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He grunted, eyes gleaming with amusement.
“Do you care to explain why you’re in my chair?” he raised a finger. “Eating my food,” he raised another. “Drinking my drinks and reading my scrolls?”
I flushed, my cheeks burning. I looked down at the couch again. While it was big enough for me to sleep in, it was just wide enough for the Condemned to sit in snugly by himself. The scrolls had been in a disheveled heap on the table, and if I’d looked closer the first time, I would’ve seen some sweets were in fewer quantities than others.
This little nook belonged to another.
I looked up at him, unfazed.
“I suppose you’re going to have to learn to share.”
He raised a brow, taken aback by my response.
Then, the Domenent tilted his head back and roared with laughter. The energy in his voice shook the couch, bouncing me up and down. His bass rumbled through my chest. I felt warm inside for a reason besides the creamy drink I was still sipping.
The Domenent leaned his frame on an elbow perched atop his knee and looked at me.
I couldn’t help but look at him, too.
I wanted to brush my fingers through his hair. Dig my nails into his shoulders. Sink my teeth into his—
“Temptress.”
My nostrils flared. This time, he said it without malice. Eyes glowing, he scooted imperceptibly closer.
“If you want me to leave, I can.”
I started rolling up the scroll I was reading. He reached out and laid a hand on mine. His palm was the size of both my hands, and warmer than the suns on a new horizon. His hand lingered, his thumb gently grazing my knuckles. The touch sent a thrill racing up my spine.
“Stay.”
Unable to talk, I nodded. Tucking my knees close, I made more room for him to wedge in comfortably on the couch. I unrolled the scroll and returned to reading and sipping. Without hesitation, he joined me, picking up his own scroll while biting into a gooey treat. I wasn’t sure how much time passed with us like that.
Reading. Snacking. Enjoying one another’s company. I was soaking in the details of Transcendents emigrating to a world called Lythere when the Domenent cleared his throat.
“Why are you here, exactly?”
I knew what he meant. I looked up from the scroll and exhaled.
“I was given a good bargain.”
“Bullrot.”
I bristled, turning towards him, mouth open in protest.
“You’re smarter than that, Temptress.” An expression I couldn’t name flickered in his eyes. My chest squeezed with guilt at the rawness I found there. “Tell me. Why are you really here?”
A serpentine grin curled the corners of my lips.
“I thought you knew.” A tilt of my head. “To betray you.”
The Condemned snorted.
“That’s obvious fae, and not the answer I’m looking for.” He leaned close. A whiff of misty freshness mixed with lavender and a hint of wood overwhelmed me. I grappled to breathe evenly past his possessing essence. “Betray me? You wouldn’t be the first.” He curled a finger under my chin, tugging me closer, until we were mere breaths apart. “What I want to know is why? What will you get for handing me over to the Sky Watchers?”
My heart raced. Breaths ragged, I forced myself to meet his smoldering stare. Several moments passed before I gained control of my tongue.
“Tell me your name and I’ll tell you my story.”
