“That answer is above your pay grade,” Halo snapped. Subject closed, then.
Good! “My sexual arrangements are above yours.”
He stood there for a long while, slowly powering down to his emotionless default setting. “Your...necklace has been completed.” A half circle of thin, dark stone appeared in each of his hands. He marched over. “Each piece is marked with mystical runes. No matter how many times the day repeats, I’ll be able to flash them to you first thing in the morning.”
A ribbon of his heat caressed her, and she shivered. The abilities this male wielded...intoxicating. No. Annoying. “I hope you’re not expecting a thank you,” she said, lifting her mass of hair out of the way.
“From you, I’m expecting nothing but trouble.”
He fit the pieces above the neckline of her sweater. A round disk hung from the edge of one of the halves, dipping underneath the top, adhering to the spot where Erebus had stabbed her as if it had been glued there.
“There will be at least seven days between each labor.” Halo tugged the sweater aside and traced a fingertip around the disk, his knuckle brushing her skin. “I fully expect Erebus to cause trouble in the meantime. This will help.”
His hot skin was a tantalizing contrast to the cool stone. She closed her eyes, fighting the aftereffects. A mistake! His smoked cherries and sandalwood scent registered. Mmm.
Okay, so, Ophelia tweaked the third step. Stop breathing.
She pried open her lids and stepped away from her companion, patting her new accessory, learning it through the cashmere. More of a choker than a necklace, without being too constrictive. Lightweight. Not bad. Of course, she would’ve driven a hundred-pound spike through her heart to block Erebus.
Halo watched her, seemingly fascinated by what bling he could see. As his eyes grew dazed, the striations in his irises began spinning again, mesmerizing her. Maybe one more kiss wouldn’t—Nope. Not doing that.
“Don’t we have somewhere to be?” she asked. “I’m pretty sure my two minutes expired two lustful stares ago.”
The striations halted. Another blank mask fell into place, colder than the last. Icy even. What had the harpy in the gym said? Oh, yeah. Arctic blast. Check. This man desired no one. Ophelia mourned the transformation, feeling as if she’d lost out on something special.
More nymph foolishness, that’s all.
He clasped her wrist and flashed her to the palace foyer. Hundreds of harpies congregated in the area, gossiping in whispers as they stared at the hearth between the left and right staircases, where Nissa’s portrait hung. Degrees of confusion shone on their faces. She followed their gazes...
A hand fluttered to her mouth of its own accord as she stumbled back. Nissa’s portrait was gone, replaced by a severed head. The lioness. Both of her—my—eyes were gouged out, thanks to Halo. Blood stained her muzzle. Pieces of Halo clung to her many, many metal teeth.
I looked like this? No wonder Halo had ended her as hard-core as possible.
Struggling to maintain a steady attitude, Ophelia said, “You, uh, killed your first beast, huh?”
“I did.” He offered no more. He barely even moved. But he couldn’t mask a slight twitch from his fingers.
Curiosity got the better of her. “Was the battle a challenge for you?” Careful. “I’ve heard the Astra are impossible to kill.”
“Not a challenge, and not impossible.” He pointed to the beast’s throat, where fur appeared flattened. “During the battle, the creature wore a collar made of firstone. A poison to Astra.”
Not a challenge. Wow. Okay. A bit harsh, in terms of feedback, but good to know. She pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth. Say nothing. Offer no response.
“Maybe the next monster will do major damage to you,” she blurted out.
“Maybe. But probably not.”
That one stung. A silly reaction. She wouldn’t be seeking his elimination when they battled. Not purposely. In that regard, the joke was on Erebus. Gonna get another infusion of strength, overcome the bloodlust and accept my slaughter.
If not next time, the one after. If she gained enough power, she could take down the god himself.
Ohhh. Now there was a heartwarming idea; a little beauty of a thought that grew legs and ran for miles. Killing Erebus was the absolute best possible ending for this blessing task. Halo would win, while Ophelia did what no one else had been able—destroy the Deathless. My first kill. A god no less. What a bucket list accomplishment!
“So who displayed the head?” she asked. “Do you know?”
“Chaos, I’m sure. At the end of a task, I always present a piece of my opponent to him. This task is different, however, and being done in stages. This must be a way to track my progress.”
“Makes sense, I guess.” In a sick way.
His fingers flexed against hers again—why hadn’t she tried to free herself yet? “I’m sorry I allowed Erebus to throw you to the beast before the battle,” he said.