Page 149 of Love & Heart Braking

The air mage and his ghoul photographer joined me as I was setting the last candle in place.

“All done,” he said, glancing around.

Looking for Soleil?

I beamed at him. “Good. Can we expect it in the paper tomorrow? Soleil is looking forward to seeing the article.”

He flushed pink. “She is?”

This method of manipulation was beneath me. “Yes. Especially since you’re the one writing it.”

I wasn’t a nice person sometimes.

The air mage whipped out a notepad and took a few extra details from me with that encouragement, and I looped my arm around Rolli’s shoulders not long after. “Not too bad, huh?”

“Looks great,” he replied. “So we need to be here around six-thirty?”

“Yep. Doors open at seven-thirty.”

Devereaux walked into the conservatory Soleil had hired in Juno Park. The venue was more expensive than our usual, but so dang beautiful and open—which seemed to fit what we were going for with Singles Plus One.

Juno’s ambrosia, I’d need to pick the venue for the next event. I blanched at the very thought. Drumming up an idea for the event wasn’t a problem, but all the other stuff? Not my forte.

“Hey.” Devereaux smiled, hands in his long coat.

All mine. I released Rolli and bounced up on tiptoe to kiss my berserker on the cheek. “Hey yourself.”

“Looks great. All set?”

I blew out a breath. “Not really. By tomorrow night, we should be. How did practice go?”

“Good. More numbers now the weather’s warming up. We’ve got the first game of the season in a couple of weeks.”

I couldn’t wait to see him in action. And not just because of the uniform.

A lot because of the uniform, but not entirely.

Rolli left as I locked the doors, then I set out with Devereaux for Nox Street. He flagged a hire carriage, and we were rolling out to Durita before long. Colorful storefronts faded to dull brick and concrete that had seen better days. Instead of lurching over cobblestones, the carriage crunched over broken glass, jolting more often than not over potholes littering the dusty streets.

The ceiling sagged, and an imp hung upside-down in front of the open window in the next beat. “Oh! Hey, Dev. Didn’t realize it was you.”

“Oki,” Devereaux replied. “Good evening for it?”

“Slim pickings.” The imp sighed heavily. Then he was gone.

The carriage jerked to a stop not long after that.

Trenley leaned over the window. “Oh. Hey, Dev.” The werewolf alpha’s gaze swept to me. “Miss Concordia.”

I smiled. “Trenley. How is it?”

“Just trying to make an honest living.”

Devereaux snorted. “Pack doing okay?”

“Nothing I can’t handle. Few of the deltas are stirring shit, like always. Guess they wouldn’t be deltas otherwise, right?”

If he said so.

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