She could think of no better revenge for her sister. Roc would hate doing it and Nissa, wherever she was, would relish his lifelong humiliation. A blood debt would be satisfied without bloodshed. Taliyah could find no fault with Ophelia, and their talk need never transpire.
“Before you explain how you can’t speak for your Commander,” she said, assured of her power, “don’t. You can communicate with him telepathically from any distance. Second, don’t attempt to tell me payment should come from you and only you. We both know better. By sharing what I know, I’m helping you and every Astra. Therefore, payment should come from—say it with me—every Astra. Each of you will owe me a debt of my choosing, at a time of my choosing.”
A good harpy General used every situation to her advantage. Collecting boons along her rise to the top? Advantage.
“No,” she said when he opened his mouth to respond. “Don’t try to tell me the warlords will forget their vows tomorrow. You’ll remind them of their acceptance post-time-loop, and they will believe you, because they trust you.”
Flames crackled in his irises as he executed the requisite head tilt, initiating a conversation with the other Astra. Minutes passed before he stated, “The Astra agree to your terms, as long as my terms apply. You can demand nothing that puts a blessing task at risk—and we are the ones to decide what does and does not constitute a risk. In return, you will answer my questions today and every day after, without fail. You will also agree to shackle yourself to my side.”
“Wrong.” She shook her head and smiled again. “I’ll leave your side whenever I wish. And there might be some fails.” At the moment, there were only two tidbits of information she planned to keep from him. Her adventures as Monsters Galore and the promise of more power. Those, he had to earn with a vow to work with her, not against her—a vow she expected only after she had proven her strength to him. Which she would do.
His eyelids went heavy, his features smoothing out. A startling reaction. She’d expected resistance. “Fails are not part of our bargain. If you refuse to answer a question, I deserve compensation.”
“And what is it you want from me, Immortal, hmm?”
A cunning edge overtook his expression, and dang him, it was one of the sexiest things she’d ever seen. “Refuse my question,” he said, “and receive my kiss.”
Ohhhh. The plaything was upping the stakes, putting the power in her hands while still maintaining absolute control of the situation. She got to decide when to refuse a question, and he got to try and tempt her into bed. “How long will these quote, unquote kisses last?”
“An hour? All night?” He leaned down, gripping an arm of the settee. “It’s negotiable.”
How was he so charming right now? Goose bumps broke out, and she almost agreed to the all-nighters. But. Better to have an out in case something went wrong. “You’ll get two minutes. If I invite you to continue, go for it. If not, contact ends immediately.”
“Agreed,” he replied without hesitation. “But I may begin at a time and location of my choosing. And I decide where to kiss.”
Diabolical Astra. “Agreed. You must alert me beforehand, so I know to start the countdown.” There would be no loopholes for Halo.
And yet, he was the one to smile this time. “Agreed.”
She gulped. Had she walked straight into a trap?
They peered at each other, and she started squirming. Was he imagining kissing her even now?
Her breath caught. With an imperial wave of her hand, she asked, “What does his lord and majesty of the skies wish to know?”
He breathed in and out before returning to his default expression. “Your deaths. What happened? How did you die?”
War business first. Right. As a future General candidate, she heartily approved. The nymph wasn’t quite so impressed, however. “Erebus has both flashed to me and flashed me to him.”
“Without contact?”
“Yes. At some point after each flashing, I died. The end.”
“Has he—” for the briefest moment, his gaze dropped to the top of her sternum “—used a blade on you? A particular blade with memorable characteristics, perhaps. Or did he feed you to the beasts?”
Not as stoic about the subject as he appears. “He has used a blade on me, yes.” What, if anything, did Halo know about it?
Hesitant now, he asked, “Did he call the dagger the Bloodmor?”
“He did not.” But was it? Something inside her leaped with recognition.
“Does he use your blood to summon, draw or create the beasts?”
Careful. “I don’t know the mechanics of it all.” Moving on. “Before he whips out the blade, he likes to ask me to work for him, then offer a beef-up for my résumé.”
Halo’s eyes searched hers. “There’s more. He’s pitched you something else.” A statement, not a question.