Page 105 of Love & Heart Braking

“Not that I don’t appreciate you talking to me at all after what I did”—Austin broke the silence—“but why are you doing it?”

I shoved my hands into my pockets. Spring sure was being an icy bastard tonight. “Because I can. It’s one more rebellion against the twelve. But if you ever shit on me again, nothing in this world will save you from me, Austin. I mean that sincerely.”

Austin pressed his lips together. Pulling a black box from his pocket, he breathed into his cupped hand. Blue flames rose, and Austin cooed at them, encouraging the fire to hop into the box. He chanted under his breath, and then eased the hinged lid of the small box shut. He extended the small box to me. “I will not betray you again, Cerys Concordia. Please accept some of my power as a sign of my promise. The fire will never go out. Not until—”

“You die,” I whispered, taking the box. “Austin, this…”

Is a priceless gift. He’d just given me part of himself. This was like if Soleil ripped out one of her feathers for me.

“I can’t accept this.” I extended the box back to him.

He held up both hands. “It’s a reminder to never forget myself again. Please keep it. And may it warm you.”

Soleil grunted. “Where’s my portable fireplace?”

“You starved me for three weeks,” he answered. “We’re even.”

She seemed to accept that.

“Plus,” Austin said, “I have a feeling you’ll never forgive me, Soleil.”

“You’d be right about that. Once a traitor, always a traitor. No hard feelings.”

Austin appeared to take that pretty hard, but he swallowed his hurt. “Sure. I understand. I would like to continue working at Yearning Hearts. If that’s okay?”

“Even if the betrothal is broken and you can go back to being a pretty, rich boy?” she asked him.

“Is that what you think I did before?”

“Yes,” Soleil and I chorused.

The gold token in my coat pocket got hot, and we faced the black double doors of Real Nepos Bank.

“Why is Shithead holding all these meetings,” Soleil murmured.

“Back to Shithead, is he?” Austin asked. “What happened to ‘Bain likes this’ and ‘Bain loves that’?”

She clenched her jaw, and I shot him a warning look.

Austin grimaced when she marched to the speaker and jabbed the button over and over as though her finger was a dagger and the button was Bain’s face.

The door opened, and we all walked in, following the sound of arguing to one of the office rooms at the back.

Fenton stepped out and held up the blur charms.

“Nah.” Soleil brushed past him, shucking her winter coat to reveal leather pants and a midriff top. Dressing to impress, huh?

Austin shrugged a shoulder. “Nah, I’m good too.”

I hesitated. I was nearly positive everyone in that room knew who I was. “I’m okay without it.”

“Trust,” Fenton declared, beaming. “A cornerstone of any great rebellion.”

I saw it more that anonymity had lost the battle to the sheer crappiness of our rebellion, but I wouldn’t douse his dreams.

Everyone was inside, and it was a tight squeeze. Devereaux pulled me onto his lap.

“Missed you,” he said low.

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