Page 115 of Love & Heart Braking

“Everyone got out then?” Austin asked.

Shoot.

I lowered my mug, glancing at Devereaux.

The berserker was sitting on my bed. “Fenton was caught. I’m not sure how—Soleil might have more details—but one of the grandsons got him.”

Austin froze halfway to picking up his drink from the coffee table. His throat worked. “What? Where is he?”

I sat beside him on the couch. “He’s gone, Austin. There was nothing we could do for Fenton. The kraken had…” I took a breath. “…injured his chest badly. His heart. Fenton was dead by the time he hit the water.”

Austin’s exhale shook. He was silent for a long while, but raised his head. “I didn’t even like Fenton most of the time, but he didn’t deserve that.”

No. He didn’t. Maybe his reasons for fighting the twelve were to save his own skin, but Fenton had chosen to fight, unlike so many before him. And really, wasn’t I fighting the twelve to save my skin and that of my true love and best friend?

“The others,” Austin croaked. “Are they—?”

“Alive,” I said. “Lerome took Gug and Maligni away. Soleil and Bain killed the two krakens. Devereaux carried me out.”

Austin paled further. “They fought those things?”

“And won.” When the phoenix didn’t move, I nudged his hot chocolate closer. “It’s a lot.”

I wouldn’t go back into the Dethnels’ estate for three wishes and a crown after tonight. We’d lost a living, breathing person, and that price would always be too high for me even though we’d saved a life tonight too.

One thing had paid off though. Now the daemon who could take me flip side was free and safe. I was one step closer to unmaking my curse for good. I’d never been this close to freedom.

“I thought going to the fashion show was bad,” Austin whispered.

Devereaux asked, “What happened there?”

“Lerome contacted me saying to get my ass inside around eight-thirty.”

“We’d just reached the dungeon,” Devereaux said.

I glanced at him. “The krakens must have known we were there. Lerome would have contacted Fenton and Soleil to say the Dethnel twins were making a move—”

“Which is why they intervened,” he finished.

That had to be what happened.

Austin licked his lips. “Thought I’d piss my suit when I entered the show. The Dethnels stayed as Fenton had expected. For a bit anyway. Then they disappeared suddenly.”

“They would’ve seen the fight on the cameras,” Devereaux said. “By then, it was too late for them to get back and change the odds.”

My gut churned. “They’ll have footage of Soleil and Bain. And us.” And they’d use it.

Austin swore.

“Not of anyone else,” Devereaux said. “That’s why I picked that exit point. The two of us, Gug, and Maligni wouldn’t have been seen. Soleil and Bain, definitely.”

“They killed one of our people,” I hedged. “That will keep them from using the footage—”

“We were trespassing,” Devereaux countered.

Dang it. “They were holding a daemon prisoner and blackmailing his wife.”

Austin dragged a hand through his blond hair. “Hopefully that’s enough to keep them from going after Soleil and Bain.”

---