Page 147 of The Spider Queen
Thane chuckled. I was ashamed to admit I was growing addicted to the sound.
“We’re not in the underworld, Poppy.”
“Where are we?”
“Eat your salad, and I’ll tell you a story.”
Chapter 4
I had an appetite. Apparently my stomach didn’t give a crap that the fate of the world rested on my very narrow shoulders. I picked up my fork and took a bite of the salad. I ate for a few moments and then lifted my eyes to Thane when I realized he wasn’t eating. In fact, there was no plate in front of him. Only a silver chalice.
“You don’t eat?” I asked.
“I’ve already had my meal.”
“Do I want to know?”
“No.”
“Okay then.” I went back to my food. “I’m waiting for the story.”
“I’m trying to find a way to piece it together. It’s…complex. And long. Very long.”
“May I have something to drink?” I asked.
A silver goblet appeared in another cloud of dark smoke. “Neat trick,” I muttered, reaching for it.
“You’ll be able to do it, too. One day.”
My eyes narrowed. “How?”
“Being my…fated mate”—he shot me a sensual grin—“has some perks.”
“What’s a fated mate?” I bypassed the smile but couldn’t ignore the want that rippled through me.
“Fated mate… Humans call it soul mates.”
I reached for the chalice and lifted it to my lips. I drank deeply, trying to cover my discomfort. I didn’t know if I believed in soul mates. And even if I did, Thane would not have been my first choice. I bit my tongue to keep from voicing that thought aloud. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know how I felt about him. Or about Hunter.
“It’s good,” I said, referring to the liquid in the goblet. Everything Thane had given me had been delicious—and the drink was no different. It didn’t taste like wine. It wasn’t fermented.
“Fruit juice,” he said in explanation. “A pomegranate. Of sorts.”
“Amazing,” I admitted. I took a moment to examine the chalice. It was also adorned with arachnid carvings. “I’m sensing a theme.”
He laughed. “God, Poppy. It’s been so long since I’ve felt…” He shook his head as he searched for the words. “When you’ve been imprisoned for as long as I have, you start to lose your sense of self. I’m not human. I was never human. Nor am I a deity, but Iamimmortal. I can still die. Not without a lot of effort, of course.”
“Why were you imprisoned then? Instead of outright killed?”
“I’ll get to that part of the story. Like I said, it’s long and involved. These past many years, I was…diminished. By magic.”
“Do you suffer bouts of insanity?” I asked quietly. When he spoke, sometimes it didn’t feel like he was speaking to me, but to himself.
“Yes.” He sighed. “I suppose I should start at the beginning.”
“All good stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end.” I drank another gulp of juice. It didn’t quench my thirst at all. Instead, it made me want more.
“Do you believe in Heaven and Hell?” he asked.
