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TWO WEEKS HAD PASSED since Raum had ordered Ember’s wardrobe. As promised, the clothing arrived on the night he’d been told. He’d just stepped out of the shower when a bunch of boxes appeared on his bed. They’d been sent to his home by a spell, along with the bill. He would get one of his lackeys in the guildhall to take care of the payment.
Dressing in one of his usual suits, he spent almost an hour unpacking the boxes. The fairy and her colleagues had done an exceptional job. The beautiful gowns he’d asked for were mixed with a variety of other outfits. He admired the skimpy lingerie and pictured himself stripping them from Ember’s lovely body.
For the past few nights, she’d avoided the City Square. Raum had grown worried last night and had gone searching for her when it was close to dawn. He’d figured she’d fled from the catacombs and headed for the Shifter District. Just as he’d expected, he sensed her hiding in one of the many empty apartments in a poorer area of the District.
Now that he knew where he would find her, he needed to set up a meeting with Xiara Evora. She would hopefully be able to find a holy person who would assist him to make the demoness trust him. He had meetings to attend first, but he figured Ember would be busy stalking the Immortal Triumvirate for most of the night anyway.
It wasn’t easy to pay attention to the petty problems and disagreements his guildmembers were having with each other. He forced himself to focus while mentally reviewing his plans. Two hours before dawn, he sent a letter to Ms. Evora requesting her presence at the address he’d tracked Ember to. An hour before dawn, he flew to the Shifter District.
Raum could sense Ember inside the apartment across the street from the rooftop where he was perched. A flash of white caught his attention and he looked up to see an angel descending from the heavens. She was holding the Guardian of Nox in her arms.
Xiara sensed him when she was lowered to her feet and gave him the thumbs up. She motioned for him to wait for a couple of minutes, presumably to allow them to get into position. He nodded and the two women headed for the door that gave them access to the building.
Raum was nervous as he counted down in his head. So many things could go wrong and he might lose his last chance to win Ember over. He didn’t have the time or the inclination to locate and convince another woman to become his partner. The hellion was the one he wanted and he wasn’t going to settle for anyone else.
When he’d counted down to zero, the Demon Guild Master launched himself off the rooftop. He zoomed towards a living room window of the apartment Ember was staying in. Morphing into his human form, he crashed through the glass.
Ember was curled up on the carpet in her demon form. Her gold eyes flared with fear when Raum smashed through the window. She leaped to her feet and raced for the door, then swore viciously when she opened it to see Xiara Evora standing there.
“Knock, knock,” the huntress said in a cheerful tone. An angel with long black hair and gray eyes stood behind her. She had wings and a halo and holiness emanated from her. Her divine power was enough to make the demoness back away from the stinging sensation.
“We’re not here to harm you, Ember,” Raum said soothingly. The cuts he’d received from the broken glass had already healed.
“Truth,” the angel said. “Can we come in? It feels kind of weird to stand out in the hallway.”
“I don’t own this apartment,” Ember said with a scowl. “I can’t stop you from entering.”
“Yeah, but it’s polite to ask,” Xiara said and both women entered.
“What do you want?” the hellion asked, backing away from the executioner’s deadly staff. It was glowing with soft white light. She could feel the holy power that itched to smite her down.
“I know you don’t trust me and I’m going to try to convince you that you can,” Raum said.
“Truth,” Zircadion said and grinned when the hideous female demon glowered at her. “I’m an impartial witness. Xiara asked me to attend this meeting and to verify whether Raum is being truthful or not.”
Looking closer at the angel, Ember realized she’d seen her before. “You’re the angel I saw with that woman Lord Dallinar tossed out of his window,” she said. Her hair, face and body were different, but her halo sat off center, just like the holy being she’d seen a few nights ago.
“Yep, that was me,” Zircadion agreed. “I wear a new face and body each night.”
“Can we get on with this?” Raum asked with exaggerated politeness while wondering what they were talking about. “I’m sure you both want to be tucked away in your beds before dawn.” The Night Cursed pair would fall unconscious once the sun rose. They would have to remain where they were until the magic of Nox sent them home just before nightfall tomorrow night.
“Say whatever it is that you have to say,” Ember said, crossing her scarred arms across her bony chest.
“I know you blame me for you becoming a slave,” Raum began. “But Lord Dallinar was the one who sent you to the slave market.”
“Truth,” the angel said.
“I already knew that,” Ember said. “I remember it.”
“How old were you when that happened?” Xiara asked curiously.
