The look in Orion’s midnight eyes sent my heart racing. It was hard not to think of how I’d felt with him pinning me to the wall, with his teeth in my throat.
I breathed in deeply, then turned back to the king. He was gripping the armrests hard, leaning forward on his throne. He almost looked like he wanted to leap over the fire pit and grab me.
For the first time, the king stood, and I saw exactly how tall he was—just about the same size as Orion. The two men towered over the other demons. He opened his arms. “The dukes and duchess will advise me as to whether you may stay here in the City of Thorns. But of course, I will make the ultimate decision. And I do think you should stay.”
I exhaled slowly. This seemed like a victory, right? It seemed like no matter what the Quorum said, the king would keep me here.
“Your Majesty.” A husky, feminine voice turned my head.
Lydia, the Duchess of Shalem, had stepped forward. She was stunning in a gold dress that revealed her fiery tattoos. Her legs were long and athletic, and her dark hair curled in shiny waves over bare shoulders. For one moment, she shot me a withering look, then she schooled her expression and gazed at the king again. “Your Majesty, as the lone female leader in the City, you know that I do not share the petty and trivial concerns of the rest of the females.”
Nice. She’s really going to start her speech by explaining she’s not like other girls?
She lifted her chin. “Many of our city’s females may object to Mortana’s presence here because they see her as a rival. They’re only concerned with their marriage prospects, the desire to seek wealth, and other superficial matters. They see her as a threat to the attentions they could receive from Duke Orion or from you. Frankly, their preoccupations with celebrity and wealth speak of the decline of our society.”
Orion rolled his eyes. “Are you going to get to a point at any time this evening?”
She curled her lips. “But as you know, I see beyond these frivolous feminine concerns, and I am not like other females. My concerns are deeper. May I point out that the Lilu were barred because of the danger they pose to other demons? Once, the City of Thorns chose to rid its streets of them because they used mind control to manipulate others, to satisfy their own depraved needs. They are an abomination among demons.”
Well, the claws were certainly out, but the real question was how Mortana would feel about that remark.
I didn’t think she’d like it one bit. She’d be ready to fight back.
Chapter 19
I turned to Lydia and snarled, baring my teeth. The sound came from deep within my chest, and it rumbled over the hall.
Well, hello, Mortana’s aggression. I’d just become familiar with my animalistic side, I guess.
Looking back at the king, I smiled again. “I think you’ll find I don’t need mind control to satisfy my depraved needs.”
The king’s sharp jaw clenched, and a dark smile curled his lips. His knuckles went white as he gripped the armrests.
A duke stepped forward—this one with dark hair, copper skin, and deep brown eyes. “We all know what the Lilu were like in the past. They cheated us out of our money using their seduction. Some of us are even old enough to remember.” He glared at me. “Mortana lured my brother away centuries ago, and I haven’t seen him since. Immediately after his disappearance, his gold disappeared along with him.”
Okay, Mortana sucked. But I still had to stay in character because that’s how I’d get out of here alive.
Another duke folded his arms. He was tall and thin, with dark curls that fell before his eyes. “If no one else is willing to say it, then I guess I will. Everyone knows she killed Queen Adele.”
I raised a finger. “Everyone does not know that, because I never killed the queen.” I could say this without worrying about looking like I was lying, because for once this evening, I actually wasn’t. Maybe Mortana once killed a queen, but I hadn’t. “Those were merely rumors. Nothing was ever proven.”
Orion’s face was a mask of calm. “Why let yourselves be swayed by gossip from four hundred years ago?” He shrugged. “I suppose it doesn’t matter to me, but I’ve been enjoying fucking her, and I’d hate to lose my favorite plaything.” He arched an eyebrow, his pale eyes gleaming with wickedness. “I’d heard the rumors about succubi, how they’d beg on their knees, but never before did I get to experience the wild desperation of the Lilu.”
Shocked murmurs rippled through the room, and a hot tendril of anger coiled through me. Did he really have to put it that way? Absolute prick. I shouldn’t care what the demons thought, and I was only playing a role. But still, I wasn’t sure how much humiliation I could take in this place.