Page 57 of Love & Heart Braking

The water nymph left, and I released a breath. I could assume they weren’t going to let me speak alone with the daemon. I had roughly zero ideas on how to figure out where they were keeping him.

The door of the carriage swung open. “Get out.”

I hadn’t met this massive dude yet, so I obeyed, peering about as I left the vehicle. The moon wasn’t quite full, but its beams caught on enormous electricity poles lined up in rows like huge candy canes. Every so often, the great bulbs on top would crackle and shoot lightning to another pole.

The flashes of light revealed the hovering forms circulating the electricity field, and I shivered. I’d met some great wraiths in my time, but I couldn’t deny their spookiness in this setting.

Another carriage sat not far down the driveway, and my stomach churned. I had a feeling the cushions weren’t soft in there. The carriage mimicked the style used by law enforcement when transporting criminals. The black box sat on reinforced wheels and thick bars lined the two small windows at the front and back.

My Plorex chaperone stood at the front while two hulking figures guarded the rear.

The water nymph peered through the bars at the prisoner. “You know what happens if you try anything.”

If the daemon replied, then I didn’t catch it.

She smirked at me. “Hop on in.”

The twelve wanted me to get inside the jail carriage? “I’m fine speaking to him from the door.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Of course it is. You’re doing it now.”

Her nostrils flared.

I pulled down the stairs before she could try that shit again. No way was I getting in there, not with the twelve’s track record. If I did that, then Devereaux wouldn’t rest until he got to me. History had shown how that would end.

Rising on tiptoe on the top step, I peered in.

The red-skinned daemon lifted his head. Cool. He had legit horns, not just stubs. Heavy shackles enclosed his wrists and ankles, and one circled his waist, ensuring he couldn’t budge from the carriage bench.

“Hey, I’m Cerys,” I said.

His wary gaze searched mine.

“I’m about to sign a deal with the twelve, and they say you’ll take me to the underworld as part of that deal. What do you have to say about that?”

The daemon’s eyes narrowed.

Beside me, the Plorex shifted her weight. Ugh, I wanted her to go away. Just for a second.

“That would make you a fool,” the daemon said.

I quirked a brow. “No kidding. But you know what they say—Iggy poo’s hopping along.” I challenged anyone to slip in Gug’s message naturally. That was as good as I could do with the present eavesdroppers.

The color drained from his face. Some of the red, I should say. Scared daemons turned a pinky hue. Interesting.

“Idiotic saying,” the daemon said eventually. “Where did you come by it?”

I shrugged a shoulder. “Must’ve read it somewhere. So you do have the ability to go to the underworld, right?”

“I do. My captors would never let me go there.”

Pulling back, I glanced at the young Plorex representative. “Is that so?”

“Once I am there, I would not need to return.” The daemon’s voice floated through the bars.

Unless they had Gug hostage.

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