Page 35 of Hell Breaks Loose

“Ah, well. Enough of that for now. Enjoy dinner. Enjoy this place. There will be no more discomfort as long as we are on the level, yes?”

“I appreciate the reassurances,” I droll, trying not to roll my eyes.

Alright, I can’t keep from being sarcastic all the time.

And he lets it slide. This time.

“Good behavior merits benefits. Soon, that unpleasantness will be a distant memory.”

The rest of the meal is… not pleasant. But as close to it as being around Marco could ever be.

He’s so much more like I remember him as a child, when he was still trying to win me over with gifts and games, laughter. It’s a mask, I know.

But it’s better than the vicious, soulless side of him that watched me get beaten and half-drowned in the basement. This Marco is amenable. If I can keep him this way, I can make progress toward helping Sanctum.

“Before we retire, there is someone I would like you to meet.” One finger rises to wave at a security guard near the door. The man slips out.

“In order to maintain order between us, especially when I am gone, I want to put safeguards in palace. For your sake and mine, to make sure that I can trust you.”

“We don’t have to pretend that we’ll ever trust each other. Not completely.”

“Always so blunt. One quality I admire in you, when you aren’t using it to be a foul-mouthed brat. No, that is precisely why I decided that you should have a bodyguard. Someone who will help you stay out of trouble.”

Immediately, I feel my stomach sink.

He’s going to keep me on a leash.

“I am no fool, and I know you are not stupid, Hellena. We both know you ran away, what, almost nine years ago? Hid from me. Truly disappeared. To this day, I can’t believe you pulled it off.”

“Trade secrets. Magicians can’t tell, you know.”

“There’s that abrasive attitude. A fault of yours. Just like it is a fault of mine, the need to know every secret. To uncover details. To know everything. Or at least try.”

“So you want eyes on me, to find out the answers to my secrets?”

“Something like that. More accurately, I want accountability. Consider him… an encouraging presence for you to come to me with your discoveries. To come to me for permission when you want to offer aid, or whatever it is you have planned for Sanctum in the future.”

“Him?” My hands start to shake under the table.

Who could he be placing with me, to watch me night and day…

When the doors open, a face-palming revelation washes over me.

Of course it’s him.

The man from the gardens.

Still black-clad, smooth shaven, cold-as-ice calm. His almond-shaped eyes hover toward me, hiding any hint of emotion.

“Hellena, I would like you to meet Sing Senegal. He will be your companion, your assistant, your driver, your friend.”

Friend. Right.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Senegal,” I force out, meeting that stoic, unwavering gaze.

And the fucker just nods, cocking his head to the side slightly, not saying a word.

This is going to be a huge. Fucking. Problem.

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