Page 32 of Hell-Bound

An image of the pink Devil flashed through her mind.

Fair enough, Renata.

Jester pinched the bridge of his nose.

“What about an item? Something that you have that might connect you to his voice?”

She thought momentarily, and then her hand involuntarily moved to her pocket. The red stone tucked safely inside.

“I have a…gem. One of those that they use for decoration. He spoke when I…found it.”

Jester responded with a wicked smile.

“Oh, yes, he likes to speak when you…findthings. But sure, that will do just fine,” he said, clearing his throat and holding his hand out for it.

Ren felt a tightening in her stomach. She didn’t want to give this creature her stone. It was so…special. What if she couldn’t find another? Couldn’t show it to everyone so they could bask in its beauty and wonder how Ren could possess something so matchless?

My sweet. People will be in awe of you, with or without the vurmite.

“Did you hear that?” she entreated, looking closely at her hands as they emitted the now-familiar smoke.

Jester giggled and clapped his hands.

“Oh, I do love this part! Ahem. The gem, my dear?”

Reluctantly, Ren retrieved her stone, vurmite, and handed it to Jester.

The Devil twirled it in his hand and sneered. “Oh, dear, youmusthave pleased him with your littlediscovery.”

He emphasized the last with a wink.

Ren glared at him.

He cupped the vurmite in his hands and blew on it, a glow emanating.

She hadn’t thought her little stone could be any more beautiful than it already was, but as his breath touched it, the cuts of the gem seemed to move and reshape. Her eyes widened, and her fingers itched to grab it.

Then the glow was gone.

“There,” he said, handing it back to her.

She tried not to snatch it out of his hands greedily.

“Just whisper his name into the stone, and it will take you to him.”

She felt the smooth, glassy surface in her hand. “What? Like now?”

He made a shooing sign with his hands.

“I don’t have all day. I have other assignments, you know?”

“No wait,” she blurted, “I still don’t know his name!”

Jester slapped his forehead.

“I take it back. Idon’tunderstand why he likes you. His name is Azur,” he said cheerily before snapping his fingers and disappearing.

But despite vanishing, Ren still heard the shuffle of his feet and saw the door swing open and close again.

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