Page 12 of City of the Lost
Azren’s jaw ticked. “Yes. I forgot my place and you reminded me.” He ground out the words through clenched teeth.
“I think you’re my hero.” My grin hurt my cheeks.
“No. I take it back,” Trevor said. “She’s not in shock, she’s high.”
“Endorphins,” Azren said. “The prince’s saliva is filled with them. It will wear off soon. Just a few more minutes.”
“Drink your hot chocolate, Wila,” Gilbert urged.
I sipped and blinked and sipped, and slowly the world came back into focus, bringing a godawful headache with it.
“Oh, fuck.” Setting the mug down, I pressed my hands to my temples.
“It will pass,” Azren said tightly. He wouldn’t look at me. Why wouldn’t he look at me?
Sure enough the headache receded. “How many times have you seen this?”
“Enough,” Azren said.
“I don’t get it. The first time we met he said I smelled off, inedible. I don’t ...”
“It wasn’t your flesh he was feeding off,” Azren said. “It was your soul. I’m assuming that tasted fine to him.” His tone was laced with bitterness.
My hands went to my chest. “I felt it. I felt him taking it.”
“Luckily, neph souls aren’t so easily drained,” Azren explained. “He would have needed to feed for several hours to kill you.”
“But why attack me now? He’s been around me several times, and I know he doesn’t want to hurt me.”
“You do?” Trevor’s voice rose incredulously.
Now that my equilibrium was returning, now that it was possible to view the situation in a clear light, I was certain he’d never meant to hurt me. He’d somehow lost control.
“He saved my life under the mausoleum, and there’s no way he’s gonna piss off his mother by ending me. No. This was a slip up. I saw the shock on his face.” He’d looked devastated.
“As much as I am loath to admit it, I agree,” Azren said.
“Wait,” Trevor said. “Weren’t you the one who wanted to punch his face in?”
Azren exhaled through his nostrils. “I still do. But upon reflection, he was not himself. Valance is usually in complete control when feeding, and yet he looked dazed. Almost as if he was intoxicated.”
That was all very well, he’d messed up. We’d all been there. Okay, I’d never accidentally snacked on one of my colleagues before, but each to their own, however … “What’s stopping him from losing his head again? I mean, like it or not, he’s kinda part of the team, even if that part is affiliated to she-who-shall-not-be-named.” I leaned in conspiratorially. “I actually get the impression there’s no love lost between those two, but that may not stop him from snacking on me again.” I pressed my lips together to halt the ramble. Maybe I was still a little high off the endorphins.
“You don’t get to be alone with him,” Azren said simply.
“He’s right,” Gilbert said. “Someone will be with you; if not one of the others, then me. I’m surprised The Collective aren’t knocking on our door right now.” He sounded perplexed.
“Oh, shit. The Treaty.”
“Yes,” Gilbert said. “Valance feeding on you was a breach, and the Arcana magic in the Treaty would have detected it.”
“Unless the wards Noir installed are somehow interfering,” Trevor pointed out.
Azren was looking from me to Trevor, his brow creased in confusion. “Do you really believe the Arcana magic in the Treaty is used to detect every single breach?”
I met his gaze. “Um. Yeah.”
He shook his head, lowering his gaze to the table. “I suppose it makes sense that the Arcana would perpetuate that misinformation. But ask yourself this, if the Treaty could detect every breach, then why didn’t it detect the rogue Shedim?”
