Chapter 15
Analise fought to get her breathing under control, her cheeks flaming as she fixed her shirt.
‘I bought pastries,’ Lira announced. ‘In case anyone was in the mood.’
Analise blushed again, sneaking a glance at Ezra, who was still bare chested. She tore her eyes away, deciding it was best not to look at him, not when she was hovering on the edge, the flesh between her legs molten. ‘Ummm, sure. What are you doing here?’
‘As I’m my own boss, I decided to take the morning off and spend it with my friend,’ Lira said, digging into the bag. ‘Croissants?’
Analise managed a nod. She was supposed to be angry with Lira, but right now, that was the last thing on her mind. She ran trembling fingers over her face, smoothing her hair back.
‘Ezra?’ Lira offered, lips twitching. ‘Something sweet?’
He nodded, and turned to scoop his shirt from the ground.
‘Stop,’ Lira commanded, shoving the bag on the bench behind her. ‘Show me your back.’
Her tone made Analise freeze. Slowly, Ezra straightened. Analise held her breath, tracing the curve of his muscle and the line of his spine. Her eyes caught on something oddly familiar, and she frowned, then gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
Ezra glanced at them over his shoulder. ‘What is it?’
Pastries forgotten, Lira marched over to him. ‘How long has that been there?’
‘What?’ Ezra demanded. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
Analise stepped closer, her lip pulled between her teeth. She met his eyes, and didn’t know what to say.
‘You’ve been marked by a demon,’ Lira told him bluntly.
Ezra spun around so fast Analise took a step back, but Lira didn’t move.
‘Made any deals with Asmael lately?’ she asked coolly, hands on her hips.
‘What the hell are you talking about?’ he growled, pulling his shirt on.
‘There’s a mark on your shoulder blade, Ezra,’ Analise told him. ‘The same one the bodies in the morgue had.’ She touched her chest, where her amulet rested against her breastbone, realising with a start that Ezra wasn’t wearing one. ‘Where’s your amulet?’
‘I don’t know,’ he said blankly. ‘Upstairs maybe? I actually don’t know.’
‘You don’t wear one, do you?’ Analise asked slowly. ‘I haven’t seen …’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Lira said, shaking her head, fixing Ezra in a stern glare. ‘Start talking.’
‘I can assure you both I’ve not made any deals with the Devil, something I’m certain I’d remember,’ Ezra replied. ‘You must be mistaken.’
Lira narrowed her eyes. ‘Made any deals with anyone recently?’
Ezra started to shake his head, then stopped. He sighed, running his hand through his hair and looked at the floor. ‘Father Blackwood, but unless he’s the Devil in disguise, I don’t know what that—’
‘Blackwood?’ Lira asked.
Ezra nodded. ‘He asked me to find someone for him.’
‘Who?’
‘A Daughter of Lilith.’ Ezra’s voice was flat, barely audible.
Analise sucked in a breath. Cold spread through her, followed by a mind-crushing numbness. ‘Why you? Why, out of everyone in this city, did the Head of the Church ask you to do this?’
He sighed again. ‘Because of who I am, and what I can do.’
Icy fingers skated down Analise’s spine. ‘And who are you?’
He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them, Analise knew the world was about to come crashing down around her and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
‘My name isn’t Ezra Tarrenfire. It’s Ezra Ives.’
Analise took a shaky step backwards, throat tight. The Unseen’s best witch-hound …
The breath froze in her lungs, and the blood drained from her face as the horrible truth hung in the air between them. ‘You didn’t come to the morgue because you wanted to see me.’
‘Blackwood asked for my help because I can see the magic of a death witch. I can see your magic, Analise, and I … this wasn’t how I wanted you to find out,’ Ezra said wretchedly. ‘That it was you wasn’t intentional, you have to believe that.’
Analise opened her mouth but nothing came out—words were ash on her tongue. She took a step backwards, another, until she was pressed against the nearest wall.
‘You’re a fucking witch-hound?’ she choked out, her vision blurring, knives stabbing at her insides. ‘I can’t …’
‘I was, but I’m not anymore. Analise—’ Ezra put his face in his hands, shoulders shuddering as he took a deep breath. When he lifted his head again, the acceptance, the defeat, in his expression was like a punch to the guts.
In a quiet voice, he told them about his visit from Blackwood. ‘Jem knows.’
‘Of course he does,’ Lira said, voice clipped. ‘Right. You cannot leave this building, Ezra. I need to speak with the Order, and Analise, you—’
Analise shook her head. ‘I’m not staying here.’
