She wasn’t alonewhen she woke. With a bleary gaze on the ceiling, her magic stretched and glanced its fingers against the cold bank of calm with its ripples of worry across the room.Aidan.Hastily, she pulled her senses back. She still had no idea what was polite when it came to magic.
Rich hardwood floors abutted sooty charcoal walls. Above her bed was a sprawling dusk painting in tones of cream and purple-gray with hints of stars peeking through. The back of the room boasted an ornate stone fireplace and dark floral rug with two high wingback chairs. Lounging in one of the chairs was a man with black hair, hollowed cheeks, and intelligent bright blue eyes that were locked on her.
All the words she’d prepared back in Relaclave were nowhere to be found. Perhaps almost dying had stolen them.Thank youseemed trite, and launching into deal negotiations while in her pajamas poor form. Her anxiety rose as the need for something to say pressed in on her. Moments ticked by as he held her there, ensnared in his cold, burning gaze. The god of the dead finally cleared his throat and broke the moment.
“How are you feeling?”
Elysia ran her hand through her hair, surprised to find it cleanand relatively manageable. Aidan tracked her movements as she slipped from the bed and delicately settled into the chair across from him. His brow furrowed, gaze roving over her with worry. Unused to such intense scrutiny, she avoided him, her fingers skimming over the soft pajamas she’d been clothed in. When she spoke, her voice was still thick with sleep.
“Fine. Far too fine.”
She left off the unspoken but obvious question.What happened?She knew she had been close to death, but now she seemed to be in perfect health. No blood or pain, just a vague lingering fatigue.
His brow smoothed at her response. Relaxing back into his chair, he disregarded her silent question, the hard line of his jaw easing as his lips turned up. “Good.”
Her curiosity piqued at this transformation. Where was the rigid man who had refused to bargain with her to save her kingdom?Thatgod had been carved from rock, unwilling to bend no matter what she said. Unnerved, she studied him as the last vestiges of sleep left her. She wasn’t interested in games or dealing with someone whose personality switched at will, but the god of death was her only choice now. He’d saved her when he could have let her die, and he wasn’t looking at her like a nuisance, or some mortal who should have simply said yes to his wretched offer. He looked both relieved and concerned.
“I came to finalize the deal, my, my…”Grace?She fumbled over the appropriate title, her eyes dropping to her hands. A thin, smoothed-over red line scored her left palm—it must have been from the king’s guards.
Amusement lifted the god of the dead’s mouth into a smirk. “Aidan,” he offered. “Aidan will do just fine.” A certain dark playfulness brought his voice lower. “I’m open to other suggestions if you have them.”
She smiled sweetly, her response out before she could stop it. “Like asshole?”
Her hand slapped over her mouth, her dark eyes wide.Shouldn’t have said that.But still. Was he flirting with her?Couldn’t be possible. No one was arrogant enough to accidentally destroy a kingdom, launch an insane king at the masses, and then offer a damn near useless deal to fix the problemthey created, only to flirt with a straight face.
Aidan’s smirk grew. Holding eye contact, he slowly rolled up the sleeves of his white button-down before leaning in closer to her, elbows on his knees. “Don’t doubt your instincts so much. I mean exactly what you think I do.”
Elysia blinked, unable to comprehend the utter audacity being lobbed at her. She floundered for a response to shove him back into the corner of her mind labeledasshole death god. She forced a sternness into her voice, as if he were an errant child rather than a terrifying god, and sat up straighter. “Then let’s be clear, theonlyreason I’m here is to complete this deal and find your talisman. Do you understand?”
The glint in his eyes brightened, and she was momentarily enthralled by the flames, but he acquiesced, resuming a more casual position. “But you will tell me when your wishes change, won’t you?”
Her nostrils flared. She was one second away from telling him precisely what she thought of his inappropriate comments when there was a knock on the door. Two women bustled into the bedroom, rolling a breakfast cart over to them. The cart bumped against the edge of the black floral rug, but Elysia’s gaze was caught on the skull and dice embroidered on their matching sweaters. Distracted by the familiar design, she couldn’t offer so much as a thanks before they left quietly.
Using the breakfast cart as a reprieve from responding to Aidan, Elysia poured cream into a steaming mug of coffee. It was better to ignore him. She knew that. But the desire to tell him exactly what he could do with such statements was almost as difficult to ignore as when Beatriz pissed her off.
She took a few pointed sips, eyes narrowed ever so slightlyat him. “I imagine you’ll want me hunting for your precious talisman immediately.”
The playful arrogance disappeared. “What I want is for you to eat breakfast and to show you our home. You’ll find I have no problem making myself clear when I want something—or someone.” His fingers drummed on his thigh, his gaze unwavering, making her pulse kick into a higher gear.
Discomfort mixed with dangerous intrigue rolled through her. She didn’t understand his angle.Because there always is one.But the manwasbeautiful to look at. He could flirt with her if he liked. Didn’t mean she had to respond.
Voice unaffected, she redirected him. “Shouldn’t we be talking about the deal?”
His blue eyes burned, and her stomach swooped. It would have been wise to take Lily up on that training when she had the chance. Because despite Topp’s proclivity for running his dirty mouth, there was something far more unnerving about Aidan’s direct, unfiltered attention. Annoyed at herself, she took a long sip of her coffee, trying to work out why such tame flirtation was tying up her insides like she was sixteen and had never seen a man before.
The answer came a little too easily, so she batted it away and looked back up at the god of the dead with an even, unimpressed stare. Topp’s insinuations revolved around sex. Aidan was saying he wantedher.And she had a rejection wound a prince-wide and a childhood-deep.
Aidan set his tea down and smoothed his hair back into place, suddenly looking more like the serious businessman she had expected. “Yes, you will have an obligation to find the talisman.But if I can give a word of advice?”
She held in her scoff. “I’m not sure you’re who I should be taking advice from, given your record.”
Aidan dipped his chin. “You make my point. I am all too well-acquainted with how anger can destroy the best of intentions. And while you deserve the space and freedom to heal or not healafter what you’ve experienced in your short life, the reality is that you’re being handed more expectation and responsibility. Are you going to be able to rise to that?”
The enormity of the situation fell like a dead weight, and both of them went quiet. In the past however many hours, she had willingly given up any ties to her family and life in Kava. She had plunged her blade into the guts of the man who had tried his damnedest to ruin her people and landed here in a bloody heap, expecting to make a deal with death. Her kingdom’s survival depended on her ability to complete this deal and find Aidan’s talisman.
But those were actions. Actions she had known were necessary. Hearing Aidan say she needed to deal with herinternalshit or else it might fuck everything up? She shifted uncomfortably in her wingback chair. She didn’t have any experience withthat, and there was nothing she hated more than being incompetent.
Thoughts askew, she tried to cover up her helplessness. The idea of baring her soul aloud to adeath godof all people made her want to get up and leave the room. A grimace twisted her lips. Her near-death experience hadn’t brought her to enlightenment nor made her any more prone to wanting to discuss herfeelings.
