Page 99 of The Last Slayer
“Allow me to escort you.”
He took me through an enormous outer hallway, full of hazy golden sunlight spilling through open arched windows. The breeze came in, playing with my hair and tickling my skin. I smelled soft hints of pine and rich earth in the air and inhaled deeply, gathering courage for the question I had to ask. “How often do you do laundry?”
Toshi immediately swiveled my way. “Is there a problem with your clothes?”
“No. It’s just the, uh, sheets. They felt a little…um…”
“They are new, milady. Are they not soft enough?”
I was being silly. “No, they’re great. Very luxurious. Totally exceeded my expectations. How about…you know, the bed?”
“We sun the mattresses every day, but…is there something wrong with the bed? Would you like another one?”
“Yes.” I shook my head. “No.”
Toshi had stopped and was now hovering in midair, tongue flickering hesitantly.
“No,” I said decisively.
“Are you certain, milady? It won’t trouble me at all.”
“I’m pretty certain.” It burned me to say it, but if Toshi sent a new bed to my room, Alexandros might hear about it, and I didn’t want to let him know. “Forget it. Come on, let’s get some food.”
At the end of the hall were closed double doors. As we drew close I heard a low, melodious and patronizing voice.
“…seriously, Ramiel, I don’t know why you’re bothering with her.”
Alexandros. Toshi flew closer to the entrance, and I grabbed him before he could announce my presence, putting a hand over his snout. “Shhh…”
Toshi stared at me, his eyes wide. I gave him a warning look, then held my breath and listened.
“The girl does resemble Leh, I give you that, and I’m sure she’s decent in bed. But she’s a poor substitute.” A chair creaked. “Leh wanted Nathanael.”
I swallowed hard. Ramiel had never answered my question at the Lunar Garden. So he’d indeed loved Leh…and might love her still. I’d known there was something between them, of course. But to have Alexandros confirm it made it so much worse. It was like what I’d felt back then, when I hadn’t been pretty, and all the boys wanted to use me. It shouldn’t have hurt—I figured out pretty quickly that boys like that weren’t worth getting involved with—but it did. Maybe I was the only one who believed Ramiel liked me for me, regardless of my looks. Certainly nobody else seemed to think that.
Despite my resolve, it was hard not to doubt. Maybe Ramiel had woven a spell over me so that I’d find him irresistible, so he could live out whatever fantasy he’d had about my mother through me.
Ramiel’s voice: “My vow has noth—”
“Ah yes, the vow. What is the purpose? To redeem yourself for killing Kyran? Just like your self-imposed restraint is supposed to redeem you for fucking a girl to death?”
For real? How did anyone have sex until the other partner died? Alexandros must have been speaking figuratively.
“Alexandros.” It was a warning.
“There are worse ways to go.” A short pause. “Where is that damn girl? I’m hungry.”
“Her name is Ashera, and Toshi is fetching her now.”
“She’s probably overextending what little brain she has, trying to pick out a dress.”
“Wondering if she has to dine with you, more likely. I don’t believe she favors you.”
Alexandros went on like he hadn’t heard a word out of Ramiel’s mouth. “You’d think they’re trying to slay all of hordes of netherworld, the way they struggle to make wardrobe decisions. Women look so much better nude. Well, some.”
Ramiel sighed. “For someone who’s fashioned himself as royalty, you would make a wyrm groom sound refined.”
No kidding. Alexandros was the most sexist and least politically correct demon I’d ever had the misfortune of meeting. And that was saying something.
