Page 113 of Shadow's Heart

Mirceo grinned. “Did I mention my wit and charm? I could mention it again.”

The two were perfect for each other. Fate knew what she was doing. “Will you continue bounty hunting together?”

Mirceo shared a look with Caspion. “We got burned out.”

“I’m sorry. Ellie told me about all your rescue efforts.” They’d apprehended the Gaolers’ bounties one after another, planningto capture the demigods and force Mina’s release, but the Gaolers had used time manipulation to thwart their attempts.

“I decided to out myself on live TV, butsomebodysaid he’d be right there beside me.” Mirceo hiked a thumb at Caspion. “This fucker—sorry, I mean?—”

She waved away the spicy language, surprising him.

“Anyway, this lout swore he’d follow me to the ends of the worlds,and all that romantic drivel.”

Caspion flashed his demon fangs in amusement.

“I figured you might pull exactly that stunt,” Mina said. “And I worried you might use Dorada’s ring.”

“It was our next play. But then Balery told us she thought she had a lead. So we held off.”

“You must have been furious to learn that Lothaire and Kristoff left without you.”

“They rode off without so much as a word to go riddle-solving and sundry bullshit, and they landed in the one place we’d fought to get to. That stung. But it sounds like you wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t.”

“True. And I wouldn’t be here without Adham.”

Mirceo rolled his gray eyes. “Say this trap of yours works. Say Silt’s not totally evil. That doesn’t mean he’s become a good man.”

“Brother, do you really want to go down that road?”

Even Caspion raised his brows at that. “Can people not change?”

Mirceo glowered. “I won’t tangle with both of you. There’s little sense to that. Let’s just say that Silt isn’t good enough for Mina.”

“Fate thinks he is.” Enti had been right; Mina wouldn’t settle for anything less than utter devotion. But sometimes a vampiress had to fight for it.

Mirceo exhaled. “He’s not your mate. When you finally find the one for you, you’ll understand how far off the mark you are about Silt.”

“Adham.And let’s agree to disagree.” As they crested the dune, anticipation pricked her skin. Finally she would behold the structure he’d built with his own hands and sorcery. The sandstorm eased; below them lay a valley cradling a gigantic pyramid.

Caspion blew out a breath. “Whoa.”

“Whoa,”Mirceo and Mina echoed at the same time.

“Lot of changes here since the last time we saw it,” Caspion observed. “Of course, decades have passed in this realm.”

Mirceo said, “The defenses are all gone.” Instead of the multiple deadly traps Mina had heard about, the fortress was wide open, and revelers lined up for entry, an actual red carpet welcoming them in. Bowls of fire danced in the winds, and light spilled from the pyramid’s slot windows.

According to Caspion’s sources, this stronghold wasunder new management.

While Adham had been out searching, Enti had moved in and made his home into the Lore’s hottest den of fleshly delights. Exiling herself in Poly, the one place the Gaolers never went, she’d resumed her moniker of the Queen of Vice and had leaned all the way into it.

Just then, one of Adham’s scyllas thumped its purple tentacles against the pyramid. Answering that call, someone poured spirits out of a narrow window into the creature’s gaping maw. Its tentacles flailed with drunkenness.

When it vomited in the sand, Mina, Mirceo, and Caspion all chorused,“Whoa,”again. Its tentacles fell limp, and it sprawled like a wet mop.

“Can you imagine how Silt will feel when he sees this?” Mirceo asked with glee at the prospect. “His hallowed haunt with all its security, turned on its ear. That’ll stick in his craw.”

Ignoring him, she asked, “How did Enti get past his defenses in the first place?”

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