He chuckled. “No.” Then his stare coasted over my face. “Great Gods, you're stunning. Hades sure did right by us.”
“Don't be counting this chicken before she hatches.” I stepped around him. “I agreed to mate you, but I didn't agree to do so immediately.”
“What the fuck?!” He grabbed my hand and jerked me to a stop. “You need to explain that.”
“Do I?” I made a thinking face. “I don't think that's in my contract either. Call Hades. He'll explain it to you. Right now, I'm going home to get out of this dress.” I made it three steps before I saw the nunnery. “Oh, fuck.”
The oddest thing happened next. My body started to shake. Tremble. My throat went dry. Dread filled me.
“Hey!” The guy went still, his tone softening. “Are you all right.” He looked from me to the convent. “Do you have a problem with nuns?”
“As it happens, yes,” I whispered. And then I couldn't speak.
“All right, I've got you. It's okay.”
I didn't know why he was saying those ridiculous things until he picked me up. I could barely move my arms to push at him. The bag of sweets landed on my belly. I stared at it. My stomach soured.
“Set me down!”
“You nearly fell! I'm not trying to—”
“I'm going to throw up!”
He set me down.
Right there, outside of that bitch palace, I puked up all the sweets and pastries I'd consumed. The hound crouched behind me and pulled back my hair. Then he rubbed my back.
“Damn, you really do have a problem with nuns.”
I spat to clear my mouth, then stood. Swayed.
“Easy now, sugah.” He steadied me.
“I'm fine,” I mumbled. “I don't understand. This never bothered me before.”
“Before when?”
“When I was in the Isles. Before that.” I shook my head and stared up at the building that really had nothing to do with me. “I've never even been here.”
“So, it's just nuns that upset you? Not this particular convent?”
“No, it'sthesenuns. These Ursuline bitches.” I spat again, this time to clear my mouth of the name. It was just as sour as vomit.
“Hold on. You said you were in the Blessed Isles.”
“Yeah, you can swear and still go there.” I glared at him.
“No.” He chuckled. “No, I mean, you shouldn't have a memory of that.”
“Part of the deal was that I got to keep my memories.”
“All of them?”
“Yup.”
“How many lives have you lived?”
“A lot.”
