Page 35 of A City of Smoke and Demons
‘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.
