I let a small amount of power infuse my palms. The lamp jumped in my hands, making the lid rattle.
Orias’s head whipped in my direction and he paled slightly when he saw what I was holding. “That is very valuable. Put it down.”
More of my power surrounded the lamp, and it began to quiver and issue a faint whining sound. I ran a hand along the side. “I wonder; if I rub this, will a genie appear?”
“That... that is not a toy, you meddlesome child.” Orias’s words were stern, but he had gone a shade whiter and small beads of moisture appeared on his brow. “You don’t know what you are messing with. Set it down before you get hurt.”
“I know exactly what this is.” I gave the lamp a shake and the whining grew louder. “You have one pissed off demon in here. I’m afraid he doesn’t like me at all. Tell me, how do you fit a demon in a lamp anyway?”
Orias stood and held out his hands, which I noticed weren’t so steady anymore. “Give that to me.”
I looked at my friends to see them all watching me with a mixture of curiosity and worry. I gave them a small smile and let my power brush against the brass sides of the lamp again. The demon rumbled and I thought I could actually feel its fear. That’s new.
“Stop!” Orias cried, panting. He put a hand on the wall to steady himself, and fear filled his eyes. “Please.”
I tilted my head toward my friends. “Release them.”
Jordan sputtered and yelled the second her magical gag fell away. She jumped up from the chair and reached for her weapons... which were in the car. By the look on her face, she might not need anything but her bare hands.
“If this is how you treat clients, it’s no wonder you have that ‘no weapons’ rule,” she shouted at the warlock.
Orias ignored her. “They are free. Now please hand over the lamp.”
“Do you honestly think I am that stupid? I give you this, and you’ll have us all tied up before we know what hit us.”
“What are you going to do with it? You can’t take it.”
Jordan made a face. “There is no way I’m getting in the car with that thing.”
I touched the lamp’s ornate lid and the demon actually growled.
“Oh, be quiet,” I said to the lamp. I met Orias’s worried gaze. “You can have your pet demon back after you promise to let us go and tell no one we were here.”
“Done.”
Jordan scoffed. “You actually expect him to keep his word?”
“No. That’s why he’s going to take the White Oath.”
Orias inhaled sharply, and my friends shot me questioning looks. “What’s that?” Peter asked.
“The White Oath is the only oath that can bind a warlock to their word.” Thank you, Remy, for everything you ever taught me.
“How could you possibly know about that?” Orias demanded, not bothering to deny it. “That is something known only to my kind.”
“Doesn’t matter how I know. Are you going to take the oath?”
Anger replaced the fear in Orias’s eyes. “Fine. I’ll do it. I swear that –”
“Not so fast.” I knew the oath had to be worded right so there was no way for him to wriggle out of it. I walked over and grabbed a pen and notepad from his desk. It took me a few minutes to write something, and then I handed the notepad to him. “Read this.”
Orias pored over what I’d written, and when his mouth set in a straight angry line, I knew I’d gotten it right. “I swear under the White Oath to the following terms: I will allow Sara, Jordan, Roland, and Peter to leave this place unharmed. I will not try to harm them or bring them back once they leave here, nor will I have someone else harm them or bring them back for me. I will tell no one I have seen Sara, Jordan, Roland, or Peter, and if anyone asks about them, I will not reveal they were here. And...” He paused and scowled at me. “I will tell them how to find the woman they are looking for.”
“Brilliant!” Jordan crowed.
I hadn’t planned to add the bit about Madeline, but Orias had brought it on himself when he’d tried to turn us in. I watched him expectantly.
He gritted his teeth. “I don’t know where the woman is now, but she is headed to LA. Go see Adele at the Blue Nyx club. She knows everything that goes on in the city, and she can find anyone. That’s all I have.” He held out his hands. “Now can I please have that?”
I handed the lamp to him, and he cradled it like it was a baby. His eyes met mine. “What are you?”
“I’m just a girl looking for answers.” I reached into my pocket for the diamond and set it on his desk. “Payment for the information you gave me.”
Roland huffed. “Are you nuts? The dude tied us up. He doesn’t deserve payment.”
I turned, ignoring his outburst. “Come on, guys. Let’s get out of here.” The last thing I wanted was a powerful warlock holding a grudge against me. Anyone who could raise a demon and imprison it in a lamp was not someone I wanted as an enemy. Hopefully, the diamond would soothe his wounded ego and make up for some of the reward money he’d lost out on.
The door opened this time when Roland tried it, and we filed out into the hallway. We hurried down the stairs and along the hallway to the waiting area, all of us eager to quit this place.
“How the hell did you know about that oath thing, Sara?” Roland asked from behind me. “That was genius by the way.”