Lira’s expression was sympathetic. ‘You have to, for now, until we know what’s going on.’ She marched towards the door. Analise hurried after her, catching her arm.
‘Don’t leave me here,’ she begged, not giving one fuck if Ezra heard her.
Ezra Ives. Fuck.
Lira gently pried Analise’s fingers from her arm. ‘He won’t hurt you.’
‘No, but I might hurt him,’ Analise snapped. Panic had her now, the shock slowly sliding away. She couldn’t see properly. Her hands were shaking, throat constricted as she tried to breathe.
‘If it makes you feel better …’ Lira removed one of her daggers from beneath her coat, pressing it into Analise’s palm. ‘Don’t hit anything important.’
Analise took the knife. ‘Lira …’
‘I know, Analise. I’ll be back soon. I promise.’
She left, the sound of the magical door lock echoing through the town house like the final toll of a death knell.
Analise gripped the knife so tightly her knuckles turned white.
She couldn’t return to the kitchen. She couldn’t look at Ezra, didn’t even want to be in the same building as him, let alone the same room.
She hurried up the stairs, eyes blurring.
Furious, Analise blinked the tears away.
Her blood was burning, desire and lust and now shock swirling through her, the core of her body slick between her thighs.
Damn him. Damn him to Hell and back.
She paused at the top of the stairs, the skin on the back of her neck prickling.
Cautiously, she glanced over her shoulder.
Ezra was standing near the door. His shoulders were rigid.
He looked up and for a brief moment, Analise thought she saw regret, apology, all the things she didn’t want to hear but desperately needed to.
He lied to her, from the beginning, and the worst part was, she’d known it.
She’d known all along, even after he told her about the Gendarme, that there was more.
The man she slept with, had been sharing a bed with, had been fucking on a kitchen table, was Ezra Ives.
She’d heard his name long before she’d seen his face, and had resolved never to be in the same place as the man who would know what she was by looking at her.
Only he hadn’t, had he? She wasn’t sure why she thought it, but she was certain he hadn’t known what she was the first night they met.
‘Analise—’
‘Do not speak to me,’ she spat. ‘Not one word. Do not look at me. Do not come near me, Ezra, or I swear …’
He nodded, then returned to the kitchen.
She rubbed her eyes, forcing the emotions away.
Anger. She held onto that because if she didn’t, she’d cry, and she was not going to break.
Not now, not in front of him. She pressed her hand against her chest, her amulet biting into her skin, her shattered heart somewhere behind it, and barricaded herself in the bedroom.
It was dark when Lira returned. Analise heard her arguing with Ezra downstairs, but couldn’t make out what they were saying.
When Lira knocked gently on the door, Analise jolted, then rushed to open it, ushering her friend inside and sliding the dresser back in place.
Lira said nothing about it, climbing onto the bed, sitting cross-legged.
Analise joined her, keeping her eyes on her hands. They’d not stopped shaking.
‘Remind me not to eat off the table again. I’m assuming it was the table?’ Lira’s voice was light, teasing, but beneath it was worry.
Analise was numb, and wrapped her arms around herself, shivering.
‘Analise?’
‘I don’t know what you’re expecting me to say.’ She took a deep breath, forcing herself to be calm, forcing herself to speak. ‘I’m glad you arrived when you did. You stopped me from making a terrible mistake. So thank you.’
‘Analise—’
‘He lied to me,’ she snarled. ‘From the start, he lied to me.’
‘Yes. He did,’ Lira agreed. ‘But so did I.’
‘And believe me, I’m angry with you, but it’s not the same. Whatever it was, between Ezra and myself, it’s done. It’s done,’ Analise repeated, taking a deep breath and running her fingers over her face. ‘Are you letting me go home?’
‘No,’ Lira said gently, and Analise’s eyes flooded with tears. ‘We’ve been watching your lodging house. Your Familiar hasn’t returned, and we don’t know where he is, and that worries me. Analise, if you have a demon mark, now is the time to say.’
‘I don’t.’
Lira nodded. ‘You’re my friend, and if anything happened to you … I couldn’t live with myself. The Order is arranging somewhere else for you to go, where you won’t be alone, and you’ll be safe.’
Analise nodded numbly.
‘The thing you won’t like, though,’ Lira began, looking guilty, ‘is he’ll be there.’
‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ Analise seethed. ‘I’d rather—’
‘I know, but the place will be large enough that, if you wanted, you wouldn’t have to see him at all,’ Lira explained quickly. ‘And it won’t only be the two of you. The Order of the Dawn will be with you, alright?’