Page 115 of A City of Smoke and Demons
Jem shook his head. ‘It worries me because Blackwood has developed a deep interest in death magic since the exile order. He has done a lot of research, asked a lot of questions, and has been gathering information that he hasn’t been sharing, Ez.’
Ezra’s chest tightened. ‘How long has Blackwood been the Head of the Church?’
‘He was ordained five years ago.’
‘The same year the Crown issued the exile notice,’ Ezra pointed out. ‘I’m sure it’s a coincidence.’
‘I’m sure,’ Jem said slowly.
‘When you say Blackwood has an interest in death magic, what does that mean? What’s he looking for?’ Ezra thought of the book Blackwood had given Analise, his encouragement that she learnt what she is.
‘I would have said he was looking for ways to prevent the end of the world, but …’ Jem sighed. ‘Ez, did you ever witness the execution of any of the death witches you tracked down, near the end?’
‘No,’ Ezra said, his stomach flopping.
Neither did I.’
‘Wait …are you implying—’
‘I don’t know.’ Jem shook his head. ‘There was a rumour that the executions were fake, but I couldn’t exactly go around asking questions. Tobias has tried, but he can’t find any truth to it, either.’
‘If they weren’t executed, then where are they?’ Faces pressed against the back of Ezra’s eyes.
‘I don’t know that, either.’ Jem sighed. ‘It’s possibly a coincidence.’
‘I don’t believe in coincidences.’
‘Neither do I,’ Jem muttered. ‘If they’re alive, can you find them?’
‘Yes, but I wasn’t about to tell Blackwood that.’ Ezra leant forward, lowering his voice. ‘Should I? If someone faked their deaths … should I be trying to find them?’
Jem hesitated, and then nodded. ‘You won’t be going alone, Ez.’
‘You’re coming with me?’
‘No. I’ve got work on my own to do here,’ Jem said bitterly.
‘Then who?’
Jem’s lips curled.
Ezra groaned.
‘I want to come with you,’ Analise said. She was curled up with her head resting on Ezra’s thigh, facing him. Droplets of sweat clung to her. They glistened like jewels in the lamp light. He touched them one by one, watching them disappear.
‘As much as I would love that, you can’t,’ he said. ‘Your magic would only confuse my senses—I won’t be able to see anything but you. That's all I can see when I look at you, sometimes. Even now, when you’re not using it, I can see your magic, like a halo around your body.’
He’d never seen that in another witch before either.
‘What does it look like?’
‘It’s like there are two of you—the real you, and then the you that is made of magic. With you, I see all different colours. Bluesand reds, gold and silver—you’re unique in that, I think. I’ve never met a witch with more than one colour to her magic. The night we met, I didn’t see it, and I still don’t know why. I don’t know how you hid it from me.’
‘I don’t know either,’ she said. ‘I’ve always tried so hard to keep it to myself. But,’ she pressed a kiss to his leg, ‘I do like the fact that I managed to fool the great Ezra Ives.’
Ezra smiled wryly. ‘I had no idea what you were until I tumbled into the morgue with a Familiar on my arse.’
She frowned. ‘When I’ve used my magic, why won’t you touch me sometimes, but you will other times?’
