Page 15 of The Book of Heartbreak
‘The seer has sensed the veil of secrecy surrounding us,’ Munu says, as if heralding doom.
‘He’s curious, as they invariably are, like a hungry fox hunting in a meadow, ready to dig in and unearth your secrets.
And if, Boss in Heavens, he uncovers the curse, he won’t care if your heart breaks or not.
Think! If you die and this curse dies with you, he’ll claim it as his success, do you understand?
You’re not his problem! His kind only seeks ways to turn things to their benefit. He can’t be trusted.’
‘But why—’ I try to figure out the best way to form the question without further agitating Munu and causing her to disappear entirely. ‘Why does there need to be so much secrecy about me? About you?’
‘Because—’ Munu blinks, her mouth twitching as she considers this because . Outside, the mosques cast the night prayer across the city like an eerie warning.
‘Because—’ She begins and stops again, trembling as she gets smaller.
Finally, when she speaks, her voice is a low buzz.
‘Because, I can’t tell you, that’s why. I have no rank, no say in the hierarchy.
I know nothing except my assignments. I can tell you all about my miserable workload, if that will quench your curiosity, or the punishments I’ll meet if I release the secrets of the Hidden.
Will that distract you from that horrible boy and his wicked deeds? ’
‘Try me.’ I raise my eyebrow, inviting her to speak. I’m annoyed that she can’t tell me anything when Leon seems to know everything. It almost feels like they’re playing a game without me. But any information she can offer about the Otherside would be of interest right now.
‘Fine.’ Munu shakes her head again. ‘Let me explain why I must leave now. Listen to just one of the countless woes I’m expected to deal with, and maybe you’ll have some pity for me.
There’s a man cursed to hit every red light in traffic, and today he’s heading for a busy junction in central London.
’ She speaks so fast, I can hardly make out the words.
‘The halfwits in Temporal Intervention informed me at the last minute that I need to guide him out of the Ultra Low Emission Zone, as Fate Adjustment predicts that all the idling exhaust pipes behind him will shave an estimated twenty-five days off mortal lives in the area. And guess who’ll be punished if his curse creates a traffic jam? ’
I gawk at her, stunned by the outburst. How could a man end up with such a curse? What the hell is Temporal Intervention?
Munu lifts her hand, cutting me off before I can open my mouth. ‘My job isn’t easy, Sare. Please don’t make it harder by asking me all these questions. I just execute orders – that’s it! I have no power or knowledge.’
‘But did you just say . . . fate?’ I can’t help but ask. She’s never disclosed this much to me before. ‘As in . . . destiny?’
‘Trust me. It’s best you don’t know.’ Munu sighs.
‘Should I be worrying about you?’ Guilt tugs at me for pushing her. No wonder she’s always busy – if they make her run bizarre errands like these. She is a slipper, I remind myself. Not a head. She’s helping me as best as she can. ‘Will you be in trouble because of the seer?’
‘Just stay in this room,’ she growls back. ‘Stay away from him and I’ll be golden.’
She attempts to inject some optimism as we say our goodbyes but I’m not a child.
I can see the way her hands shake, and how her eyes dart towards the balcony, as if Leon could emerge there any minute.
Why is Munu so insistent on locking me in this room?
And why would Leon lie to me about breaking curses?
I can’t shake off my unease. Leon is arrogant, and maybe his threats to banish Munu are cruel, but the way he spoke about his mission and his craft sounded genuine.
There’s something off in all this.
As I sit in the dark after Munu departs, a daring plan starts to take root within me. A scheme to find out exactly what’s going on, even if it means betraying my friend’s trust.
Communication is classified as Top Secret.
Circulation strictly limited to correspondents.
This email will destroy itself once read, so read carefully.
Subject: A Cautionary Word
Date: 22 July 2025
From: Nine the Ninth, Senior Angel of Fate, Fate Adjustment Bureau, Mortal Affairs Commission
To: Five the Fifth, Angel of Death, Field Operations, Mortal Termination and Transition, Mortal Affairs Commission
My old friend Five the Fifth,
I hope this email doesn’t find you well, because it won’t leave you better. I’d hate to spoil your good mood.
A cherub from Sacred Data Systems is flooding our inboxes regarding that malice that’s given us a permanent halo-ache since the day it spawned.
You know which one I’m talking about, right?
The fiasco in Constantinople – the one you beguiled me to alter the records for, ensuring it could never be traced back to us – involving that vexing mortal woman.
Was I naive to trust you? Back then, I was just an officer, though now I’ve risen through the ranks at the Bureau.
If you’re relying on my glorious achievements to save us, I will be devastated to disappoint.
We’re both doomed if our small oversight comes to light.
I love my job too much to lose it over some ridiculous old story, Five.
That busybody cherub is also raising enquiries about your illegal little employee.
I shouldn’t have to remind you that curses are EXTREMELY unpredictable, that they can be dangerous and get out of control.
You should never have meddled with the resurrections.
And you certainly shouldn’t have assigned your ethereal pet to be in charge of such delicate matters.
Nevertheless, I have undertaken the troubles to verify the lineage of the cursed mortal M939274856567048343, and no one related to her is alive apart from an old man who – as destiny won’t lie – is unlikely to produce more heirs.
As such, if this mortal perishes, the curse will perish with her and no one will find any trace of this .
. . blunder. Why not, my comrade, simply take care of this now?
Why wait? You may advise me to ignore the cherub, but isn’t it the rule-following, ambitious little pricks like him who stir up the most trouble?
Remember, I’ve kept your secrets all this time, but what’s the worth in keeping secrets if the horns are blown?
With utmost dedication to the divine causes,
Nine the Ninth