Page 96 of Hell-Bound

She knew the speed of the collision would break her body on impact. Her one hope, as she hurtled towards the stone, was that someone would remember her as Ren. That Jester would tell people that one female, woman, Half-Elf, had existed for a time as herself. Free from the constraints and expectations of others and made her own choices, no matter how misguided they might have been.

The last thing Ren heard before a portal sucked her out of the palace was Azur’s voice.

“I concede. I will not fight.”

Ren careened off the carpet and tumbled towards her vanity, slamming into it with acrack! Fortunately, it was furniture, not bone, that had broken. She jumped up, havingregained control of herself, and dashed to the hall.

“Jester! Jester, help!!”

Her mind spun as she tried to figure out a plan.

She ran to Azur’s office and wrenched open the door.

Nothing.

She crashed through every room screaming her friend’s name, voice shaking.

“Where are you?!”

She saw Zelaia’s form run up the stairs.

“What in hell’s name?”

“Zelaia! Thank gods!” Ren grabbed the Devil by the shoulders. “You have to help me find Jester! Azur is in trouble!”

“What are you prattling about? Azur is agod,Ren. He is fine! If he’s tussling with that dragon again, I promise that he will come out without as much as a scratch.”

“No! He surrendered his throne to Xarek!”

“He—what!?” Zelaia’s face vacillated between panicked and confused.

“I have to find Jester!” Ren, repeated near hysterics.

Ren moved to run down the stairs when Zelaia caught her arm roughly.

“Ren. He isn’t here.”

“Where is he? We need to get him. Can you portal because—”

“Don’t you get it yet, you thick Mortal? AzurisJester!”

The contract cannot break. The tome cannot be found.

Ren scoffed.

“That’s ridiculous. Jester is my friend. We’ve been—”

“Listen to me. Azur disguises himself as Jester. He’s been doing it for longer than I’ve been indebted.”

Ren’s mouth moved as if trying to produce the words to reject her claims. It was impossible. Jester was nothing like Azur. She thought of Jester’s quick wit, his playfulness, and how Azur was never—could never be like that.

“That’s impossible,” she stuttered.

“It’s the truth.”

“It was all a lie?” she whispered. “No. You’re wrong.”

She turned around and scanned the hall, desperately hoping that Jester would jump out from behind a curtain, playing and taunting her gullibility. Her mind refused to accept that her friend, her only real friend, wasn’t real at all.