“Children were never a consideration for me. Hybrids rarely get that consideration. Our children are—I mean, with a demon mate, it could go much better.” I pushed my fork through some roasted baby carrots and plucked one up for a bite. Esmeray took a bite of a rare steak, eating meat he desperately needed. The healing process for what he’d gone through would take weeks. Ausmius, for his part, slid along the baseboard, slithering about like a kicked puppy. My shadow didn’t move much, only turning its head to watch Ausmius.
Esmeray lifted his fork, a morsel on the tip of it, and angled it in such a way to throw its shadow up the wall. Ausmius nibbled at the shadow and the morsel withered and molded into a dried nub on his fork that he politely folded into his napkin.
“When we’re outside, I can summon some moths for you. You did well today, daeva.” I kept my voice low as I spoke to our shadows. It perked up a bit, little horns popping up atop its head as that hollow smile stretched.
“You’ll spoil him,” Draevus huffed, half smiling. “I did similar things for Esha.”
“Ausmius is a part of Esmeray I need to learn to love, too.” I took another bite of my food and stared at the meat. Shifters weren’t by and large vegetarians, even if they were ruminants. I poked the meat and cut a bite before Draevus spoke idly.
“Did you know that giraffe meat is technically kosher?” He stared at a bite on his fork and nipped it with a half grin. “Butaccording to their halacha, an appropriate ritual procedure has not been established for slaughtering it according to law. They don’t know if it’d die fast enough to meet humane conditions and drain the blood in the requisite time…”
I gave him my full attention. “It was my understanding that because of neck length, there’s no established protocol as towhereon the neck is best to cut.”
He grinned, teeth too sharp. His dark hair, impeccably sculpted, gleamed in the soft light of the room as Ausmius shrank farther into crevices, trying to remain small. “You do realize I’m trying to threaten you?”
“Probably, but it’s nothing new. I’ve heard giraffe tastes gamey, especially alpha.” I took a bite of the steak and chewed. Always felt like cannibalism for a moment.Delicious, tasty cannibalism.
“I like you. I apologize for the crudeness. Now, it remains to be seen if Esmeray will be happy with you. If it appears he is, what is your plan?” Draevus took another bite, chewing slowly, pink gushing between his sharp teeth.
“My plan is to adjust my life accordingly to make room for a partner. If we aren’t compatible or he seeks comfort with another partner, I will do my best to make arrangements for his comfort. I still need to introduce him to my goddesses to seal his protections. And, honestly, I realize my genetics are non-ideal. If children are part of the plan, I’ve always thought about adoption or a genetic donation from an acceptable source.” I cleared my throat. “I won’t take offense. But Esmeray is who I will discuss that with.”
Esmeray paused in his eating, put his knife down, and patted my leg while he hastened chewing and swallowing. “That’s a nice sentiment, but I’ll evaluate in time. Father?”
Draevus shrugged. “There’s prophecy about my line. Nowhere does it say who has to sire your children or what theline must hold. The importance is your continued survival and happiness.”
“He’s got a prophecy?” That caught my attention and I blinked over at him. The thought of the prophecy bothered me more than finding a sperm donor for a child to make sure it didn’t inherit my complicated genetics.
“All children of greater lords of hell do. His part to play in the ongoing route to the eventual apocalypse is to be an orator of law and stand among the gods. Which, if he inherited your goddess’s contracts, that fulfills it.” Draevus took another bloody bite of steak.
“I suppose that answers my questions.” I went for more carrots and avoided the asparagus on my plate. I did enjoy the vegetable, but the aftermath would not be kind to two males with a new mating bond. I noticed Esmeray did the same.
Esmeray placed his fork down and ceased eating with a soft sigh. “Gre is acceptable for now. I don’t need nepotism to make my own way. I won’t be handed anything.”
“But what about you, Gre, was it? Fancy some nepotism?” He grinned wickedly.
“Would it really be nepotism, or would it be a strategic choice on my part to facilitate my own success, as we have no ties and my ultimate happiness or success has no real impact on your son?” I grinned and Esmeray elbowed me sharply. “Okay. Nepotism it is, and apparently I despise it. Nasty stuff. No, thank you.”
Esmeray grunted in agreement and I took a quiet bite of food as the butler came in and loaded up plates whether I was done or not.
“Fine, then. Allow me to replace your car, at least.” He smiled so wickedly and Esmeray sighed in defeat.
“I’ll allow that much. What happened to my car, by the way?” Esmeray stared his father down.
“It was towed when they closed off your apartment. Your things I had delivered to a storage locker. Go get what you wish to take,” Draevus said while pulling out his phone to text. “Just sent you the details.”
“Towed towhereprecisely?”
“It was a 1992 Geo Metro.” He stared Esmeray down as if the very thought of the car was abhorrent.
“It was reliable and I could do anything needed for it myself!” Esmeray growled in frustration.
“The thing looked like a rusted doorstop and I have golf carts with stronger motors! I hated seeing it in the parking lot at the firm!” The argument Draevus continued felt like an old one that wouldn’t be solved.
I patted myself down and pulled out my wallet, thumbing through a few cards of people I knew. Most of them,men, owed me favors. Owed me favors their wives would emphatically demand they fulfill. I handed the card to Esmeray. “Would you object to a Mazda? They’re not theclassieston the market but they are rather nice.”
Esmeray stared at the card, brow furrowed.
“The owner of this particular dealership owes me greatly. Since I now know you can drive stick, they always have terrible trouble moving manual transmission cars. He’d sell you one for a bit of nothing.” I shrugged and Esmeray snatched my phone from my pocket before pulling up his bank statement and showing it to me.
