Page 89 of Love & Heart Braking

Was that the right thing to say? I had no idea.

“My garden won’t,” she said glumly.

A small shrub with gleaming silver trumpet flowers rustled, and I could just see a peek of Mantel’s white uniform through the white leaves.

I was trying to figure out how to best console the brownie when footsteps pounded from ahead.

“Don’t mention this to anyone,” she hissed. “Remember I know stuff about you!”

With the seal Devereaux had placed on me after Mantel visited his apartment, I couldn’t.

A woman and man in lab coats sprinted past, barely paying me any mind.

I dragged my feet back to the front of the estate, peering around, but nothing that would incriminate the twelve sprawled into my path.

Just wasn’t my day.

A heavy wheezing announced the butler’s approach long before he came into sight. “You aren’t meant to be wandering about alone.”

“Healer let me go early.” I jabbed a thumb over my shoulder. “Problem in the lab.”

The butler’s gaze narrowed on me in clear accusation. He swallowed his scathing remarks. “This way, if you please.”

Reaching the next corner took five minutes. Mars alive. This was slow even for death-warmed-over. He was standing weird too. I caught up and took a closer look. Oh, right. He was holding a large tome that appeared to be testing the endurance of his arm muscles.

We continued to the entrance of the Cinereses’ estate, and I waited as the butler struggled to open the carriage door while holding the heavy book. Wheezing hard, he stood back and bowed, arms shaking.

Seriously. What the hell was holding this guy together? I’d seen enemies that stuck together with more strength.

“Mistress Cineres instructed me to give you this. In goodwill. For the deal struck.” The butler declared the words in a way that made me feel he might purr if Grandma Phoenix scratched him under the chin.

Vomit.

Unsure that I wanted to, I grabbed the tome from the butler, then tossed it up and down a few times. “Pretty heavy, huh? Make a good weapon.”

The butler’s aghast expression didn’t disappoint.

“Say thanks to the old lady for me, will ya?” I hollered, stepping into the hire carriage.

As always when I left these dark, evil places, I released a pent-up breath when the butler slammed the door closed, and the vehicle lurched forward.

Phew.

Day one, survived.

Maybe I shouldn’t say that before I got out of the tree tunnel.

I chucked the metal-bound book on the cushioned seat and rested a hand on my burn that was now only a weak ache. Smolder’s words rose in my mind. You are powerless here. Your every thought is ours. Your will belongs to us. Anything to the otherwise will be punished until you are broken.

I’d gone into this with my eyes wide open. I’d even had my reasons—and one of those was back in his flat now with his friends, healing from the nightmare he’d gone through.

But doubt crushed in on me.

I may be the last heart elemental—or one of a few, who could really say—but that didn’t make me anything special. I didn’t have the ability to fight off a predator. I didn’t have any medical or legal know-how.

I was just Cerys.

That didn’t feel like nearly enough to be neck-deep in this shituation.

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