“Or what?” He arches an eyebrow.
As I stare at his face, I realize just how stunning Mr. Cobalt Blue really is. I’ve been able to ignore his appearance, knowing how horrible he is, but now it really crashes down on me, the dream I’ve been having over and over for years. It’s about him, the super hot but also evil and murderous psychopath in front of me. I can’t believe I spent so much of my life thinking we’d wind up in love, and stressing out over how the man I loved could kill me.
The killing-me part makes sense, at least.
I’ve pretty much known from the moment he burst from the depths of that mountain that I was going to die because of him. It’s not hard to believe the man who’s killed countless people since waking would be the one to end my life. I’m more interested in what exactly has stopped him from doing it so far.
Yes, we’re tethered.
Yes, I’m his champion, whatever that means.
He knows he made a mistake in picking me, so then why hasn’t he killed me so he can start over? Instead, he’s trying to reform me, while he knows I’m also working to reform him.
I suddenly have an idea. “The three days, they’re so you can learn about humans.”
“And to train you to be useful.” He nods. “Agreed.”
“So while I sleep, you could watch television.” I snatch the remote from the edge of the tiny end-table. “It’s a form of entertainment humans developed to keep us from being bored when we have nothing else to do, like when we can’t sleep.” It’s perfect. “I’m used to noise. I’ve had lots of roommates, and I’m so tired, the sounds won’t keep me awake.”
“You want me to watch what?” He tilts his head. “Some kind of human bard performing in that box?” He looks at it dubiously.
“Not a bard. It’s way less corny than that.” If the television even works. When I find the remote and press it three times, there’s nothing. I spin the batteries, and then it works, so he didn’t melt all the tech yet. Even better, it gives me an option to sign in to Netflix, which I appreciate. I’m sure whatever would be playing on regular channels at almost three in the morning wouldn’t showcase humans in a good light. “Okay.” I start scrolling through options, find nothing good, and then I decide to search.
But what show could I have him watch that will make him understand humanity? What might convince him to let us live, or at least that indiscriminate murder is bad?
I settle on Gilmore Girls.
Rory’s good.
Her grandma’s a mess.
Her mom’s a hoot, but she’s complicated.
There’s not a ton of genitalia flying around, which is for the best since that bothers him quite a lot.
“Okay.” I smile. “Just don’t do anything that will fry the electronics?—”
“I’ve been thinking about that.” He frowns. “The latest technology when I was last awake was weaponry, mainly, but guns often misfired in my presence. Telegraphs sometimes fried, and photographs never worked.” His nostrils flare. “I believe my magic destroys more than simply the human life-force. It might destroy anything that creates.”
Interesting. “So the television works because you haven’t been using your magic to murder people.”
“I’m not murdering them,” he says. “To humans, murder implies an intent to end or kill someone in particular.”
“Um.” I blink.
“I merely end all life near me. That’s not the same.”
“Agree to disagree,” I say. “But anyway, I’m going to try and scrub my teeth off with some wadded-up toilet paper, and I’m going to shower, and then I’m going to sleep.” I point at the bed. “So that means you get the chair.”
Watching him try to sink into the world’s smallest chair is comical.
“What?” His eyes flash. “Why are you laughing?”
I suppress my snort. “No reason. But in an unrelated observation, you might be too big for that chair.”
He glances back at the bed.
“Oh, no,” I say. “You said I could sleep there.”
