“What was that?”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “The Pit of Despair.”
“Oh. Oh, I’m so sorry.” She frowned. Starling had said Nyte had been suffering, but Ember hadn’t even considered it was because of depression. She hadn’t even known demons could get depressed. “Depression is hard to overcome.”
“Depression?” He scoffed and shook his head,giving her an incredulous look. “I wasn’t depressed, witch. I wasinthe Pit of Despair.”
She gaped at him. “Wait, what? That’s an actual place?”
“What did you think it was?”
“A figure of speech.”
“Mortals can be so foolish.”
“We’re not the ones with a place called the Pit of Despair. Is it in hell?”
“One of them. Now, do you have any further questions, or may I return to suffering this torturous daylight in relative silence?”
“Oh no, no, no. You’re not getting away with telling me there’s an actual Pit of Despair, inone of the hells, without telling me more. Why were you there?”
He dragged his tongue across his teeth. “Holiday.”
Ember snorted. “So you’re trying to tell me you were on vacation in the Pit of Despair? I know I don’t really know you, but my instinct is to call BS on that.”
One of Nyte’s dark brows arched. “BS?”
“Bullshit. I’m calling your bluff.”
“My affairs are my own, mortal, and are no concern of yours.”
“Okay, fair. How long was this holiday of yours? Curious about what kind of benefits demons get?—”
“Four hundred years,” he grated through bared fangs.
Ember came to a halt, staring at him in utter shock. She didn’t even register the people walking past her.
That’s where Nyte had been for four hundred years? And he’d been suffering for all that time. What had been done to him? What had driven him there, and why had he stayed for so long? She highly doubted the Pit of Despair was a resort hotel given its name and location.
But it was clear that he didn’t want to talk about it, and shehad pressed him enough. She’d have to set her curiosity aside and let him tell her in his own time, if he ever decided to do so.
Nyte slowly canted his head. “You have work to attend, do you not?”
Awareness came back to Ember, and she couldn’t be sure how long she’d stood there before she regained her composure. “Um, yeah.”
They continued onward for fifteen minutes without speaking as she sipped her coffee and caught glimpses of Nyte observing his surroundings. The crowd had grown, especially in this part of town, where many tourist shops were located. Ember’s boutique, Darkly Romantic, was tucked away off one of the main roads overlooking the harbor.
When they reached the door to her store, it was five minutes before ten.
Perfect timing.
She unlocked the door and stepped inside. After turning on the lights, she made her way to the counter, where she set down her coffee and tucked her purse away in a locked drawer at the bottom.
“This is your place of work?” Nyte asked.
Ember glanced up to see him wandering between the display tables and racks of clothing, his eyes roaming over the black and purple patterned walls. She smiled as she looked around her store with pride. Elaborate elaborate candelabra sconces, mirrors, and vines of roses decorated the walls, the shelves were filled with handbags, candles, incense, soaps, jewelry, and makeup, and the headless mannequins scattered throughout were adorned in some of the newly arrived attire. The atmosphere was dark and romantic, living up to its namesake.
This place was everything she’d dreamed of.
