Page 57 of Kiss of a Hellish Prince

“Yeah, but Sif caught us fooling around earlier, and she said some shit. Then they were fighting, and she tried to kiss him and made sure I saw it.”

“What a basic bitch.”

“Yeah, I don’t know. I have more important shit to worry about than Rune’s petty ex.”

“Word.” Sarah picked her coffee cup back up and made a face before setting the empty cup back down.

“Like, apparently losing my best friend. Does this massive life-altering decision have a clock?”

“Yup. Tab apparently has some vacation time, which sounds like bullshit, but that is what he said. He’ll be in Phoenix for three weeks. He won’t be able to stall any longer than that.”

“So, I have three weeks until I might lose my bestie.”

“Unless you know someone who can convince an overbearing government in another realm to back the fuck off, pretty much.”

“I might.” I sat up in my chair. “Rune is a prince. He is going to be King of Hell.”

“The fuck does that have to do with…”

“I bet he has contacts in Heaven. They are neighboring countries, after all. They have trade routes and treaties and even parties where they make all kinds of deals.”

“Do they?” Sarah asked.

“I have no fucking idea,” I admitted. “But it would make sense. They are neighboring countries after all.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Sarah threw up her hands. “Go make up with that poor boy, put him out of his misery, and get me some of that good diplomatic immunity shit.” Sarah tore the page she was working on out of her notebook and signed it. “I am going to head into work. See if I can’t find out why my mom was in hiding in the first place.”

On her way out, she left the sketch on the table. It was beautiful. She drew Vivi and Evie hunched over a table, smiling at each other, capturing that mischievousness the girls shared, but she’d aged them up. They were not girls but young women. Evie was wearing a hat with a large floppy brim and had a sword strapped to her hip. She looked like a pirate. Vivi had a scar slicing down her face, over her eye. She was wearing a tiara made from shells. The table they were bent over wasn’t covered with notebooks and papers but gold coins and a tattered map.

Vivi would love this. She loved when Sarah drew her as a fantasy character, and lately this sea witch/queen had been a reoccurring theme.

“Okay, I’ll let you know what I find out,” I called after Sarah.

She shot me a thumbs-up as she walked out the door.

I grabbed my phone from my pocket and turned it back on.

There were no new messages from Rune. I hated to admit it, but I was a little disappointed.

Hey, are you busy?

The dots showing he was typing popped up almost instantly.

Rune

Not really.

Where are you?

He sent back a selfie. He was lying on his black satin sheets with a copy ofThe Hobbiton his chest.

Can I come bother you?

Rune

You are never a bother, but yeah.

Rune

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