Maybe it was naive, but I believed him. “There’d have to be ground rules. You can’t do anything weird.”
From his curled-up position in his nest, he pulled a face. “I would never.”
“And it’s not a formalized deal. Just an…agreement.”
He nodded. “Of course.”
What the hell. If I was stuck with him until we dissolved this betrothal, I might as well get something out of it. “Let me go tell Leah not to worry. And tomorrow we’ll see Madame Hadar about getting you approved to stay overnight.”
Six
I tossed and turned allnight—my sleep patterns not helped by a bizarre storm that rolled through in the early hours of the morning, whipping the winds and raising the heat to near unbearable temperatures before it broke just before dawn. I woke next to the sweet scent of ground coffee beans. Amazing. Less amazing was needing to put on a bra before entering the living room. I gathered the clothes I planned to change into post-shower—in the bathroom; I wasn’t ready to cross the living room in a towel—then cautiously opened my door.
“Good morning?” My words ended in a question mark. The living room was recognizable but—better somehow? The rug seemed brighter, and the floorboards gleamed. And the nest of cushions and blankets on the floor—where Daziel had slept—contained vibrant blankets I definitely didn’t own and pillows with silk cases. There were plants I hadn’t had before: a pear tree bearing fruit in the corner and ivy hanging from the ceiling.
“Good morning,” Daziel said, distracting me from trying to determine how the ivy was attached. I was becoming slowly used to his appearance, to the sharp black nails, the pattern of feathers on his neck, though every time I saw it anew, it was somewhat startling, his inhuman beauty distracting. Today he wore a light gray outfit, crisply ironed (with what iron?). “Did you sleep well?”
“Um—the storm woke me,” I said, taken aback by both the change in my apartment, his politeness, and the fact that in addition to coffee he’d somehow acquired a spread of croissants.
His head snapped up, a little too quickly to be human. “You too?”
“It was weird, right? And the heat…Any idea what caused it?”
He shook his head. “I’ve heard of similar occurrences—but the conditions are usually different. It was…unsettling.”
Iwas unsettled that the magic in Talum was strange enough to unsettle a demon. I smiled awkwardly and retreated to the bathroom, where I showered, dressed, and questioned all my life choices.
Not enough to refuse the coffee and croissants when I reemerged, though. “How did you pay for these?” I asked, breaking off the corner of one golden brown crescent, buttery flakes clinging to my fingers. I recognized the bag they’d come in; they were from the fancy boulangerie. “Didyou pay?”
“Of course.” He sounded affronted, then started coughing.
My concern grew as his cough worsened in roughness and volume. “Are you okay?”
He waved a hand but didn’t stop.
I’d heard if you were coughing, you couldn’t be choking because you could still move air through your airways. Still, I touched his arm. “Do you want me to pound on your back?”
He curled forward and gave one final, horrific cough. Something large and shiny hurtled out of his mouth and into his hand.
He held it up triumphantly. “Ta-da!”
It was a polished, multifaceted green stone. It looked like it should be showcased in a crown, not covered in saliva. I blinked rapidly, not knowing what else to do with my surprise. “Did you—is that—an emerald?”
He wiped the saliva away on his trousers. “I paid,” he said happily.
“What?” I swallowed. “We can’t—people don’tpaywith emeralds. How—where did it come from? Is that, like, your breakfast?” At his smile, I winced, deciding I didn’t need the details. “Did ithurtcoming up?”
He beamed. “Are you concerned for my welfare, Naomi?”
“No! I mean—I’m curious. Grossed out a bit, but curious.”
“I think you are,” he mused. There was a glint to his eyes, a delight in teasing me. “You worried I was choking. You stroked my arm.”
“Let’s move on,” I said. “Thank you for breakfast. Maybe take any more jewels you cough up to a jeweler’s instead of paying with them directly.”
“Noted,” Daziel said. “What is our plan for today?”
I finished a second croissant—they were very good—then began loading my rucksack with the relevant folders and books. “My first class is at nine.” When he didn’t respond, I clarified: “School.”