“About an hour or so,” the demoness said with a shrug. “Demons are born with more awareness than humans,” she added, then turned to face Raum. “The Immortal Triumvirate didn’t create the slave market. You did,” she said, pointing at the wickedly handsome human façade the demon lord was wearing.
“Truth,” Zircadion said and Raum gave her a dour look.
“It was necessary to come up with a system to keep our kind in check,” he said. “Anyone who breaks the rules becomes a slave. It’s a way to both punish wrongdoers and to keep our kind occupied with torturing their slaves. If demons don’t have an outlet for their aggression, they become far more difficult to control.”
“Truth,” the angel verified, but her tone was less than happy to hear it.
“What did I do to be sent to the slave market?” Ember demanded. “My only crime was being born.”
“Truth,” Zircadion said sadly.
Raum took a deep breath, knowing everything was going to hinge on what he had to say next. “I’m sorry you were enslaved and that you were at Beleth’s mercy for thirty years. If it’s any consolation, he’s dead because of me.”
“Truth,” the angel said in surprise. He truly was sorry the hellion had suffered.
“What do you mean?” Ember asked suspiciously. “How is Beleth dead because of you? The assassin was the one who killed him and she works for the Immortal Triumvirate.”
“I arranged for Beleth to be assassinated,” he explained. “He was forming allies and planned to attempt a coup so he could replace me. I made a deal with the Immortal Triumvirate to have him murdered and I performed a favor for them in return.”
Ember looked at the angel and she nodded. “He speaks the truth,” she verified.
The demoness mulled over the news that Raum was partially responsible for her freedom. “It doesn’t change anything,” she decided. “I was lucky I managed to free myself from Beleth’s cage. I would have become someone else’s slave if I hadn’t escaped.”
“Truth,” Zircadion confirmed with a grimace.
Raum gave the angel an exasperated look. “How can I convince you that I mean you no harm?” he asked the demoness. “I need you. You’re the only woman who can boost my power enough to enable my allies and me to defeat the Immortal Triumvirate.”
“Truth,” the angel said to Ember. “Madam Quilla foresaw this. You’re the only match suitable to become partnered with him.”
Ember shook her head stubbornly. “I’m just a pathetic half-breed,” she protested. “How can I possibly boost his power when I don’t have any myself?”
“You’re half demon and half shifter, but your shifter half is also a witch,” Raum said.
“Truth,” Zircadion said. Both she and Xiara were intrigued by the hellion’s dumbfounded expression.
“You didn’t know?” the Guardian of Nox asked.
“I didn’t even know I had a human form until recently,” Ember said with a scowl at Raum. “As far as I know, I don’t have any magic inside me.” Even as she spoke, she recalled that Lord Dallinar had done something to her when he’d come to decide her fate.
“If you were born in the prison beneath Nox, Lord Dallinar would have blocked your power,” Xiara figured. “That’s what he’s done to the half-breeds we’ve met so far.” The only exception was Kade Sinclair. She’d rescued him before the fairy lord could perform the spell.
“I can sense if you have magic, if you’ll let me,” the angel offered.
Ember was nervous at the prospect of letting a divine being get close to her, but she needed to know the truth. “Okay,” she agreed.
Zircadion crossed to the demoness, who flinched when she held her hand over her head. She delved into the hideous hell spawn and nodded. “You’ve definitely got the capacity to use magic, but it’s being blocked.”
“One of my allies can unblock your power,” Raum said. “We can work together to break your link to the Immortal Triumvirate.”
“What link?” Ember asked blankly.
“Lord Dallinar always performs another spell when he blocks the half-breeds’ magic,” Xiara said. “He also links you guys to himself and to his allies, probably in case you’re ever chosen to become assassins. They use the link to send instructions to their assassins, so they know when they’ve completed their orders.”
“Can they control me with this spell?” Ember asked, highly disturbed by the notion.
“Nope, but they’ll probably feel it when the link is broken. They’ll think you’re dead.”
“I doubt they’d care,” the hell spawn muttered, then looked at the angel. “Can I trust him?” she asked, hiking her thumb at Raum. “Or will he stab me in the back when he doesn’t need me any longer?”
Raum rolled his eyes when all three women turned to assess him. “I promised you I won’t hurt you ever again and I meant it.”
“He’s speaking the truth,” Zircadion said. “But no, you can’t trust him. He’s a demon and that’ll never change. I believe he won’t hurt you, but I can’t see into the future.”
“Thank you so much for your assistance, my dear,” the demon lord said sardonically. “You’ve been a great help and I’m most appreciative.”
“Lies,” the angel said drolly. “Are we done here? Xiara and I need to get home.”
Raum nodded and the two Night Cursed women exited from the apartment.
