Page 177 of Love & Heart Braking

The audience snickered—albeit nervously. They had to realize they would end up in the crossfire of a showdown between the Hucses and Cinereses.

A purr rumbled out of my friend. “I can show you loss of control if you like.”

“Enough.”

The word was said so quietly that I couldn’t understand how I’d heard it.

Acribus broke the pregnant silence after. “Of course, Mistress Hucs. Mother?”

“There is no need to be so uncouth, Mistress Soleil,” the eldest Cineres still dared to say. “The heart elemental shall live. I am merciful. And she is part of the news I have to announce today. Soon, a new product will be released to the richest and most affluential descendants in Nepos. I am pleased to announce that my granddaughter and her new husband will be the face of this product, as I am certain their love will inspire many.”

That got the crowd going more than Lerome’s death had.

She hadn’t said that the product would be a love potion in so many words, but everyone below had put as much together. They stared up at me, and I could see the dollar symbols in their gazes.

I found Devereaux in the crowd, and my stomach flipped as I encountered two blue eyes. He was shaking, growing. My breath quickened as he threw Maligni off.

Fangs.

Black claws.

No.

From my vantage point, I watched as security burst from the surrounding towers.

“Onward to the ceremony,” Mistress Cineres declared. “We just have a few more unwanted guests to dispose of.”

“Soleil,” I blurted. “Let me out.”

She turned and swiped a talon between the door and frame, slicing clean through the lock mechanism.

Bain was racing for the others as security descended on them.

“No,” Soleil moaned low as if in physical pain.

I pulled myself out and swung atop the cage. “We need to get out of here.”

As the words left my mouth, I peered at Austin still trapped on every side by the twelve. We couldn’t leave him.

Devereaux’s snarl ripped through the clearing and his tux jacket tore.

Redheaded sirens were closing in on Bain, murder on their faces.

Gug and Maligni were back-to-back.

“Go to Bain,” I shouted at Soleil. “I’m okay.”

She blurred toward him, and I gripped the tether of the cage to stand as horror filled me.

This was going to end with every one of us dead. I prepared to leap off and ride down with the hover charm, but my gaze snagged on a set of sloping eyes.

The sphinx.

Definitely. Definitely. Hide, heart, hide. Defiantly. Defiantly. Rise, wings, rise. Deftly. Deftly. Let it fly.

I’d hidden—the heart. Soleil—wings—had risen in defiance.

Let it fly.

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