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RAUM KNEW HE SHOULDN’T get his hopes up that he’d found a possible match, but it was hard not to. He had an unspoken rivalry with Kade Sinclair. They were in a race to see who would succeed with their task first. As a member of the Magic Guild, the warlock should have a better chance to find a potential partner. The demon smirked at that thought. Kade was more powerful than anyone else in his guild, yet he was pretending to be a low-level lackey. No woman of any standing was going to take him seriously.
As for his own search, the Demon Guild Master hadn’t had much luck so far. He’d located three potential candidates, but someone had murdered them before he’d done more than speak to them to assess their worthiness. “This one will be different,” he murmured as he left the catacombs. He’d chosen an exit that wasn’t used very often. He hadn’t told anyone he was coming to the Shifter District, so her identity should remain a secret.
One of his scouts had reported that a powerful shifter-witch was hiding out in an apartment in this suburb. She was apparently afraid that Lord Graham would have her executed if he learned she’d arrived in Nox recently. Raum’s scouts brought him all sorts of interesting news that they overheard. His minions lurked everywhere, spying on the beings in the other Districts. He rewarded them with extra food rations when they brought him useful information.
Raum strode down the alley and walked a couple of blocks to the apartment complex the scout had told him about. He entered the building and made his way up to the second floor. When he was halfway down the hallway, he could sense a spell that had been placed on the shifter-witch’s door. It was designed to prevent anyone from breaking in, but he could have easily dispelled it with demonic magic. The magic of Nox would keep him from entering the apartment, so it would be pointless to break through her ward. He was strong enough to break most spells now. Except for the shields that protected the Immortal Triumvirate, of course. Kade Sinclair possessed an enchantment that would supposedly shatter it.
He knocked on the door and heard footsteps on the other side. Someone peered at him through the peephole and he smiled winsomely. The door was opened a couple of inches and wary amber eyes looked at him. “What do you want?” the werewolf asked him suspiciously.
“I have a proposition for you, madam,” he said.
She snorted out a scornful laugh. “What could an evil creature like you possibly have that I would want?”
“You know what I am?” he asked in surprise. Few could tell that he was a demon when he was in his human form.
“I can smell demons on you,” she replied. “You reek of them.”
She was so new to the city that she didn’t know who he was. “As I should,” he told her. “For I am their leader.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t slam the door in his face. “So, you’re Raum?” she asked.
Obviously, she’d heard of him after all. “I am,” he confirmed. “May I come in? I’m reluctant to discuss my proposal while standing in the hallway.”
She debated about his request, then opened the door for him. He sensed how strong her magic was as he stepped past her. Since she was a new resident, she was one of the few magic users who hadn’t been drained of her power. She shut the door, then mumbled a spell to give them privacy. “What do you want, demon?” she demanded. Her auburn hair had a few white strands here and there. She had lines on her face as well, which meant she was far older than she looked. While she wasn’t beautiful, she was attractive and had a solid, stocky figure.
“Have you learned much about the Immortal Triumvirate since your arrival in the city?” he asked as he glanced around at the hovel she was living in. Her apartment was tiny and her furniture was decidedly shabby. Her clothing was better quality than most of her kind wore.
“I’ve heard they’re almost as selfish and evil as your kind,” the shifter-witch retorted and gestured at one of the chairs for him to take a seat.
“Almost,” he agreed with a charming smile as they both sat down. “Lord Graham has eliminated far too many alphas, which has created a rather large problem in the Shifter District,” he said.
Her expression became drawn. “I’ve seen the rogues wandering about,” she agreed. “Why would a demon like you care about the fate of my kind?”
“It isn’t just your kind I’m concerned about,” he lied. He didn’t care about the health and wellbeing of anyone except himself. He craved power and he would do whatever he had to in order to have more of it.
“Go on,” the shifter said in a disbelieving tone.
“The Immortal Triumvirate have stolen the magic and energy from the population of Nox, which has left them weak. Their selfish actions have reduced the magic of the city to almost nothing and poverty is now widespread. My acquaintances and I wish to change things. We are seeking powerful allies to assist us with our cause.”
“Why did you approach me?” she asked him bluntly.
“You are new to the City of Night,” he pointed out. “You have your full strength and I sense you are quite powerful.”
“My alpha decided to move us all to Nox despite me warning him against it,” she said. “Now our pack is forced to toil in factories and we’re far worse off than we were before. I’ll speak to my alpha and he’ll help me decide whether to trust you or not.”
Raum knew there was nothing more he could say right now to convince her to join him, so he stood up to leave. “Send me a letter if you choose to become my ally,” he requested as she let him out. He didn’t tell her that he required her to become bonded to him. That talk could wait until after she’d decided whether she could trust him.
He was fairly confident that he’d beaten Kade to the punch. While the shifter-witch wasn’t as lovely as Sebastian’s partner, she would amplify his power substantially when they became bonded. He couldn’t see himself getting sexually involved with the werewolf. Their relationship would be strictly professional, which was more disappointing than he wanted to admit. Eden and Sebastian seemed made for each other. He was slightly jealous at the thought that he wouldn’t have the same luck that the master vampire had been blessed with.
Raum had almost reached the alley when a loud scream came from the building he’d just left. He spun around, instinctively knowing the shifter-witch had been slain. “Not again!” he snarled and stared upwards in expectation. Right on cue, he saw a flash of gold eyes, black wings and a gray body. The spy who had been following him for the past few months flashed by overhead. He hadn’t been able to get close enough to the lowly cur to see his face, but he knew the minion had to belong to one of his rivals. Once again, his latest potential candidate had been eliminated before she could agree to join his cause.
For a few moments, Raum wondered if one of Eden’s former colleagues was responsible for the murders. He wouldn’t be surprised if the Immortal Triumvirate had allies within the Demon District. His rulers trusted him about as much as he trusted them, which was to say not even a little bit. But he couldn’t think of a reason why they would assassinate every woman he approached. These murders felt personal. He had a lot of rivals, so it really wasn’t surprising that he’d become a target of someone with a grudge.
Huffing out a sigh, the Demon Guild Master headed back to the catacombs. He would have to continue his search for a female who was strong enough to become bonded to him. The crow that was circling overhead cawed. It almost sounded like it was laughing at him. He glowered at it, but it wheeled around and flew away before he could incinerate it with hellfire.
