Page 24 of Chained to the Devil's Daughter

I slipped my hands into my pockets and walked to the public-facing section of the palace gardens. Devil’s gardens boasted an impressive number of foreign beauties, for having such a branch up his ass about imports. Torchflowers echoed the kids’ game, their trumpets trading flames from stamen to stamen as they swayed in the breeze. Miniature corpse plants grew bulbs that looked erotically similar to a knot and expelled puffs of smoke when they became overfull. Even the rosebush thorns were tipped in frost’s violet hues.

Pausing at a row of dragoncherry trees, I checked my surroundings for followers. Finding none, I hopped the short metal gate and followed the row of trees with the spicy cherriesto the private gardens. Fucking dicks, it was way too easy to reach the site of the mopiest five years of my life. It was almost weird to be there without a flask in hand. Without thought, my gaze wandered to the princess’ chipped window.

“Firefly,” I wondered aloud. “Where is your spark?”

Commotion deeper in the garden perked my ears. Loud voices. An aggressive masculine voice and a soft one, like that of a female attendant. I crept closer.

“You’ll do as I say.” Immediately, I recognized the voice to be none other than the dregs of used-up magma incarnate. “And you’ll do it with a fucking smile.”

“But what if—”

“Haven’t I been clear? Unless you—who’s there?” Stepping deliberately on an exceptionally crunchy leaf, I smirked at Fuegis’ surprise. “Oh. It’s just the stray. Lost your owner, stray? Or did she finally throw you out?”

“Let the woman go or get my flames up your gaping hairy ass.”

The woman in question had gone pale as a sheet. I recognized her as Searra’s head attendant.

Fuegis held up his hands. “I’m not even touching her, stray. Did all those years in the tower scramble your brain?”

“Fuegis!” the woman snapped, shooting me a terrified look. “He burns through regular fire!”

Her hissed warning only proved to antagonize Fuegis further. My knuckles tingled with anticipation, ready to pommel this fucker into the dirt.

“He’s not the only one with fire.” Fuegis huffed like a petulant child, puffing his chest with insecurity disguised as confidence.

“Not like his,” the woman ground out, stepping partially between us. Interesting. She was protecting Fuegis’ life even though she was afraid of us both. She turned and—oh Hell, is shebowing to me? “Apologies. He’s not thinking straight. Please be merciful—”

A strangled half-laugh, half-scoff ripped from Fuegis’ throat, sounding rather painful. The demon responsible for my exile smoked from every pore. It was comical, but when Fuegis put his disgusting hands on the woman’s shoulder and shoved her, all humor fled.

Without taking my sights off the beefed-up asshole in front of me, I told the servant, “Better get out before Big Dog here gets any more riled up. I can take it from here.”

She scampered away, no longer concerned for Fuegis’ well-being.

“Well, well, Fuegis.” I gestured around us. “Funny running into you here. Again.”

“Not so strange. You are a stray. You’ll go anywhere your Princess Whore will feed you scraps.”

I barely had time to be grateful for the solid reason to finally punch the fuck out of this seed-gargling jerk before Fuegis was on the ground below me, my black fire billowing in waves around us.

“I’m gonna turn you into fertilizer, you fucking—”

“That will be difficult,” a beautiful voice sang from somewhere nearby. “Seeing as Geysis requires his help.”

“Firefl—Your Highness.” I dropped my power and stumbled to my feet, bowing to Searra. Inwardly, I cursed whatever gods still watched this sewer for letting her show up before I could kill him. “If I may, there are many decent demons who would assist your inventor. Stronger demons. Like myself.”

Straightening to full height, I thumped my chest. A flicker of amusement graced Searra’s features before it wilted away behind her queenly mask of indifference. She addressed Fuegis, who lay as a lump at my feet. “You have the ingredients Fara gathered?”

Fuegis nodded, getting to his feet with a pathetic groan. “Yes, Your Bone-Bless—”

“Come along. Geysis is waiting for us.” Searra spoke almost mechanically before turning, hands behind her back, to lead us from the garden.

13

Searra

"Your Highness?" Fingers snapped. "Searra?"

"Hmm?"

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