Page 47 of The Silver Spider
Persia prowled the castle. Serephone was gone, damn her for a sneaky witch. Mother and Maddugh were off after Amnan, leaving strict orders for Persia and Cin to stay put. As if. What did they expect her to do here all day? Serephone could take care of herself, but she was reckless. Everyone thought her twin was cool, calm, collected…what a crock. Serephone had a temper like a lightning strike and was irrational when threatened. No telling what she was up to in Seattle.
She supposed she should be keeping an eye on Cinvarra, but she wasn’t mother and Sere—Cin could take care of herself, and the girl should be left alone to have some fun, anyway. Babysitting an almost grown woman wasn’t Persia’s idea of productive occupation.
She could get a job. She didn’t need one, and since Mother had one of the townswomen tending the garden at the cottage, there wasn’t even that to do. Not that she’d do it anyway. Digging in dirt was Cin’s idea of a soothing past time.
Damn it. She needed something to do.
“I can hear your footsteps on the other side of the castle, dear sister,” a voice called out. “You sound like an elephant.”
Persia stiffened, turning around. Hrutha liked to taunt her. One of these days she was going to haul off and sock him, and see if he was all talk or if he really would be useful in a bar brawl. “Cut the shit. You’ve never even seen an elephant.”
He strolled across the room, a swagger to his hips she couldn’t decide was natural or a deliberate affectation because he liked fucking with people. She couldn’t imagine Maddugh had raised any idiots for sons, so she erred on the side of affectation. Whatever. If it amused him, she couldn’t blame him.
“And how would you know what I have, and have not, seen? I’ve seen all kinds of things when no one thought I was looking.”
He wasn’t so blatant as to ogle her while she was watching, but the curve of his lips and tangled blond hair spoke of a male, who liked to project a fresh out of bed image. And whether her mother liked it or not, she was familiar enough with how that looked.
Persia stared at him. She didn’t like him. She wasn’t even sure he was intelligent. But…he was pretty. And she was bored. And there were no parents here to bleat about them being siblings, when they really weren’t.
“I don’t really like you,” she said. “But I’m bored. Why don’t you come to my room?”
He halted, eyes fully open now, a clear, hard blue, the pupils narrowed to slits. “What?” he asked, flat.
“You heard me. What, women can’t ask for sex?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You prance around like you’re a dilettante, so I’m taking you up on all the hype. I’m bored, you’re not married—”
“So, let’s just fuck?” he demanded.
“You don’t have to talk. Just look pretty and do your thing.”
He stared at her. “How many men have taken you up on this offer?”
“Who the hell cares?”
“I care. I don’t share my toys.”
“Yes or no? I wouldn’t have thought you’d be all squeamish about an honest offer for an afternoon snack. I don’t have any diseases, if you’re worried about that. And it’s the wrong time for me to get pregnant.” And she knew that shifter males didn’t carry diseases the way human males did. She’d thought long and hard about that over the last few weeks. She’d had a romp or two in the past, but never a steady lover. But a dragon male might be safe, as long as he didn’t get possessive.
“One time?” he asked. “An afternoon fuck and then we walk away?”
She bared her teeth in a smile. “I just need a distraction while I’m waiting on my tea.”
Hrutha smiled. “I don’t think I have any appointments scheduled. Why not? Lead on, dear sister.”
“That’s really gross. Don’t call me that.”
He moaned theatrically as she passed him. “Dear sister, I’m cumming, I’m cumming…oh oh…”
She really hoped he didn’t talk the whole damn time.
