Page 46 of Queen of the Wicked
“I love them,” she admitted. “I can breathe in these, and the colors are beautiful.”
He held a chair out for her, ensuring she was comfortable before he took the place across from her. The table between them displayed eggs, toast, pancakes, bacon, pastries, and two identical flutes of orange juice. This gesture—going out of his way to put together breakfast for the two of them — felt intimate.
Doing what she did best in situations she was too flustered for, she rambled. “Pink is my favorite color. When I was little, I begged and pleaded with my parents to give me a princess room. It was like, my dream to be a princess. As a kid, Cinderella was my favorite movie, so that’s probably where I got the idea from.”
Erebos produced one of those rare laughs again.
Alessia arched a brow. “Hm?”
“Nothing,” he replied. Lifting the orange juice to his lips, he took a long sip from it, and Alessia was infatuated by the working of his throat. Even thosemusclesseemed strong and prominent, just like the rest of him. “The color suits you.”
“Breakfastanda compliment?” She looked around, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Do you not wish for us to be cordial?”
“What Iwishis for you to tell me what all of this is for.” She waved around the table and the garden splayed like a damn scenic piece of artwork behind them. “You’ve never invited me to breakfast.”
He shrugged. “I’ve had a lot of time to think the past few days, and I have concluded that our situation would be best handled if we got along. After all, if we are going to embark on a dangerous expedition beneath level one, it would help to go into it as friends rather than enemies.”
Where was all of this coming from? Sure, they shared a moment last week, but was that really the catalyst for Erebos to act differently towards her? The cold, merciless demon was nowhere to be found as he reclined in his seat, waiting for an answer, wearing an infectious smile that caused a set of dimples to appear.
She hummed, deep in thought as she weighed her options. “What doesfriendsmean, exactly? Because the last time I checked, you’ve avoided including me in any decisions regarding not onlyyourpowers, but mine, too. Given the black magic and all, we’ve established that I’m more than a mortal, so I should have a say in the planning.”
Erebos cleared his throat, clearly taken aback by her boldness. “That’s fair. You are free to join Eryx and me in the sessions going forward.”
“And how many of those are left, exactly?”
“Depending on your approval, the route should be finished by next week. The waiting will mostly be on your ability to control your powers.”
She nodded and bit into a strawberry, swiping off the spritz of juice on her lip with her tongue. Erebos was glued to the action, shifting subtly in his seat before he asked, “Well? Do you agree to the truce?”
The answer was a no-brainer. Getting to know him better was exactly what she needed to figure out more about her past and how to remove his powers from her. Spending more time with him would allow her to ask more questions. The more information she had, the better her chance of understanding what her parents had been trying to protect her from. It would allow her to gain his favor, which would likely expedite the process of finding her mother.
“Yes,” she admitted, albeit reluctantly. “I think I’d like that.”
Erebos swallowed a bite of his eggs before tilting his head at her in a predatory way that had her moral compass out of wack. She shouldn’t wish she were prey, but when it came to the Lord of Hell, she didn’t mind the idea of being hunted. “Perfect. What are your plans today, looking so ravishing?”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, if you want to be friends, you can’t tell me I’m hot.”
“I called you ravishing, not hot,” he said.
“Ravishingisthe same thing as hot in your old-timey language.”
“Old-timey?” He laughed so hard he threw his headback. The motion caused his ankle to brush against her own, and she stiffened from the contact.
“Yes! Your accent confuses me. It’s modern sometimes, but then you’ll say something like ravishingand throw me completely off guard.”
“Well, Idomaintain ownership of Hell and Earth, and, as you know, Earth is in the 21st century. I have to fit in when I have business dealings there or have a soul to collect. Sometimes the linguistics mesh together, so I could understand why it would be confusing.”
“Just how old are you, Erebos?”
He ripped off a piece of a buttery biscuit, and Alessia’s mouth dried out when he licked his thumb to gather the remaining sweetness. “Is that something you really wish to know?”
“Probably not,” she muttered.
“I didn’t think so. Am I not allowed to tell you when you look nice?”
“No.You have a lot to learn about friendship, Erebos. How many girls have you ever actually been friends with?Justfriends?”
