Page 34 of Touch of Death
“Shame. I had hoped you might join us.”
“I will be sure to stop by as often as I can,” she says, giving Death a knowing look. “Besides, someone has to make sure you actually have the time to prepare.”
“How are going planning to go about that?” Eros asks suddenly, turning toward her.
“I will think of something.”
“I could give you a young succubus,” he offers. “I know a particularly good one who would certainly keep your husband—”
“No,” Persephone interrupts, her cheerful demeanor instantly darkening. “I said will handle my husband.”
“Suit yourself,” he says with a shrug.
Turning down another hall, I find it lined with elegant doors, though they are spread far and few between. My nervousness only seems to grow as I watch Eros’ excitement increase with each step and every door he passes.
I tighten my grip on Death, and he pulls me gently closer just as I realize there’s only one set of doors left. Eros leads us toward the ornate double doors at the far end of the hall.
“Here we are,” Eros says, flashing a bright grin at us all before throwing open the doors.
My eyes widen as I take in the room beyond. The far wall is made entirely of an unusual opalescent glass that looks out over the gardens and city beyond the palace walls. Light filters through it in pastel rainbows that shimmer over gold furniture upholstered in creamy velvets. At the center of the room is a four-poster bed, covered in a plush duvet and golden pillows of various shapes and sizes, complete with a fluttering canopy of soft white.
It's exactly how I would have imagined a bedroom in a god’s palace, yet it still, somehow, exceeds my wildest expectations.
“This is where the mortal will stay,” Eros says, surprising me.
“No,” Death answers without hesitation.
Eros snorts as he turns to stare down Death, and again, I wonder just how much the world he can actually see. Surely, if nothing else, he can sense the sudden surge of fury that is now rolling off Death.
I glance between them and then around the room, wondering what it is exactly that’s upset him. Perhaps there is more at play here than I can see.
“She is not staying inyourbedchamber, Eros,” Death growls.
I balk at this realization, understanding Death’s displeasure in an instant.
“Why not?” Eros asks.
“Eros—”
“As my guest, does she not deserve the best? Certainly,youof all beings cannot expect me to offer her anything less. Give me one good reason why she should not stay in this room, aside from the fact that it is mine.”
Eros raises an eyebrow in challenge; the smile playing at the corners of his lips, a taunting one. He’s obviously trying to get a reaction from Death, but he remains as cold as ever. Straightening, he stares down at Eros as the light seems to ebb and flow around us, neither wavering in their resolve.
The moment seems to stretch on forever as I finally glance over at Persephone for help, but she simply gives me a small smile and shake of her head.
“Youarethe reason. I know better than to think that you would give up your bed," Death says. "I have sworn to protect her, and that includes from the likes of you.”
“You cannot possibly think that I would harm a hair on her head,” Eros says with a laugh so low and dangerous that it sends a shiver down my spine. “Do you trust me so little, even after all these years?”
“No. I do not trust you at all,” Death replies evenly. "I know your nature, Eros. I know that you will stop at nothing to get what you want, and I will not leave you to have your way with her.”
Death’s words have an immediate effect on Eros, his grace and careful tone slipping away to reveal a creature far more terrifying. Though still stunningly beautiful, the man standing before us now is no longer dripping in arrogance but fury.
Huge white wings suddenly burst out from Eros’ back, and in a breath, the two men have closed the space between them. Death’s shadows swirl up around them, the tension in the room soaring to new heights as they stare each other down.
"Is that so?” Eros says, his voice soft and deadly. “And what if I told you that she wants me just as much as I want her?"
I inhale sharply at this, but Death simply narrows his eyes. "I do not believe you."
