Sucking in a shuddering breath, I sat up as straight as I could.
“I am his heart. His conscience. His moral compass. Without me, he will proceed without mercy. The longer I am kept from him, the more others will suffer what your brothers have.”
He grumbled in another language, one that sounded like none I’d ever heard before.
“Despite being slaves, we have tried to keep our honor intact, and it is honorless to keep an innocent, young girlprisoner.” Darius shook his head. “However, I cannot release you, for you are the key to our freedom.”
Anger shot through me.
“Oh? Do you plan to hand me over the demon prince and claim the indulgence for yourself? How much honor is in that?” I spat.
“Of course I would do no such thing!” he spat back. “However, if I can get an intermediary to trade you to my master for the ring—”
“Oh, yes,somuch more honorable. You’d trade me for the ring while knowing he’d pass me right off to the demon prince?”
“I’m still working out the details. I will save you if I can.” He plowed one hand through his hair.
“Sure you will.” I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. “Look, you’d be better off contacting Kerry and striking up a deal withhimthan your master or an intermediary. He’d do anything to get me back, including cutting the ring off your master’s finger.”
Darius stared at me for several minutes.
“I will think on your suggestion.”
He nodded his head, then pivoted on his heel and left the room. The sound of him locking me in was loud in the silence.
13. Conspiracy Theorists
Mira
Shortly after supper the next day, John called with some information they’d dug up on Solomon’s djinn, the ones Hubler controlled with his ring. He sent it to Kerry’s phone, which he handed to me to read it out to everyone.
A stranger came to the place called Drish and brought evil to its people. None could stand against him, and neither their prayers nor supplications could gain them surcease. At last, their loud wails reached the ears of the king, who sent Benaiah, for he was a warrior as well as a priest, to end the matter in one way or another.
Benaiah obeyed and found the stranger and issued his challenge.
“Let us fight, and the defeated will serve the victor.”
And the stranger agreed, for a demon’s heart ever longs to make war. The two battled for many hours until the stranger at last raised his hands in surrender.
“Mark this day, Benaiah, for you have bested Asmodeus, king of demons.” The stranger bent hishead, but not his knee. “To honor our bargain, I offer forty slaves to serve you.”
Then Asmodeus called forth djinn and bound them to a ring he wore on his thumb.
“They bow to the will of the one who wears this ring.” Asmodeus handed it to Benaiah. “Any deed you desire, ask of them and they shall see it done, so long as it is within their power to grant it.”
So saying, he disappeared in a pillar of dust and ash, and Benaiah hastened to his master and presented the ring.
And Solomon delighted in the gift and called it precious above all things and made it his seal.
“So the djinn were slaves to Asmodeus, then bound to the ring.” Gigi made a face. “Bet it sucked being a demon king’s slaves. Maybe we could turn them to our side.”
“No, but if we get the ring from Hubler, we could barter their freedom for Gemma’s, ” Rome said.
“Classic tactic,” Kerry agreed. “Find what someone wants and lure them in with it.”
“Hey, John, while I’m thinking of it, I have a question for you,” Jax said. “How did you get Reilly Argaud to leave Tara alone when he was harassing her?”
“Had a little talk with him.”
