Page 113 of A City of Smoke and Demons
‘I didn’t.’ Ezra stroked her face, ran his fingers over her lips. ‘You saved my life, again.’ Then he frowned. ‘What do you mean Lira told you?’
Analise smiled sadly. ‘She’s here. She hasn’t crossed over, and she told me she won’t—not until Asmael has been dealt with.’
‘Sounds like Lira. I can’t believe she’s dead.’ He paused. ‘You tried to kill the Devil, Analise.’
Analise frowned at the memory of her magic smashing through Asmael’s human body uselessly. There’d been nothing she could latch onto, and it wasn’t until she thought Ezra was about to die that she turned her magic into a weapon and pushed Asmael out of that body. But it hadn’t been enough. ‘I didn’t though, did I? Which means, he’s still out there.’ She sat up. Ezra grabbed her arm.
‘Where do you think you’re going?’ he demanded. There were horrible bruises around his throat.
‘I need to talk to Father Blackwood. Stay here and rest.’
‘Like fuck,’ Ezra mumbled. She helped him sit up, knowing anything she said wouldn’t stop him, and helped him into a clean shirt. Together, they made their way slowly downstairs, and as they walked, Analise told him everything, every word Asmael said to her. Ezra frowned when she got to the part about her magic being a gift from the Devil, but he said nothing.
Maddog was in his office. He shook his head in disbelief when he saw them, Analise’s arm around Ezra, his around her, supporting each other. She swayed on her feet but managed to tell him she wanted to speak to Blackwood. Analise wanted to say something about Lira, but she wasn’t sure what words would be best. The grief was so fresh on Maddog’s face that she knew anything she said would be useless. He nodded, and ordered them back to bed, where they stayed until he came and collected them later.
They didn’t go down to the Order’s meeting room this time. They sat in the front bar, with the sun pushing through the glass. It was bright; Analise squinted against it while they waited for the others to arrive. Maddog was frowning.
‘This could have waited,’ he said eventually. ‘You two look terrible.’
Analise managed a wry smile. ‘We’re alright.’
Hernan carried over a jug of water and some glasses, and Jem and Tobias arrived soon after. Tobias had a spectacular bruise on his face. It travelled from his jaw to his forehead, darkening around his cheek bone. It had faded to a blend of yellows and greens now, but it looked painful. Analise winced, but didn’t ask how he got it.
Jem’s face was darker than she’d ever seen it, and beneath that darkness was pain. She almost told him about Lira still being here, but stopped at the last moment. She’d tell him when Lira gave her permission. Analise glanced around the room. Lira was there, not far away, sitting at a table with her feet up on it, like she did in life. She was watching her brother.
Father Blackwood arrived at last, sweeping into the bar like an oversized raven, his black coat and clothes broken only by the white collar he wore. Analise had never seen him dressed as a member of the Church before. It changed him somehow, made her feel like what she was going to say would come easier.She was no stranger to the Church or the word of God. He said nothing about Lira, nor asked why Hernan was there, and Analise realised other things must have happened while she’d been unconscious. Blackwood seated himself, and when he was ready, she told him what happened. She kept it factual. It was easier to speak about it that way, without emotion, as if it had happened to someone else.
Blackwood frowned. ‘Asmael must have said something else,’ he pressed.
‘Back off,’ Ezra growled, his fingers tightening on Analise’s. ‘Analise nearly died—Lira did die—and all you care about is how the Devil takes his tea?’
Blackwood blinked. ‘His tea?’
Analise smothered a laugh at the look on the Father’s face. ‘Yes. We had tea. I’ve told you all I know. He wanted me to help him. I refused.’
Blackwood narrowed his eyes at her, as if she was keeping something from him. She was, but it wasn’t what he thought. Instinct told her to keep the finer details to herself.
Her parents made a deal with the Devil forher, and Asmael told her enough about Lilith that she had even more questions. She knew, instinctively, that Father Blackwood was not the one to give her the answers.
The glare Ezra was giving Blackwood was hot enough to start a fire.
‘I think his plans are obvious,’ Maddog said sharply, ‘and what we assumed, which means the end of days is approaching. What we need to decide is how we will proceed from this moment.’
Blackwood nodded, fingers stroking that strip of white at his throat. ‘Analise killed three Familiars, so we know her magic is powerful enough for that. She also killed a demon with it.’
‘No,’ Analise objected. ‘Ezra killed the demon. I have no idea if my magic would have been enough for that.’ She repressed a shudder at the memory of that moment in the cemetery and the child that was. ‘Your information is wrong. A death witch cannot free a Familiar from the Devil’s hold.’
‘Unless we went about it the wrong way,’ Blackwood argued. ‘Maybe they need to die and be resurrected, be reborn, like Ezra was.’
Analise shook her head, her temper rising. ‘I’m not going to try again.’
‘But they’re human beings,’ Father Blackwood insisted. ‘You have a duty—’
‘I have no duty to you or anyone,’ Analise snapped. ‘I joined the Order to help, and I’ve done what I can. The thing you are failing to understand about Familiars is theydon’t wantto be saved.’
Father Blackwood opened his mouth, but Analise cut across him furiously. ‘They havechosento be what they are. They chose to serve the Devil—as human beings, they made that decision. You might have to accept that not everyone seeks the light and love of God, Father.’
Blackwood finally fell silent.
