BooksBarbecue
Back Seven Devils
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1.
  4. 2.
  5. 3.
  6. 4.
  7. 5.
  8. 6.
  9. 7.
  10. 8.
  11. 9.
  12. 10.
  13. 11.
  14. 12.
  15. 13.
  16. 14.
  17. 15.
  18. 16.
  19. 17.
  20. 18.
  21. 19.
  22. 20.
  23. 21.
  24. 22.
  25. 23.
  26. 24.
  27. 25.
  28. 26.
  29. 27.
  30. 28.
  31. 29.
  32. 30.
  33. 31.
  34. 32.
  35. 33.
  36. 34.
  37. 35.
  38. 36.
  39. 37.
  40. 38.
  41. 39.
  42. 40.
  43. 41.
  44. 42.
  45. 43.
  46. 44.
  47. 45.
  48. 46.
  49. 47.
  50. 48.
  51. 49.
  52. 50.
  53. 51.
  54. 52.
  55. 53.
  56. 54.
  57. 55.
  58. 56.
  59. 57.
  60. EPILOGUE
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHORS

General Damocles offered her a small smile, and Nyx tried not to show her astonishment. He was usually so cold—unless, of course, he was furious. Then the prince was terrifying.

She had to hand it to Eris: she was damned good at her job.

“Deal,” he replied, taking her hand in his. “I’ll take you to the gardens.”

Eris waved off Clo and Ariadne. “We don’t need company.” She narrowed her eyes at Nyx. “You. Trail behind in case we’d like a drink. But not too closely; I don’t want to have to look at you.”

Nyx gritted her teeth as Ariadne and Clo drifted to the edges of the ballroom, both taking a brief pit stop at the buffet table to nibble some treats and appear casual. Nyx sighed, wishing she could be the one doing the breaking and entering rather than the subterfuge.

Instead, she kept her head down and pretended to be a servitor.

28.

CLO

Present day

Clo’s heart wouldn’t stop hammering. She was convinced the guards would take one look at her and realize she was a threat. One shot of a Mors and then they’d incinerate her corpse, her ashes scattered to help fertilize the crops on one of the moons above her.

Ariadne was just as wary. She might meet her maker this evening, and the Oracle did not strike Clo as a creature who easily forgave betrayal.

Clo followed Ariadne’s lead. They made their way to a quieter corner of the ballroom, as if heading toward the facilities. Ariadne took them a little farther along and then reached for Clo’s arm. She put her hands on Clo’s shoulders, as if they were having a slightly drunk but earnest heart-to-heart.

“This is a camera blind spot,” she whispered. Clo could barely hear her over the music. “A small flaw in the building’s security design, and a bad one since it’s right in front of a cloak closet. I noticed it last year while watching the wintertide festival and never told the Oracle.”

Ariadne took a quick glance around, made sure the coast was clear, and then took out the commander’s copied pass from her small clutch. With the smuggled inorganic shifter cuff, she’d made it look like a thin notebook. She opened the door and ushered Clo inside, closing it behind them.

“Pretty sure the guards know about the flaw, but people have trysts in here and no one talks about it. Lucky for us.” Ariadne’s teeth gleamed white, visible even in the low light. The closet smelled of lingering chemicals and clean linen. “You sure your leg is ready for this next bit?” she asked.

“It rubs,” Clo said, curt. “But I’ll deal with the blisters tomorrow.”