Page 25 of Bride of Death
That last part is muttered under his breath, causing me to ask, “Guide in what way?”
“Toward the altar,” he drawls as he drops more items into his pan, causing a sizzle to enter the air. He hums an odd tune underhis breath that sounds like a march of some kind before adding, “And I now pronounce you husband and wife. Or is it God and Goddess?” He shrugs. “I guess we’ll find out.”
I scowl. “I’m not marrying anyone.”
“Because you’re not an Omega and not Persephone.” His sarcastic tone is not appreciated, nor is the slight feminine lilt he attempted to add to the statement. “At least I believe your memory problem now.”
“My memory problem?”
He nods. “Hades thinks you’re acting.” Maliki glances back at me. “If you are, then bravo, because you certainly have me convinced, little mystery.”
I stare at his muscular back as he resumes cooking. “He thinks I’m pretending not to remember? That I’m secretly aware of my soul somehow?” Does he hear how insane that sounds?
“Yes, he thinks this is all a game or an act,” Maliki confirms. “But it’s been thirteen months since you arrived here, and you truly do seem to be clueless to me.”
“That doesn’t sound like a compliment,” I mutter.
“It’s probably not.” He flips something in the pan, making me wonder what he’s making. “That said, I don’t mean it as an insult. As I said before, I don’t mince words.”
He reaches for a cupboard to pull out two plates, then sets them on the counter.
“So to answer your earlier question,” he goes on, “no, I didn’t hurt Tank. He’s in the Midnight Fae Realm with his boyfriend. And I gave him three months of ink coins in exchange for borrowing his place. So he’s fine.”
He picks up the pan and lets something slide off it onto one of the plates, then the other.
“As to your follow-up question regarding my purpose as your guard, it’s because Hades gave me you as an assignment.”
Maliki opens a drawer to grab two forks, then turns around to bring the food to the table.
I meet his gaze, my throat struggling to swallow. Not just because of how intense he looks right now or the alluring display of skin, but because of him referring to me as anassignment.
“You’re valuable,” Maliki tells me as he sets the plate down in front of me along with one of the forks. “More than valuable, actually. You’re one of a kind. And I’m here to protect you. Although, as of last night, it’s also apparently my job to convince you to marry Hades.”
I blink at him. “He wants you to make me marry him?” I suppose Maliki did say something about me choosing thehard wayand not to blame him for our next meeting.
“No, I saidconvince,notmake,” Maliki reiterates. “One suggests persuasion; the other implies force. So we’re going to start with me explaining everything and go from there. But first, you should eat. The sounds coming from your stomach are reminding me of the Blood River rapids.”
I grimace. “Pretty sure that’s not a compliment either.”
His lips quirk up as he sits across from me. “You don’t need me to compliment you, trouble. In fact, I’d advise against it.”
I huff out a breath, then pick up the fork to poke at the yellowish patty on my plate. “Why would you advise against it?” I ask, half aware of my question as I examine the food he’s made. “And what is this?”
“You seem fond of asking two questions at once,” he muses. “As to what that is, it’s similar to an omelet. Regarding why you don’t want me to compliment you, it’s because I happen to like being among the living.”
I blink. “I don’t know what an omelet is,” I tell him, then look up at him. “And I have no idea what complimenting me has to do with you enjoying life.”
He gives me a surprised look. “You’re human and you’ve never had an omelet?”
“No.”
He huffs a breath. “I keep forgetting that you grew up in an alternate dimension where humans are stuck in the seventeen or eighteen hundreds. Granted, I’m pretty sure omelets date back to Ancient Persia, but I digress.” He gestures to my plate with his fork. “It’s basically eggs and vegetables with a pinch of cheese. Try it.”
My stomach grumbles again, making him give me a pointed look.
Sighing, I give in and try theomelet.
And instantly groan.
