“It’s worse when you stop noticing that it’s effecting you, and you just get sucked into it… I think it starts to eat away at you… like leeches or, or gnats. I sometimes wonder if I’ve died and ended up in a particularly subtle and insidious plane of Hades. ”
He stilled her hand by pinning it with his. “Any other analogies you’d like to pile on there?”
She laughed softly into his shoulder. “I think that should cover it.”
“Small mercies.”
She glanced up at him with a small smile. “Do you want me to be quiet and leave you alone?”
“No… but what’s the use of complaining about it if the thing can’t be changed.”
She shrugged. “Everyone needs to express themselves sometimes… their frustrations. It makes it easier to bare.”
“I don’t.”
“Of course you do. You fume. And it comes out in other ways as well.”
He chuckled, “I don’t.”
She scoffed.
“What?”
“I hold my still bruised backside as proof to the contrary.” He slid his hand down over her hip and cupped her ass, squeezing lightly. She felt her face warm but pushed on with only a brief pause. “One may not always use words… but it does come out, one way or another.” He still wasn’t saying anything, but his hand continued to caress her. She continued to ignore it… though not very well.
“Sometimes I clean.” She continued, “Once when I was particularly annoyed at you, I scrubbed the kitchen floor three times over.” She shifted and propped her hand and chin on his chest to look up at him. He looked somewhat askance at her.
“You were annoyed with me?”
“Hmm.”
“What for?”
“Damned if I can remember. There are so many things, they all just sort of blur together.”
There was a pause and then the slightest smile twitched the corner of his mouth. And, before she knew it, his hand was in her hair and her mouth was pressed firmly against his. She opened to the kiss with a happy sigh.
“Does this mean I’m forgiven?” She asked hopefully once he allowed her to break from the kiss.
He answered by squeezing her rear again with a faint smirk. She winced in turn, unable to suppress the reaction. He’d managed to find one of the still rather tender areas. His smirk faded and he released her hair to cup her face.
“I suppose I should be sorry for that as well?” His face was stern and unreadable, but the thumb sliding along her jaw was heartrendingly gentle.
She smiled and lifted her own hand to mimic the gesture, caressing his rough hewn profile with both her eyes and the backs of her fingers.
“No. Of course not. What’s to be sorry for?”
He smirked. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”
She laughed at that. “Well I’m glad you found one reason.” There was a long pause. She looked away and wet her lips. “What did your sister want?”
“She wondered why I disappeared so abruptly. The others sent her… though I can’t fathom why they would care or what business it is of theirs.”
“So no further news?”
She felt him shrug. “Not really. Callea can’t do anything to find him if Phineas takes to the water. Only I could manage that, but they’ve been insistent that I don’t since I’d have to do it in person.”
She frowned. “Callea?”
“Red hair, bad attitude.”
She chuckled. “You all have bad attitudes.”
“Fair enough.”
Red hair… that was the one she’d overheard in the hall. “I don’t trust her.”
“Neither do I”
“I can’t put my finger on it, but something feels wrong… our host as well. I don’t know.” She looked up into his face, frowning. He simply returned her gaze.
“Be careful?” that made him smile, albeit fleetingly.
“I am.”
She settled back into the crook of his shoulder.
“Are you sure?” He asked suddenly, making her turn her face back toward his.
“Sure? About it feeling wrong?”
His lipped twitched and the hand resting against her hip slid between them to cover her stomach. She flushed and nodded.
“Is it ok? With me being human?”
He cocked a brow at her. “Why would that matter?”
“I’ve heard from other slaves that your siblings prefer not to dilute their blood with that of a human.”
He snorted. “They’re idiots.”
She smiled at that, and her own hand slid down to cover his. Feeling it there made her heart flutter strangely. “So you’re fine with it?”
He looked at her a long minute. “Yes.”
He had a strange expression on his face. She was tempted to ask if he might be even happy… but didn’t dare push her luck.
“Are you?” He asked.
“Am I what? Fine with it?”
She couldn’t help but notice the glint in his eye. “Some humans prefer not to mix their blood with that of a monster…”
“I suppose you are that aren’t you.” She reached up and pressed a finger against the tip of one horn.
“Hm, indeed. Well?”
She leaned up and nuzzled the underside of his jaw, pressing her body into his side. “They too are idiots.”
He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and back, pulling her tighter against him. “We appear to be the only sane, intelligent people left then.”
“So it would seem” she agreed. “To Hades with the lot of them.” She added emphatically.
He drew her up toward him. She chuckled as he growled softly against her lips and as his fingers trailed teasingly down her back.
“That’s my girl”