//song: Flesh and Bone - Black Math
Thank you to those who have participated in the poll I posted earlier this week! It was sooo close but it looks like Book 2, Saving the King of the Underworld, is everyone's favorite. Me, personally, it was book 1 ❤ !
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I was shocked by what Leah gave me to wear and in the end, I set it aside, placing it in the back of the closet.
It was too provocative for my taste but I understood what she meant by it. I remembered her suggestion and advice.
Flirt. Something I never did and didn't know how to do. I dreaded going to the Underworld even more now.
After showering and changing, I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror. I looked as tired as I felt with shadows under my eyes and paler than usual skin. I ran my fingers through my hair at an attempt to tame the frizz and as I did, I dropped my glamour making it black again. I sighed, it still hadn't turned silver on its own again.
I applied a small amount of blush on my cheeks and, in a ridiculous effort to look less tired, eyeliner. I didn't want him to know what his bargain was doing to me. I didn't want him to know that I spent my nights fighting with myself to stay closer to Julian despite my body's protests.
I wanted to show him that I was more powerful than him. Not just magically but my will as well.
When it came time, I looked over my outfit one more time. A simple black dress, casual for a night out.
I spectered into the small living room with the deep colors of red and brown throughout. Kingstown was glowing with the warm nighttime lights. I wondered how a poet would describe the city as it slept under the blinking stars.
I reached for the curtain to pull it back to see more of the cobblestone streets when I heard him speak.
"Welcome." His voice was deep.
I turned fully to him and saw him bow at the hip. "My queen." When he looked up at me again, I noticed the hint of a smile on his lips.
He was amused.
Condescending, egotistical twerp.
"Well, then," I said coolly, trying to sound detached. "Let's get started."
Despite being a prince, Asmo's personal home was small. It reminded me of my own apartment when I had it. Quaint, personal with dark colors that looked very old world.
It was small and intimate and made me aware of every gesture I made and how close everything, including Asmo, was to me.
Which was why when a full glass of wine appeared next to me and a bourbon one next to him, it made it impossible to ignore.
I didn't move towards the wine glass I knew he spectered just for me, resisting the urge to make a smart ass remark. I heard him bite back a laugh. When I looked at him again, he was hiding a smile behind the short glass he put to his lips. "This will go a lot better for you if you cooperate."
Everything that Leah told me screeched to the front of my mind. I knew what she wanted me to do and why it was smart to play the game he started. A dark queen. He wanted a dark queen.
I bit back my anger and initial response of hurtling any insult at him. Instead, I spectered his drink from his hand to my own and walked languidly towards the couch.
Once seated on the cool leather, I watched him as I took a sip from his drink. "I'm waiting."
The liquid was warm and burned my throat. But just for Asmo's amused expression, I bit back the urge to cough.
He lifted an eyebrow in an amusing way as he looked me over. "This is different."
I looked away. Hate and love were a breath away from each other, he'd said. I couldn't very well flirt so easily after the events of the other night. I told him I hated him.
And insisting that I hated him was very easy to do.
"We're enemies now," I said plainly. "Even if you are my spy, you trapped me in a bargain again. You don't expect me to be exactly friendly, do you?"
"I suppose you're right." He eyed the drink in my hand incredulously. "The Court said you almost coughed out a lung the last time you had that."
I only looked at him with what I hoped was a cynical expression.
He smiled slightly. "The party before Damien's would-be wedding."
I wanted to roll my eyes. I only shrugged, taking another sip. It was starting to become tolerable. "I don't care what Court said or didn't say about me. Besides, people change." I set it down on the table in front of me and crossed my arms. "Do you have news for me, spy?"
He chuckled, his long hair falling over his forehead. "Nothing worth repeating."
I stood my ground. "Repeat it anyway and I will be the judge of that."
He chuckled again, pulling himself away from the wall he leaned against. "Why don't you relax, Emylin? I promise if there is anything worth saying to you and your little court," - I caught the hidden sneer- "I will tell you. It's part of our bargain, after all. Pertinent information will be repeated."
I bit the inside of my cheek to fight the urge to slap the smile from his face. "I will relax when I hear everything that has to do with my queendom." I grabbed the drink again and took a longer sip this time. It was getting easier to swallow. "I want to know everything, Asmodeus."
His lips quirked upward slightly and for a moment, I thought I saw something glimmer in his eye.
But something didn't seem right.
He was usually poised and collected--but now, he was slightly disheveled. He sighed deeply where he stood and I briefly wondered if being our spy was costing him any sleepless nights.
Not that I cared. If I had sleepless nights because of his bargain with me, he could have his own. The more I studied him, the more I realized I could use it to my advantage.
"You look tired," I said quietly, looking away as if shy. I tried to sound concerned. "Is everything going to plan?"
When he didn't answer immediately, I looked at him again.
He looked at me with a small smile. "You look radiant, Alteaza."
I rolled my eyes. "Dont change the subject."
"She's...tedious." He paused as if he had been looking for the appropriate word. I imagined the she he said was Mal. "But I have her handled."
I frowned. "Should I be worried?"
He pushed himself away from the wall he leaned against. He did it slowly--more than casually. Almost like he was pushing through exhaustion. "No." He stepped towards a door. "Have you had dinner?"
"Yes," I lied, fearful of what he would say next. "Of course, right before coming here."
I could have sworn I saw another smile. "I haven't. I'm hungry. Join me." He opened the door and noticed that it led down a set of stairs. "You can pick the restaurant."
I snorted a laugh. "You must be crazy. I am not having dinner with you."
He gave an amused smile. "Do you want my help or not?"
I crossed my arms. "We can talk here. If we go out, we will be recognized."
"There are only lower fae's now. They don't know either of us. They'll know we're powerful and think we're high fae and dismiss us just as quickly." He crossed his arms. "I will tell you what you want to know, as trivial as it may be."
"Trivial for you."
"Trivial, period."
I clenched my teeth.
"In order to train you properly," he insisted, "we need to be around people. This is the perfect time."
My teeth clenching became worse. "I hate you."
He chuckled and watched me the entire time I finished the drink in one gulp and walked towards him to the exit.
I stopped before descending the stairs. I looked at him venomously. "You will not touch me."
His dark eyes gleamed. "Only if you ask."