“We will be back to visit the next sun-cycle,” Cyrus announced, probably as creeped out by Pica as I was. His words had been delivered with some kind of warning. A warning that Pica only brushed away with a laugh and the flick of her hand.
“Willy will still be here the next sun-cycle,” she assured him. “I don’t plan to move her or let her go any time soon. I may never let her go!” She laughed at that.
The Abcurses seemed very grim. Cyrus’s expression turned unreadable.
I felt shock, and maybe a good dose of dread, but there was a part of me that wasn’t even surprised. This was just Willa’s luck. If anyone could end up being protected by a psychotic goddess of ‘smothering’, it would be Willa.
Cyrus’s fingers were suddenly wrapping around my wrist and he was drawing me out of the room, and then out of the house. He didn’t pause once. I was actually running to keep up with him by the time our feet were on the marble platform again. He turned as soon as we were outside, pulling my arm up beside his head and hooking his other arm around my back.
“What are you—” I started, but the sudden shock of my body pressed flush to his had my words meeting a quick death.
“We’re going back to my home,” he explained, the arm around my back tightening, drawing me up higher.
I was standing on his shoes suddenly, just to keep my feet connected to something. He stared at me for a click, his attention switching to my lips.
“Don’t you dare,” I warned him.
His eyes flashed back up to mine. “What?”
“Don’t you dare kiss me again.”
“Why the fuck not?” he growled.
“Because I think you’re a ... terrible ... person! And a drunk! It doesn’t matter that you’re sober now, you’re just a sober drunk!”
His lips twitched, almost curving into a smile. “And you’re just a bug, but I seem to recall you kissing me.”
“I’m allowed to. You’re not.”
He scowled, turning on the spot and pulling us both through a quick flash of darkness and then back into his home. He released me then and walked over to the couch, falling into the cushions, his arms crossed behind his head.
“Kiss me then,” he demanded, his eyes burning even lighter and brighter than usual.
My mouth dropped open and my hands were already itching to move to my hips, to adopt a stance suitable for lecturing.
“I’ll make you a deal,” I found myself saying instead, my eyes narrowing as I took a step toward him.
He remained unmoving, but it almost looked like I’d shocked him a little, bynotlaunching into an outraged debate.
“I don’t make deals with dwellers,” he finally returned, his voice low.
“I’m not a dweller anymore,” I countered, reaching his legs. I climbed up onto his lap, my knees slipping to either side of his hips, my chest pressing to his, my face suddenly only an inch away from his. “I’m a god now, Cyrus. I’m your equal.”
He had no response, though his hands dropped from behind his head, his fingers pressing my robe into my legs, drawing it up as his hands travelled to my hips. I had a flash of recall that I might still be without underwear, but this negotiation was too important to worry about that minor detail.
“A deal,” I reminded him.
He made a sound—half a groan—and his head fell back against the couch, his eyes closing. “What are you doing to me?”
“My deal is this,” I whispered, inching a little closer to his mouth. “If you help me find out what my power is and keep me safe from Staviti, I’ll kiss you.”
“More,” he demanded, his eyes flashing open. “If I’m going to help you, you need to offer me more.”
“Two kisses.”
“Fucking more, bug.”
I scowled, pulling back a little, but his right hand flashed up, his fingers suddenly cupping the back of my skull, and he dipped forward to win back the distance I had tried to put between us.
