing for a demon running a business in this city, right?”

She inclined her head, looking smug. “I suppose so.”

“If it’s all right with you, I’d like to go back downstairs to Wolf now.” He didn’t bother asking her not to threaten Wolf again. She’d do whatever she wanted, no matter what empty promises she gave him now. He could content himself with the fact that her days were already numbered, one way or the other.

“Yes, you can go. Perhaps we’ll meet again, on more even footing next time,” she said with one last glance between him and Talon, who turned toward the door to hide his smirk.

“Perhaps we will.”But I really hope not.

Talon held the door open for him, and he did his best not to rush through like something was chasing him. As soon as the door closed, he blew out a breath and ran his hands over his face.

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