Page 30 of Hell On Earth
“Where did you learn to make this?” I asked between bites.
“The television. It is a great source of information. It said I should use your phone to access great recipes. I wasn’t sure how, but Eliana helped me.”
I paused eating. “Eliana? Did she stop by?”
“No, I called her.”
I kept my expression carefully blank. “Could I see my phone?”
Zotera pulled it out of the pocket of the jeans she was wearing and handed it over. I checked the call log. She hadn’t called Eliana once but seven times throughout the night.
I set it aside, face down, smiled at Zotera, and continued wolfing down her creation. Thankfully, I knew how we could make the late-night interruptions up to Eliana.
“How long did this take you to make?” I asked.
“A few hours. But now that I know what it’s supposed to taste like, I can make it again in moments. Would you like another?”
“I was actually wondering if we should invite Eliana and Fenris over for breakfast as a thank you for helping you.”
Zotera frowned a little, and I wondered if she’d caught on to why I’d made the suggestion.
“Father doesn’t like it when you’re near other men,” she said, explaining her frown.
“Oh.” I looked down at my plate, disappointed but knowing she was probably right that I shouldn’t tempt fate by being around another man while Hades was watching.
“Did I make you sad?”
Giving her a smile I didn’t feel, I shook my head. “No, you’re right. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt just because I want to show off what you’ve been doing.”
She tilted her head and studied me.
“I believe I’m wrong. Father didn’t get angry when we gathered to play games and tell stories. He only grows angry when you show another favor.”
“Oh, I know,” I said with a self-deprecating laugh. “I tried waving at someone in the bathing rooms, and he almost lost it. Just a friendly wave like this.” I waved at Zotera. “You saw Eliana do the same thing when she left last night, right? People do it all the time here. Well, not me because it’s dangerous to look at anyone. Honestly, it felt awkward and scary to do it in Hell too, but I knew your father wanted me to like everyone, so I was trying.
“It didn’t seem like a big deal to casually greet someone I recognized at the time. But looking back, I guess it makes sense that it was a big deal to someone starved for any form of recognition, even if it did mean nothing to me.”
“Why would you wish to show Fenris this house if he means nothing to you?” Zotera asked.
I tried to think of a way to answer that she would understand and not take it the wrong way.
“If your father thought you meant something to me, would he get angry?” I asked.
She quickly shook her head. “He knows you care for me. That’s why he wanted me to be with you.”
“How I care for you is how I care for Megan, Eliana, Oanen, and Fenris. I don’t see any of them in any romantic sense. They’re my friends. The only friends I have, really. And they want to protect me just like you do. The only way I can show them my appreciation for taking care of me is by talking to them when they need someone to talk to and inviting them to my home to offer them a meal.”
Zotera nodded slowly.
“I understand.”
“Now, having said that, I understand I’m not completely safe around them. None of them would intentionally hurt me. But, for example, if Megan loses her temper when I’m standing close to her, I could get burned. If Eliana gets hungry when I’m standing close, I could fall under her thrall.” I thought about the other two for a moment. “Honestly, I think Fenris and Oanen aren’t dangerous to me at all. They both only have eyes for their mates.”
I had a sudden thought.
“It’s like the spell Persephone did on herself not to see the male form. When a wolf or a griffin finds its mate, they don’t see anyone else.”
Zotera smiled widely. “Then we have nothing to worry about. Fenris won’t look at you, and you won’t wave at Fenris. I’ll invite them.”
