Page 49 of A Bond in Flames

“Stomping? I do not stomp.”

His lips twitched again. “Of course not.”

“Or bicker.”

“Never.”

“Smart-ass.”

“Possibly.”

I laughed then, and it felt really good. “Just so you know, you’re my favorite.”

“Second favorite, surely,” he said.

“Maybe.”

The slight lip curl became a full, fang-flashing grin. The demon had not missed that something had changed between Death and me.

“Shut up,” I said, then couldn’t hold back my own grin, because I wasn’t… unhappy. For the first time in all the months I’d been coming here, I wasn’t desperately missing home. Yes, I was confused and scared of the things I was starting to feel, plus a whole lot of other things, but I wasn’t unhappy. I thought I might actually be the opposite, which just made me all the more terrified.

We walked into my room, and Egon put my bag on the trunk at the end of the bed.

“Lyle made you a mug of your favorite tea. It’s waiting for you by the tub. Would you like a light repast brought up?”

“No. Thanks, though, Egon. I’ll wait for dinner. And I deeply appreciate the tea.”

He smiled and dipped his head, then walked out, closing the door behind him. I sat on the edge of my bed, pulled off my boots with a sigh, and wiggled my toes while Hemy had the zoomies on the mattress around me. I undid my leather jacket and let it slide off my shoulders. Next, I shucked off the pants and let out another sigh of relief. Striding to the dresser, I pulled out some clean clothes, and my gaze caught on the knickknacks sitting on top.

I picked up a silver thimble; it was worn inside, with tiny dents from needles pressing against the tip. Someone had used it regularly. Without realizing I was doing it, my hand went to the center of my chest, rubbing at the ache that came out of nowhere. That seemed to be happening a lot. Some of the pieces on the dresser and around the room had to be ancient, and some were probably just a century or two old. There were things all over this room, little oddities, keepsakes—a random book still open face down on the table by the chair next to the window, a delicate bedside clock inlaid with jewels, small dried-up pots of paints, and several paintings of the view from the window or the garden that were executed with passion and pleasure, but even I could see they were by someone who only painted as a hobby.

Only now, right in this moment, did I realize what they were.

They were small pieces of the females who had come before me. Each of Death’s consorts had left something of themselves in this bedroom.

One day soon, would all that remained of me in this castle be some trinket left behind?

More than likely.

No, I wasn’t going to just give up. I wasn’t going to let someone end my life, or whatever had happened to the females before me, without a fight, but I had accepted that death could be the eventual outcome of this journey fate had sent me on, whether I liked it or not.

* * *

“How are you enjoying Limbo?” Somnus asked as he tore another strip of meat from the bone he was holding.

Somnus had been quiet, distracted, and his leg jiggled almost nonstop. He hadn’t said much since I sat, instead choosing to devour everything on the table like a man who hadn’t taken a bite in thirteen years.

“Does anyone really enjoy Limbo?” I said, grinning as I cut off a small piece of carrot and handed it to Hemy, who was perched on my shoulder.

Somnus glanced at Death, not looking amused by my little joke in the slightest. “A person can enjoy any location as long as they are in close proximity to those they love.”

He was also protective of his brother.

“Yes, that’s true. It’s hard being away from my family a month at a time. I have a younger sister—”

“Who is newly mated, yes? She does not need you to be there for her like she used to,” Somnus said. “I understand the hardship of being absent from the lives of my family, of being parted from them, but sometimes, we need to do what’s best for ourselves as well as others.”

I stared at him, surprised that when he did finally choose to speak, it was to essentially scold me for not being excited enough about being here with his brother. “That’s true. When did you last do something for yourself, Somnus? As I understand it, you’ve spent centuries— longer?—trapped in the Dream Realm to protect your sister. No, I still don’t fully understand all the ins and outs of your situation…” I glanced at Death. “Because no one will tell me, but you’re not really practicing what you preach.” Was that a dickish thing to say? Probably, but I wasn’t a fan of being judged by someone who knew nothing about me.

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