Page 18 of The Syphon King

“Not when you clearly prefer to make a sandwich, no. Just mustard.”

“Just mustard,” he mumbled, his body revved.

“At least I think that’s what I like. I can’t be sure.”

More accusations. She could have been doing any number of those X-rated things pinned against the walls of his mind judging by how her anger affected him. He wanted confrontation of all kinds and the many reasons he should forbid it were slipping through his fingers. “Would you like vegetables on your sandwich,” he called next.

“Vegetables? Youmean lettuce and tomatoes?”

“Yes,” he answered, fighting not to laugh. She’d just colored him seven shades ofstupid.Why did this give him joy? Because he liked her strong and fighting? He’d go with that for now.

He brought her food and set it on the table before the couch she now sat on. “Oh, you’re not feeding me?” She reached out and took the plate, bringing it onto her lap.

“Do you want me to?” he dared.

She angled her gorgeous eyes at him as he sat with his own sandwich on the sofa next to hers. She chewed her food, nodding at him then covering her mouth with a hand as she spoke with it full. “There goes the Muh-SAH-toe Zoe-dAHk.”

His chuckle erupted. “Muh-toe-sit.”

“It was close enough.”

“Did you have a bad dream, Zeen?”

“No, I had a good dream. It was the stuff before the dream that was muh-toe-sit. And his name is Zoe-dAHk.”

He set his food next to him, eyeing her.

“And I may not have memories, but I know it’s rude to wear dark shades over your eyes with people. You’re looking at me right in front of me, but I can’t see it. Like stalking me right in my face.”

It was surely the evil stains on his mind that reached up and removed thelenses and placed them on the couch. “Better?” he challenged, his freaky eyes having the same effect on her as they did on everybody.

“Much,” she said, her tone soft. She returned to her sandwich. “I know the thing I want from you.”

“To never take my gates off around you?”

“No, to neverwearthem around me.” She took a big bite and held his shocked gaze with raised brows, nodding again and shaking her finger at him. “Didn’t see that one coming, did you.”

No, he did not. “I told you I would give you anything that I could.”

She set her sandwich down and turned on the couch, beckoning to him with both hands. “Come on then. Let’s put this fear of yours to rest. You siphon me, and if I fall over shriveled and depleted, you win and wear your glasses and if I don’t, then you leave them off. No?” she asked at his shaking head. “Why not? It’s not gonna kill me. If I can be killed that easy, I wouldn’t be sitting here.”

He considered her words. They were true but why were they? “I don’t know enough about your gift to risk such a thing,” he decided, putting his lenses back on.

“How do you say coward in Arabic?”

His laugh came unbidden. “For you I will be anything I need to keep you safe, Zeen. Even a jah-bahn.”

“Then I want you to sleep with me,” she pushed with her petulance.

“I surely cannot give you this.”

“I guess you can’t kiss me either.”

“Why are you being muh-toe-sit to me Zeen?”

She set her plate down, licking her lips thoroughly, her eyes wide and prepared to blast him as soon as her mouth was free. “It’s called revenge!” she declared. “It’s what you do when—”

“I know what it means, Zeen. Why are you getting revenge on me.”

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