Page 68 of Hell-Bound

She didn’t like thinking of Azur as someone who possessed Jester’s soul. The story of Ahdan came back to her and she felt sick.

“Are you ever going to let him go?” she asked, quietly.

He looked down at his nails.

“No,” he said with finality. “Come with me.”

He walked past her towards the back door. This time, when he opened them, he did not use his magic as he crossed the threshold usually used to teleport them into the tavern.

She hesitated before following, wanting to protest and keep talking about Jester. But she got the impression that Jester didn’t need—or want, anyone to stand up for him.

And then there was the small voice buzzing in her head.

Leo said wait in the tavern! You can’t just skip a meeting with The Almighty!

Ren desperately wanted to shush Renata again. But she knew that her voice was right. Then again, staying in Azur’s safe house might be theexactthing that Nainaur would want. For a sacred relic, the house of the king of Devils was the perfect place to investigate.

She scrambled to follow him down a brightly lit hallway adorned with paintings of Devils in different settings. Some were standing, wings unfurled in combative stances, fighting creatures unknown to her, while others were engaged in intimate encounters, fangs bared, lust in their eyes. She tried not to picture Azur as one of these and hoped he couldn’t feel her wandering thoughts.

They stopped at the end of the long hallway, and he gestured to the door.

“All yours, my dear.”

She pushed past to look inside.

This might have been the most surprising incident that had happened all day. This wasnotthe modest room she had been in previously. Inside was a massive four-poster decorated with elegant pillows and a plush comforter. A fire was flickering in the hearth, and two chairs sat before it. Chairs that, unfortunately, reminded Ren too much of the one she had seen Azur reclined on her first night.

“You are technically a guest in my home for now, and I am nothing if not accommodating to my guests. Us Devils are very hospitable creatures as a rule.”

She snorted. “Tell that to Xarek.”

The smallest smirk appeared on Azur’s face.

“Just don’t break anything. I’d hate for you to accrue any debt while you’re here. Paying off Devils can be quite challenging, I hear.”

She gave him a poisonous look.

He ignored it.

“Now, if you don’t mind. I have a lot of work to do. Plans to murder lords of The Hells don’t devise themselves! Make yourself at home.”

With a nod, he walked leisurely back down the hallway, and Ren cursed herself for darting her eyes toward his backside.

A thorough inspection of the room was even more spectacular than her view from the hall. Each surface was encrusted with vurmite and glittering in the purple light from the two large windows. There was a terrace overlooking an ashy valley and a vanity holding several books—unsurprisingly, none were Vutar’ka Zhartun.

Suddenly, there was a slight change in temperature.

“I know that’s you, Jester,” she said, turning and crossing her arms.

Jester was paused in a sneaking position, evidently trying to grab and scare her.

“It’s been quite a day,” she said with a huff, “can we drop with the tomfoolery for a bit?”

Jester looked offended.

“Absolutelynot! Ilivefor this Ren! You wouldn’t rob a soulless Devil of his one joy, would you?”

He pouted.