“Oh, my God. This team is beyond dumb. If they would just look up, they would see their death coming, already,” Emer drones. “No wonder they are in last place. I bet they just throw them a bone to increase tension,” she recaps before looking down at her nails. “Shit, I chipped a nail,” she whines, getting up.
With her out of the room to find stuff for her nail, I concentrate back on the TV in time to see the wide-eyed student turn in terror and be skewered by the Naga’s spear before beingthrown into the bog. Reaper comes over and leans against my leg and whines softly.
“It’s okay, buddy,” I reassure him. “I’ll get back to them soon enough.” I reach down and scratch behind his ear, feeling his warmth and trying to offer him some comfort. I didn’t completely lie. While he listens to all of us, he does have a stronger connection to almost everyone else besides me, so while this isn’t familiar, it isn’t an unwelcome feeling. So I continue to pet him while I watch the Naga make quick work of the rest of the team.
Damn. They didn’t have a chance.
“Aww, did I miss the slaughter?” Emer asks, coming back in with a nail kit. Needing to know the purpose of my being here, I turn to look at her directly, and she immediately perks up. “Yes, Leviathan?”
“Why am I here?” I ask once again, still waiting for the answer.
She cocks her head to the side and narrows her eyes slightly.
“Well, that depends on your answer,” she says coyly.
“To what question, Emer? Stop playing games.”
She sets down her kit and mirrors my position, turning to face me.
“Simple. How do you feel about Nerezza?” she says and lasers in on my face, completely ignoring the fact that Reaper is staring at her with a sneer. She’s not going to see any reaction though, especially the one that she’s hoping for, good or bad.
Just hearing Nerezza’s name sends flares of pain through my chest that I contain, but just barely. That’s the Robot for you. Having years of experience in schooling my face to not show any emotions has its benefits. But I can’t help but wonder what I’m losing in the process. What memory did I just lose? Isn’t that what Murmur said would eventfully happen from the shit Emergave me? Soon enough, Emer will be the only one in my heart and soul.
The scariest part of all of this is the fact that I’m not completely opposed to it right now.
For all I know, it’s working. I know memories have slowly disappeared, and I don’t have the same feelings I did in the past for Rez, even though the pain is still there. So, I tell Emer the truth.
“I’m not going to lie, Emer. Since you’ve given me the potion, any thought, look, or mention of her brings pain, so I try not to think of her. Simple as that. So, can we not talk about her?” I arch an eyebrow in question, and Emer beams, obviously ecstatic with my answer.
“Of course.” She gets onto her knees, moving closer to me on the sofa, and immediately goes for my hand, trying to hold it.
“What’s your end game?” I ask, allowing her to hold my hand. I’m not disgusted by it like I normally would be, and I know that should bother me for some reason, but it escapes me for now.
“I’ve told you before, Leviathan. We are meant to be together,” she tells me softly. She flips the loose pink curl off her brow and bats her eyes at me. “Let me put it this way. From my point of view, it looks like Nerezza is with more than one of your brothers.”
I nod, clenching my jaw at the sharp pain in my chest from hearing her name once again. I can’t deny it, but it’s been pretty obvious that they are all together.Did I really take myself out of that equation?We weren’t hiding the fact that we were all vying for her attention before we disappeared to Hell.
“So, what is the difference between her being with all of them and what I did when we were together?” she genuinely asks.
I’m momentarily confused. Did she get hit in the head in the year and a half we’ve been gone? I swear I’ve gone over this with her before, and yet, here I am, having to explain again.
“We were exclusive when you started hitting on my brothers and trying to add them to your harem, if my memory serves me right,” I put it simply as I release her hand.
“Oh, that’s just silly, Levi. You can forgive me for not wanting to break up a family before talking to you. Besides, you were sleeping at the time, and he was right there; I didn’t want the opportunity to pass,” she says, entwining our fingers together once again.
This isn’t where I thought we were going with this conversation, and it’s getting out of hand. If this continues, I’m going to have a full-blown headache from all the back and forth I’m feeling due to this potion’s work. I need a moment to myself, pulling my hand free, and I look around the room once again.
“Do you mind if I get cleaned up? Hell was not the friendliest place,” I explain, betting she didn’t see that I was showcasing my STFU look.
“Sure. Then do you think you might be up for seeing my favorite garden and the rest of the castle? Father is gifting it to us once we complete the Gauntlet,” she says, standing up and fixing her hair. She sticks out her hand with a smile.
“Of course,” I agree, taking her hand and tucking it against my body. “Your father exceeds the definition of generosity; the offer of Thornbark Castle is attestation of that.
Why do I get the crazy people in my life? Who donates a castle just for finishing a test? Shouldn’t gaining the ability to travel to Earth be good enough? Hell, how about surviving?
As Emer walks me out of the room and into an impressive hallway, Reaper quickly wobbles behind me, dragging his leash between his legs by his mouth. Compared to other impressive high-profile residences, like Lucifer’s and my mother’s house,this one is sparsely decorated, with only three landscape pictures up on the walls, and there are five doors total in the hallway.
“The bathroom is the last door on the left. I’ll be downstairs when you’re ready.” She points to the last door and smiles at me, before giving Reaper a wide berth as he follows me.
