Page 127 of Love & Heart Braking

Extracting a long, golden necklace like the one I’d seen around the neck of her daughter, she said into it, “I have a letter to send the Lanarays.”

Shit.

Austin’s family?

The ancient phoenix leaned back, regarding me with icy eyes. “For those who opt to work against me, there are great consequences.”

28

I hurried into the station, striding to the front desk. I was on the clock and my lunch break after practically chasing my last morning client out the door. “Cerys Concordia to see Soleil Hucs.”

The receptionist jerked a thumb to the waiting room, and I wedged into the only seat left between a gremlin and werewolf, my knees bouncing in agitation. I couldn’t believe this was the first chance I was getting to see Soleil. I’d been lucky to even get here during lunch. I’d been forced to divert the Yearning Hearts number to Yearning Harmony this morning after an article featuring Soleil’s arrest had graced the front page of Nepos Notice. Rolli was handling subscriptions there while Austin handled all the cancellations.

“Cerys.”

I looked up at Devereaux. He was already gone for his shift last night when I returned and then was asleep when I left this morning. Tension eased from my shoulders at the very sight of him.

He led me through the double doors separating the business end of the station from the waiting area. “Are you okay?”

“Just stressed. I want to run things well for Soleil, and I know the ropes, but she’s a damn whirlwind. Filling her shoes is a lot.” And that was just one twig in the griffin’s nest, but Devereaux knew everything else going on.

“I meant to wake up to talk before you left,” he said.

I managed a grin. “I’m the best sleeping pill in town. It’s no point resisting.”

“You really are,” he said seriously. “Come in here for a minute?”

I’d never been in his office. I peered around in interest, but in all honesty, the space was as clean and lacking in personal objects as his flat. A name plaque reading Det. Devereaux Vincori sat on the desk.

I sat.

“Tell me.”

Sighing, I did just that, starting with the magic tests last night and ending with Mistress Cineres’s veiled threats and the letter she’d sent. The shudders inspired by the eldest phoenix were yet to dissipate, and I dreaded returning on Thursday. “Austin risked a call to his family. They’re fine, apparently.”

“I’ll pay them a random visit when I get a chance today. We’re stretched thin with the Opifis’ case though. All the allegations she made are proving true. Contraband was seized and is going through our labs now.”

“Do you think it’s drugs?” I asked.

“Smelled like Shade to me.”

Shit. The Opifis were in on that too?

“You said you got a packet of the biohazard stuff?”

“Yep, it’s with all my secret stuff.” Under my shapewear.

He grinned. “Hey, did Soleil’s guy ever get back about the products she took him?”

“Today, yeah. I was going to tell everyone at the meeting. He didn’t find anything amiss in the food products. Bummer, huh?” I lifted a shoulder.

Devereaux leaned back. “Thought we were onto something there.”

So had I. “How’s Soleil?”

“Missing you.” He hesitated. “Before you go in, I wanted to mention that her family visited last night. They were here for an hour. The cameras were cut off.”

“How?”

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