Page 53 of Hell-Bound

The back of the castle, however, as Jester had claimed, had only one guard. A Lesser Devil with light blue skin, was walking around a fountain sulking, and tail swishing impatiently.

“They also put the new guys back here,” Jester whispered.

The Devil was too busy muttering to himself to see the pair as they snuck behind a thorny hedge and ascended onto a wall that encircled a large garden, long since withered. Ren followed Jester close behind several feet until he paused,pointed down, and vanished. Even though it was dark, Jester’s red face and tail were not hard to spot beneath the overhang.

As for herself, Renata tested the footholds with her fingers and nimbly climbed up. Her grip was strong, and she felt safe hanging there despite the mossy surface, which would cause even some experienced climbers to lose footing.

Ren was back on her feet in a few seconds, staring at an iron grating inserted into the castle’s foundation.

“You can’t teleport other people?” she grumbled, wiping her dirty hands on her tunic.

“Of course! But it’s much more entertaining to watch you struggle. Sadly for me, you’re just a bit too agile,” he said, giving her a feigned, disappointed look.

Ren responded very maturely with sticking out her tongue.

The iron grate was relatively large and, to Wyvryn’s credit, looked well-maintained and reinforced.

“Your turn!” Jester said, poking her side, where she had stored the lock-pick set.

Rolling her eyes, she removed two long picks, one flat, the other slightly curved, and located the small key indention. But she stopped—frozen in place, ears buzzing, picks turning ice cold.

“What are you doing?” Jester hissed.

She didn’t know. She could feel the discomfort in the back of her head.

“There is something wrong with this grate.”

Jester furrowed his brows and looked back.

“Like what?”

She closed her eyes, thinking.

“I think it’s trapped. An alert or—something?”

Jester’s eyes glanced around the curved frame and began to gingerly feel the stone. As Ren followed suit, she noticed that this was the first stone building that hadn’t been reinforced with vurmite. She thought of the small gem in her pocket. She had been afraid to leave it and had convincedherself that it was for emergency purposes, to communicate with Azur, andnotthat she couldn’t bear to part with it.

Suddenly, a change in texture, a shift from stone to metal. Ren pushed, and she heard a small hum from the picks.

Jester jerked his head to her.

“You did it! I think?” he said, trying to look encouraging.

Ren bent down again, adjusting the angles of her tools before gingerly inserting them into the fissure—

Nothing happened, but she heard Jester release a breath.

“Honestly, I was only half sure that had worked.”

“Great. thanks for that vote of confidence,” she murmured. “Now, shush!”

Leaning her ear close to her hands, she held her breath, trying to listen for the perfect clicks of the lock. The picks gradually began to warm in her hands. She almost reeled back at the unexpected sensation, but her piccolo vibrated reassuringly. Finally, she heard the small chink, and the door swung open.

“I thought you said getting in waseasy,Jester?” she said, wiping small droplets of sweat off her forehead. “I’m pretty sure that lock was magicked shut!”

He responded with a guilty look.

“I guess when you mess with a fops shampoo, they strengthen their wards?” He gave a small, awkward laugh. “But it worked, didn’t it?”