Page 187 of Love & Heart Braking

Bain pulled Soleil away to a group of unicorns close by. Every one of them bowed to their king and queen. I couldn’t believe Soleil was a real queen. No joke, it totally suited her. She’d accepted the mantel as though unsurprised that would be her fate in life too.

“Hey, Tiqlig,” I said as an idea popped into my head. “While you’re feeling generous, I have a friend who played a big part in making things right. He died on a bit of land your family had leased to the Opifis. He’d really like the haunting rights to it.”

The earth guardian blinked. “Poltergeist? Rodney Gambino?”

“You know of him?”

“He’s haunted our family for years,” he said grimly. “I’d be happy to help.”

Yay!

“One more thing,” I said to the odd pair. “How the hell do the two of you know each other?”

Tiqlig exchanged a fond look with the sphinx. “Xix raised me. I used to sneak to his dungeon as a boy. I consider him to be my father.”

Naw. “And he considers you to be his son.”

Tiqlig’s gaze flew to mine. “He does?”

I peered past to the white ribbon connecting them and felt the Sphinx’s shining focus on me. A tear slipped from the gen one’s eye. He was lonely.

“Yes,” I said hoarsely, a lump rising in my throat. “He absolutely does. He loves you so much.”

The sphinx pulled the earth guardian into his arms, and it hit me then why Tiqlig had turned out so different from the rest of his family. Amazing how one person could change us so irrevocably.

Devereaux was quiet as we walked out of the courtroom. I didn’t blame him. He’d found peace over his father’s end, and then had all this thrown at him. I had no doubt, Devereaux was happy to know the real story, but he had to be feeling every ounce of the disgust and sadness I did, plus some.

I couldn’t help thinking of the berserker who’d attacked me after Single Plus One who’d spoke of his children needing more and more of the drug. He hadn’t lied about that part at all.

Maligni had said that Imosae’s gloating made him feel that the twelve had been testing Shade on the public for some time.

The krakens’ weird reaction when I said the word Abitaverus while on their estate.

The fact that Devereaux’s father didn’t have any Abitaverus in his system after going rhage even though he’d always had it on him for the worst-case scenario.

All the clues added up in the most twisted, repulsive way.

“Detective.”

Devereaux stopped, and we both glanced at Rion.

“Chief,” he said. “You look awfully nice.”

Rion was out of uniform and looking dapper. He colored. “I’m going on a date. Uh, with your mother.”

Devereaux wrinkled his nose, and it was such an unfiltered reaction from his inner child that laughter burst from me.

“Something to share, sweetheart?” he asked me drily.

I waved a hand. “No, no. Just remembered something funny. How are things going with Evania?”

The chief glanced at Devereaux, then back. “Well,” he grunted.

More laughter threatened to burst free as the awkward silence extended. They’d get over it eventually, but maybe Evania and I would have to help them out.

“Something came up just now,” Devereaux blurted.

“Anything I can help with?” the chief said quickly.

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