“What was that about?” she asked, clearly sensing there was some joke she’d missed.
“Nothing. Just Steig being a horny motherfucker,” Ty said, reaching down to turn the iron handle on his door, and ushering them inside.
The chamber was just as he’d left it. He watched as Ena’s eyes roamed over the space, starting with his large bed that took up most of the room. It was covered in furs from some of his more impressive hunts, and at its foot sat the trunk filled with countless trinkets and mementos from his childhood, including his prized hunting knife—the first thing he ever made in the forge.
Her eyes slowly left the bed and landed on his armoire—filled with the clothes he hadn’t touched in over a month—and his bookshelf, which was littered with his favorite histories and tomes on Underworld geology and metallurgy, before finally landing on the round wooden table set with two fur-covered chairs in the corner.
Yes, everything was the same as when he left it, and yet having her here made it seem so incredibly different.
He’d never felt this way before—this mix of apprehension and excitement at having a woman in his private space. He’d had women in his room before, obviously, but he’d never caredwhat they thought of it—he barely cared if they stayed the night afterwards or not. He’d never truly wanted to show it to anyone before, and he’d been pretty private about his things.
But now…some strange part of him wanted her to see everything. What would she make of him?
He walked over to the table in the corner of the room where one of theimperihad already left a fresh pitcher of water with two cups.
Iblis, that was fast. They must’ve been notified of his arrival while he was talking to Cole…or maybe even before. He wouldn’t be surprised if the whole “you caught me during a Convening thing” was just a power move. Cole was notorious for them.
He poured a glass of water for Ena and handed it to her. She took it wordlessly, her eyes drawn to one of the darkrock lanterns on the wall.
“So…this is your room,” Ena said, seeming fascinated by it all as her eyes flitted again from detail to detail.
“Yes,” Ty said simply, watching her reactions like a hawk. But she didn’t say anything else.
“You said you had a lot of questions,” he offered, pouring himself a glass next. “So go ahead. I’m here for you.”
Her eyes landed back on him, and he instantly felt the blood rush to his cock.
Fuck, how did she do that with just one simple look?
He resisted the urge to adjust himself noticeably, knowing that this was not the time for that. He needed to go see Cole soon, but first, he wanted to make sure she was truly alright, and quell any of her concerns as much as possible.
“Okay, so what’s that?” she asked, pointing to the lantern on the wall that glowed with a constant blue flame.
“It’s a darkrock lantern,” Ty said.
“What’s…darkrock?” she asked, her brow furrowing as she watched it.
Iblis, how did she look so fucking adorable saying new words? There was something about that little line of uncertainty that formed between her brows, and the way her lips moved slowly around the letters like they were some new and delicious food. Fuck, it made him want to stick his tongue down her throat while she said it just to feel what it was like to be inside that perfect mouth.
He dragged his eyes up from her mouth and cleared his throat, remembering that she’d asked him a question.
“It’s a black, rock-like substance that’s found deep underground, far beneath the Underworld. It’s a fuel of sorts. We mine it here, and burn it in our stoves for cooking, but when its crushed and mixed with animal fat, it also creates a long-lasting and bright flame that we use in the lanterns you’ve seen.”
“There’s a mine under here?” Ena asked, her eyes lighting up in curiosity.
Something fluttered in his chest at her reaction. The mine was one of his favorite things about the Underworld.
“Yes. There’s several, in fact. Some for darkrock, some for other metals. There are significant deposits of almost every metal known to this side of the Chasm Mountains in the areas underneath and surrounding the Underworld. That’s part of why this area was chosen when daemons sought refuge here.”
“That’s fascinating,” Ena said, musing over this as she took a step toward the darkrock lantern, watching its solid blue flame before turning to look at him. “Is that why it’s so warm down here? From burning the darkrock?”
“No,” Ty said, moving to stand next to her in front of the lantern. “That’s from the hot springs that run underneath us. They’re closer to us than the mines, and there are aqueducts that run the warm water from there throughout the Underworld. It helps keep it livable down here, year-round.”
“Really?” Ena said, her eyes widening. “That’s amazing.”
Ty smiled at her, and he was struck suddenly by a profound sense of disbelief.
Ena, a witch—hiswitch—was here in the Underworld.
