Page 41 of A City of Smoke and Demons
The Order of the Dawn … in the Canem Club?
What the fuck was going on?
Beyond the door, another set of stairs dropped into the darkness. This time, Jem took down a lamp from the wall. They descended at least twenty steps; Ezra didn’t want to think about how much earth and building was on top of them. He’d never done well in small spaces, and there was a claustrophobic atmosphere about the passageway, with its close walls and ceiling not far from his head. He pulled a breath smelling of musty air and damp earth in through his nose.
‘Sorry, Ez,’ Jem mumbled.
‘It’s fine,’ Ezra said. His voice was tight, higher than usual.
‘You’re claustrophobic?’ Analise asked. She was behind him somewhere. He could sense her smiling about it.
The passageway lightened as they rounded a corner; Ezra took another deep breath, almost choking on it as a door openedto reveal Maddog Pierce. The gangster said nothing, stepping to the side so they could enter the room. The walls were whitewashed stone, and there was a long, wooden table, some chairs, a lounge and armchairs nestled against one wall. Analise eyed Maddog dubiously, then tossed her head and followed Lira, pushing past Ezra.
He lingered in the hallway, trying to piece it all together.
‘Get in here,’ Maddog ordered, and Ezra obeyed, finding Lira, Analise and Jem already seated. ‘Sit,’ Maddog barked. Ezra sat. The gangster assessed him critically. ‘Well, you look worse than usual, so I’ll keep it simple for you.’ He took a seat at the head of the table. ‘You are now in the headquarters of the Order of the Dawn, which I’m assuming Jem has told you about. This is our meeting room. No one knows about this place, or about the Order, except those who are involved and Father Blackwood, along with select members of the Church.’
Jem cleared his throat. ‘Maddog is our uncle, Ez. Our father’s brother.’
The anger that Ezra had been keeping at bay roared like a wounded beast. Betrayal tore into him. He knew it was unreasonable, but he’d thought Maddog trusted him, respected him in his own rough way and for a moment, Ezra was thrown into the past and it was his former colleagues staring at him. The words rushed out before he could stop them. ‘You’re fucking joking right? You know what, don’t bother. I’m not surprised because why the fuck would anyone tell me what was going on? What—’ He broke off suddenly, his eyes sliding to Analise, whose glower seared his face.
‘Feels like shit, doesn’t it, Ezra?’
Jem rubbed at the back of his neck, his expression torn. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘I’m not,’ Maddog said sharply. ‘You were on a need-to-know basis, Tarrenfire. And there was a lot you didn’t need to know,until now.’ He raised his eyebrows at Ezra, as if in a challenge, then shifted to Analise. ‘You will both be staying here from now on. It’s safer this way. Now, Tarrenfire, Jem tells me you’ve got a demon mark on you—’
‘Ives,’ Analise cut in coolly. ‘His name is Ezra Ives, but I’m guessing you knew that.’
Her fury was a living thing, powerful and hungry and clawed. Ezra offered her that knife in seriousness. The look she was giving him now made him wonder if she’d plunge that blade into him if he gave her another chance.
Maddog inclined his head. ‘And you must be the death witch.’
‘I’ve got a name,’ she said waspishly.
‘And a temper to match that hair, I’m guessing,’ Maddog chuckled. ‘Apologies, Analise. Considering the situation, precautions have been taken. The club is protected, with both alarms and alchemy, so that means no one leaves or enters this building without me knowing.’
Analise muttered something savage under her breath.
‘The club is operating as normal,’ Maddog told them. ‘Hernan will be watching the main doors, and he’s taking his new role seriously. So don’t think about trying to slip past him, Ezra. He owes you a punch in the teeth, which I’m sure he’ll happily deliver. Fight nights are cancelled for now, though.’ He sat back. ‘You have the run of the place during the day.’
‘Oh, I don’t have to stay locked in my room like a naughty child?’ Analise bit out.
‘You have access to the kitchen, the roof if you want some fresh air. The bathroom is on the same floor as your room.’ He stood, as did Lira, telling Analise she’d show her to her room. Scowling, Analise followed them out, leaving Ezra and Jem staring at one another.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,’ Jem said.
‘At this point, nothing surprises me.’ Ezra rubbed his cheek wearily. ‘But if you’re going to be holding me prisoner, I want in.’
Rather than jumping for joy, Jem frowned.
‘This is what you wanted, isn’t it?’
‘But do you want it? You can’t join because you’re feeling self-destructive and you want to hit something, Ez.’
‘You were right—I need to get my life back, and it won’t be my old life. I’ve accepted that I’ll never reclaim the person I was, and I don’t want to, so, it’s time to be something else.’
Jem was still frowning. ‘Is this because of what’s happened with Analise? Because if that’s your reasoning, that’s not enough. This is serious—what we’re trying to stop is serious.’ He sighed, smoothing away his frown with his fingers. ‘You knew it would come out eventually.’
