It struck me I hadn’t lost any feathers for lying. The same thought must’ve gone through Jarod’s mind because he gazed at thefloor.
“Apparently, the Ishim have a sense of humor,” I said. “Who would’vethought?”
“TheIshim?”
My mouth went dry before I remembered that Jarod, for all his hatred of our kind, shared our blood, so I wasn’t breaking any rules by telling him about angels. “Your cousin didn’t tell you aboutIshim?”
“Mycousinhas always been quite . . .disobliging.”
I didn’t want to think about Asher, because thinking about the archangel reminded me of my glum fate. “That’s the least of hisfaults.”
Jarod rested his hand on the door handle but didn’t flex his fingers around it. “Least of his faults? Here I thought soul mates werefaultless.”
“Probably in the eyes oftheirsoul mates.” I stared at the chest hair spilling out of Jarod’s open collar. The man was part bear, the complete antithesis of slick, golden-skinned Asher. Even though it was ridiculous, I suddenly appreciated the sinner more forit.
“Do you likefoiegras?”
My gaze scaled up the graceful column of his throat before perching on his midnight-bright eyes. “I don’t know. I’ve never triedit.”
“Let’s go find out, then.” He tipped his head toward the door he must’ve opened while I’d compared his torso toAsher’s.
“Who won?” Muriel asked, coming down the wide sweeping stairs, an empty bottle of spirits in one hand. I assumed she’d refreshed the tray ofdigestifsin Jarod’s room, because she didn’t strike me as someone who’d down a bottle of alcohol, then parade itaround.
She’d changed into a black kimono-like outfit, that accentuated her trim waist, and applied her usual thick coat of kohl and vermillionlipstick.
Jarod unrolled the sleeves of his shirt. “Would I ever allow a woman to lose? You taught me better than that,Mimi.”
She beamed, whereas I pivoted to gawk at him, a few of his most questionable moves cropping into mymind.
“You let me win?” For some reason, a torrent of disappointment washed through me and blistered my tone. I didn’t even care about winning, so my reaction was all kinds ofabsurd.
Jarod’s fingers slid off the button which he was trying to stab through his shirt’s cuff. “I was just trying to save face in front of Mimi andLuc.”
I assumed Luc was the guard standing sentry beside the diningroom.
“Can’t have my household finding out about my subpar chess skills,” he continued. “They’ll lose all respect forme.”
I rolled my eyes. “Now, you’re just beingdramatic.”
An easy smile tipped his mouth, and it substituted the weird upheaval in my chest for another that had nothing to do with feelingduped.
“Dinner’s ready when you are,” Muriel said, stealing my attention offJarod.
“Merci, Mimi, but we’re going to dine outtonight.”
Remembering the roasted lamb shank she’d basted while I’d shaped crumbly dough, I said, “But Muriel prepared an entiremeal.”
“Which Amir will only be too happy to eat,” shesaid.
I searched her face for disappointment but found none. She seemed genuinely happy Jarod and I were going out, which made all sorts of questions pop into mymind.
“Can you call Sybille and tell her we’re on our way?” Jarod asked Muriel before addressing me, “Did you have a coat,Feather?”
I shook my head. Before he could suggest I borrow one from his weird cloakroom, afraid I’d end up with a scrap of leather encrusted with silver spikes and the perfume of another woman, I said, “But I don’t needone.”
“It’s warm tonight,” Muriel said. “You two should befine.”
Jarod eyed the courtyard, seemingly unconvinced, but he didn’t put up a fight. What he did do was climb up to his bedroom while Muriel phonedSybille.
