Page 13 of A Blade of Lies and Spirits

“Tell me the truth, Alys Stormdust-Quinn. Were you trying to kill yourself?”

My eyes blinked open. “No, why? How long have I been out?”

“Three days.” Silver steepled his fingers. “Do you know anything about demons?”

I rolled my eyes, but he waited for my answer.

“They’re bad, they’re from somewhere else, and you have to send them away when you find them because they can’t be killed.” Why was he pressing this?

“Good basics. Do you know anything else?”

“Nope.” I could all but hear Silver’s teeth grinding, but the anger had faded from his voice, which I counted a win. Comforting, familiar, the irritation narrowed his eyes and set his mouth in a thin line.

“Letting a demon into your body so you can kill yourself to kill or banish it is not an acceptable method, so we’re clear here, Alys. Partly because killing yourself isn’t a repeatable solution, and partly because a powerful demon could reanimate your body after you die, if you can’t take it with you. Pure chance saved you. Luck is as dependable as a sugared up toddler.” Silver’s stare was less effective at pinning me to the bed than the exhaustion still in my bones. It did try. Also, you could depend on that toddler to be loud and rambunctious, so his comparison failed.

“It had to be done, and it didn’t feel all that strong to me. I couldn’t leave it in her. And Walker was there… isn’t his kind of magic forbidden on pain of death or lecture and slide presentation?”

“Good try at a diversion.” His clipped tone a bad sign. “Based on what happened, I’m revising your geas. You will call for backup when you believe your assignment is hazardous. You will not risk your life for thrills.”

Each order was a fishhook yanking my insides. Unable to conceal the motion, I flinched. If only Chance could have removed it—it would be worth owing him to be free of all the restrictions.

The door hissed open, and a well-dressed woman entered, Walker right behind her.

“Mrs. Greene.” Silver rose to his feet and turned to face her.

“What is that felon doing in the same medcenter as my husband? She nearly killed him, and she gets rewarded? She gets hurt murdering another woman, and gets deluxe treatment? I want her out! He can’t rest, knowing that filth can crawl out of her room and assault him again!” Her heels clicked as she took two steps toward the bed, then stopped as Walker’s hands descended on her shoulders.

“No closer.” Silver blocked my view of her standing between us. I tried to get up, but my legs wouldn’t obey me. I turned my head, trying to see around him, cataloging anything I could use as a weapon.

I knew that expression. She wanted me dead.

“Let me go!” She craned her head to stare at Walker. “You, I’m suing for assault.”

Her gaze whipped back to Silver. “That creature’s sentence is going to be revised. I saw her record! She’s a violent repeat offender, a danger, and needs to be put down like the animal she is!” She yanked free of Walker’s grip, he stepped between her and the bed.

“I called the President’s office! This center is reserved for Capitol’s residents, and she’s an Indentured. They don’t have any rights!”

She had a strong voice. I doubted anyone on the floor was missing this.

Nothing in reach except the pillowcase. It could serve as a really bad garotte, since I doubted she had much training in fighting. It wouldn’t help against a gun or a knife, but I could probably take a knife away. I carefully removed the case from the pillow, better badly armed than not at all.

Obscured motion, then she yelped.

“How dare you?” she snarled.

“Mrs. Greene. If you continue, Ms. Quinn’s method of adjudication will indeed be revisited by a Judge. I’ll assign it to Rope or Frost, depending on availability. I’m sure an execution could be arranged if they think she was too merciful.” Silver’s tone, kind and calm, belied his words. Crisp and short, whatever Mrs. Greene said. I didn’t speak the language, but I tried to memorize the words. It sounded like they might be interesting, once I got the language and meaning sorted out. It was also strange she didn’t seem to fear the Guild’s bogeymen. I’d never met Rope, but Frost had made me wary.

“Marcia,” came a soothing, rich tenor from the door. The room was getting crowded. Silver moved to the side, unblocking my view.

President Cohen entered, leaving his bodyguards at the door. The rigidity melted out of her as she burst into tears.

Silver didn’t move as Cohen approached, his posture stiffening by the millisecond. Cohen took my hand. “Try harder to not offend people, dear—we can’t protect you forever,” he murmured. His eyes met mine, and his magic crept up my hand into my body. Thin and sheer and oddly slimy. Some type of mind magic, very subtle; I couldn’t tell if it was a conscious use or not. It wanted me to like him, to work his image into any fantasies I might have.

I furtively wiped my hand on the blanket, trying to rub the magic off, but it clung.

Cohen turned and put his arm around the weeping woman’s shoulders. “There, there. Come along, I’ve been meaning to see him. He needs to be transferred to a better facility than this one. Standards have gotten so low here.”

They retreated down the hall. I set the pillowcase down as the world wobbled, adrenaline leaving my body. All that energy made me acutely aware of my lack. The film faded as I continued rubbing it on the blanket, which I kicked off the bed.

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