Page 82 of Chained to the Devil's Daughter

Picking up a fallen twig, I stepped around the barrier of shrubs and snapped it. When Fara’s panicked eyes found mine, they were full of fear, relief, and more fear. Whatever she’d gotten herself mixed up in with this wasted seed of a demon, it barely outweighed her fear of me finding out. Interesting.

Fuegis didn’t bother removing his hand. There was only a flicker of fear, followed by annoyance, finally won over by an air of cool amusement.

“Well, well. The stray wanders—”

“Am I to believe this was a tryst again?” I didn’t care for his talk. His death was imminent.

“They like it a little rough. But you know that, don’t you? You’re an expert on palace whores.”

My body reacted. I coated my fists in a glove of black flames and pummeled into Fuegis’ flesh, right hook, left, right, until I had the shitstain of society on his knees again. Fara gasped for breath. For a moment Fuegis seemed about to reach for her, to take her remaining breaths away, but I was faster. With a twitch of my claw-tipped finger, Fuegis was bound by his wrists in a whiplike tendril that connected to the railing of a nearby bench.

“Was this the rendezvous you’d planned to give Searra a decade ago?” My tone was so full of ire that it sounded gravellyeven to me. I barely held the grip on my magic that kept the whole garden from being swallowed by the void.

Fuegis struggled to answer behind a gag of flames, and I chuckled at the sight. That was two of my enemies now bound and gagged, and it got better andfuckingbetter every time.

“Fara!” a woman’s voice came from above. I looked up to see my Firefly hanging from a window, staring down in horror. She disappeared, and I knew she would come straight down the climbing tree.

I snarled. Fuegis was lucky our queen, the definition of a benevolent and forgiving ruler, had spotted us. I’d planned to end his life as soon as Fara confirmed she was okay. Ask questions later. Or not, and simply be grateful.

Before Searra reached us, I whirled on Fara. “Going to lie to me again?”

She only devolved deeper into sobs.

I’d never been good around tears, especially of the feminine sort. I awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a light squeeze.

“Fara!” she shouted, racing to her friend and relieving me of sympathy duty as she wiped the vine’s goo off on her skirts. “Fara, what is this?”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I’m sorry!” the woman wailed onto Searra’s shoulder.

“Shh, shh,” Searra whispered as she petted Fara’s plain, wheat-colored hair. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”

“Don’t you want to know what I’ve done?” Fara’s tone was incredulous. By the raised brows on Fuegis’ pain-contorted face, he felt the same. “How I’ve b-betrayed you?”

Though I remained carefully cool on the outside, I smiled inwardly. These two did not know shit from spit.

Searra stepped back and took Fara’s shoulders, giving her a little shake. “No.”

Fara’s tears ebbed, her mouth falling open. She smiled a wobbly smile and wiped her tears. Though her eyes remained sad, she smiled at Searra, understanding washing over her. “Very well.”

I cleared my throat. “Tell me instead.”

44

Ash’ren

Fara’s trepidation radiated from her brown irises as she dragged her gaze to mine, trembling like it physically hurt. “Thank you for saving me.”

I crossed my arms. “How have you betrayed your queen?”

“Ash!” Searra hissed, but I ignored her.

Fara took a shaky breath. “I’ve been letting him into the herb garden. He said there was no way you would hold the throne,” she glanced dejectedly at Searra, who was rubbing her arm encouragingly. “H-he said, if I didn’t help, Devil would rain his godly wrath on my family.”

“Oh, Fara,” Searra said, pulling the woman into her arms again. “I understand.”

The herb garden. What the fuck would that puny-minded shit need from the herb garden? I chewed my cheek and thought a moment, staring in the direction of the rows of herbs.

Lutyl leaf.The Fire in my Belly, a memoir by Chef Tiki. I barked a laugh.

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