Page 30 of Grim Tidings

He pinches the bridge of his nose. He’s exhausted by me. I pick up my drink and take another sip. The shadows behind him fade.

“You said temples,” I point out. “I’m simply naming civilizations with temples.”

“Yeah, well, you’re naming the wrong ones.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “I was there when they—”

“Why are you talking like that? Why can’t you just say when you died like a normal person?”

Gabriel looks offended now. “Because I’m not a person, Darcy.

That’s exactly my point.”

“We were people once.”

“I know that. I’m trying to explain—”

“Tell the truth. You watched Gladiator once and now you think you need to talk like that.”

His mouth opens, then closes. “That movie is incredibly inaccurate, by the way. There was never any—”

I snicker. “I knew it.”

“Fucking—” He shakes his head, exasperated. “I died in 445 BC. Athens.”

He doesn’t elaborate.

I blink. “Wow.”

“Yep.”

“That’s a long time.”

The look he shoots across the table is scathing.

“You don’t talk like—” I pause. “You seem very … adjusted. For someone who lived so long ago.”

He shrugs. “It’s easy enough to adopt mortal customs when you embed yourself in their world. And things don’t ever change quickly, do they? The great temples were built brick by brick. So were the skyscrapers. It’s hard to notice everything changing around you when you’re changing with it.” He rubs his knuckles along his jaw. “Plus, I like late-night television.”

I guess that’s fair. I like my mortal comforts, too.

“Gabriel doesn’t sound like a Greek name,” I muse.

“I was named for my father. Gabriēl Alexandros Aetos.”

“Cool. My middle name is Marie.”

Not even a flicker of interest. Gabriel’s face remains completely impassive. Some of his dark curls fall over his forehead, and he pushes them back, the sleeve of his jacket inching up, exposing more nonsense tattoos.

So much handsome, wasted on such a distrusting individual.

I sigh forlornly.

He arches an eyebrow. “Any other questions?”

“Not at this time, no.”

“Good. My point remains.” He tosses his empty cup toward the trash can. “You are too young to understand what you’re up against. There are people you answer to and they won’t be okay with a Reaper going rogue. There will be consequences.”

“You seem very concerned about logistics for someone who doesn’t think I’m capable of any good.”