39. Leah #2
“Well, you don’t present so much of a challenge.
You’re mostly Stratan by blood, and while nephilim are usually claimed by Aradis, we can legally argue that they missed their window for that when you reached adulthood as a Stratan citizen.
It’s trickier with Lord Syrus, but if he opted to stay in Strata indefinitely, the other demon lords may feel differently about pursuing punishment. ”
Strickland is choosing his words carefully, but I can read between the lines. For Syrus, staying in Strata permanently would mean abdicating his role. It occurs to me that now that Ajax’s runes have been broken, Syrus is no longer bound to Infernum. He doesn’t actually have to stay.
“You would help make that happen?” I ask quietly, afraid to speak the idea any louder. “What about the Assembly?”
Strickland offers me a wry smile. “When you first arrived, I had to strike a balance between helping you both and considering the needs of my realm. If I’m honest, I only advocated for you two up to a point.”
Ah, I see. Now that Strickland needs me to help with the collateral, things are different.
“Nevertheless, there are tools I could use to sway the Assembly,” Strickland continues. “Favors I could call in, and other things.”
I’ve seen—or rather, heard—the methods of persuasion Strickland means. I remember what he said about dancing with the darkness to claim our power. If he’d be willing to pull some strings, even some ugly ones, to help Syrus and me, who am I to complain?
The assemblyman leans a little closer, fixing me with a steady, sincere look. “We—all of us—deserve to feel safe, Leah. And if I can build a place in Strata like that for people who have nowhere else to turn, then I’ll be doing my job.”
“Thank you,” I say, “that means a lot. I’ll speak to Lord Syrus.”
He rises, brushing down his clothes. “I hope that setting this concern to rest will help clear your mind to consider other matters.”
I swallow and nod to show my understanding. Strickland will go the extra mile for us, but I have to put my energy into returning the favor. This was a negotiation at the end of the day, like everything else Strickland does.
I start planning a dozen different ways to broach the topic with Syrus, wondering when will be the right time, asking myself if I should consult Viz and Aster first before diving in.
But Syrus doesn’t give me that chance. As soon as Strickland is gone, he’s back, asking me what happened.
And I find I want to try that radical openness that occurred to me before.
“He told me that he could find a way for us to stay longer in Strata if I helped him fix the collateral,” I say.
Syrus leans back on the couch, an amused smile on his lips. “That’s a little coldblooded of him, don’t you think?”
I shrug one shoulder, trying to be brave, and keep meeting Syrus’s gaze.
“He said that it could be more than an extension, that he could get us permanent residency—if we wanted.” I take a deep breath, pushing forward.
“I’ve been thinking. We have Hathwell’s fortune now, and Strickland knows our situation and is willing to help us.
You’ve been longing to come back here for three hundred years, and now you can. ”
“What about Malice?” he asks, his voice low and quiet as it wraps around each word.
“You could make a trade. What if—” I hesitate for a moment, unable to suppress a flicker of doubt.
But then I see it all—the life we could have in Pax together—and I know it will be worth it.
I forge on. “What if you offered to abdicate your position? I’m sure the lords would give you a pardon if you promised to step down as Lord of Malice. ”
Syrus is very still, his crimson eyes studying my face as I’m studying his. He doesn’t say anything, and I keep going, weirdly afraid to let the silence stretch for too long.
“I know you feel a duty to your domain, but you’ve ruled Malice for more than three centuries now. Haven’t you fulfilled your obligation?” I slide onto the couch next to him and rest a hand on his knee. “Don’t you think it’s time to put your own wants first, Syrus?”
To put us first?
I don’t say it out loud, wishing—not for the first time—that we were linked again and I could speak the words into my mind. It was so much easier to say things there, with him nestled inside my thoughts, than send them out into the world.
“I can’t do that, Leah.”
It comes out so abrupt, so firm, that I immediately lift my hand away.
It’s like he’s knocked me back, and I look away, trying to hide the pain I know must be showing on my face.
I expected him to have some objections, but I thought he’d at least consider this.
This immediate, complete denial is telling.
It says I’m not Syrus’s home like he’s mine.
“I see,” I say. I can hear the tightness in my voice. It sounds like I’m about to choke.
Syrus sighs. “Leah, my love, it’s true there have been periods when I resented my place in Infernum. But that’s not a good enough reason to walk away.”
“What about freedom?” I ask. “Isn’t that a good enough reason? After everything you’ve been through, why don’t you get to be free?”