Page 31 of Currency in Flesh

A shock of heat sparked between my thighs, thinking of the last time we were together. My fingertips traced the outline of the rose on my chest. I had to believe I meant something to her, and she would want to settle my nerves. In life, I would have taken one of my anxiety medications to diffuse thoughts like this. Down here, I didn’t have the luxury. When I really considered it though, I really hadn’t felt much anxiety in the Underworld. Part of me hoped it was due to Lady Cora’s presence.

I changed into a slinky nightdress that barely skimmed my thighs. Sure, Lady Cora might want to answer my questions out of fondness or some sort of respect, but it would be foolish not to also take into account how she felt about my body.

The bronze-framed mirror in my room reflected back the wide, soft skin of my thighs, the small swell of my stomach visible beneath the satin. My hair fell over my shoulders in shiny, chestnut waves—one spiral curl framing my face. I looked healthier than I had on Earth. My eyes were bright and there was a healthy flush to my cheeks. My lips always seemedto be just the right shade of neutral coral. My eyelashes were dark and thick, tickling my cheeks every time I closed my eyes.

I didn’t know if it was this place, or her attention, but I was starting to see myself more like how she saw me.

When I left my room, the light in the hall seemed to glow a little brighter—each step I took toward her rooms illuminated as though the building itself guided my way. The floor was smooth and warm beneath my bare feet, the darkness of the hallway trailing behind me like a mourning veil. The door to Lady Cora’s chambers seemed to appear out of nowhere, swinging open beside me with a barely audible whisper of sound.

“It is rather early for a nightgown,” Lady Cora’s voice drifted from somewhere inside.

“It’s comfortable, and I thought you might like it.” I stepped inside, shrugging. “I’m sure I could track down a winter parka if you’d prefer.”

Her hand closed around my throat with dizzying speed. “Impertinent, too? My, you are feeling feisty.” I felt her words rustle my hair and caught the hint of green her eyes cast over my shoulder.

“Apologies, Lady Cora.” When I swallowed, her hand loosened slightly, and she stepped beside me, running her other hand over my waist.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?” The languid slide of her eyes down my body made my heartbeat quicken. I hoped she could feel it. The dress she wore was long, the inky fabric pooling on the marble floor, but a slit ran up to the top of her thigh, making her appear barely dressed.

“I met Cyril today. He was kind of a dick.” My eyes narrowed. “Is there a reason he seems to hate me?”

Lady Cora chuckled but there was no real mirth in it. “He undoubtedly finds your…” She seemed to search for the right word, fingers tapping against my hip. “He has never been particularly welcoming. I think if he were to have his way, he would be the one warming my bed”

My nose scrunched up at the thought of the scraggly, wrinkled man touching Lady Cora, and she laughed again. This time, there was humor in the sound, bright like bells. “Yes, yes,” she said. “He knows his desire is unrequited. But he undoubtedly resents your position.”

“Oh, it’s a position?” I raised an eyebrow. “Am I up for a promotion?”

Her hand dropped lower, grazing my mound on its way to my other hip. “Promotions are performance-based.” She crossed in front of me, and I immediately missed her touch. “Can I get you a drink?”

There were a handful of crystal decanters beside two glasses and a bucket of ice. Had she been expecting me? “Of course.” Like a well-trained pet, I trotted after her and she poured a bit of deep red liquor into a low tumbler. Plucking a single cube of ice from the bucket between her long nails, she paused. Rather than dropping it into the drink, she brought it to my lips.

I opened my mouth for her and gave a soft moan when she swirled the ice across my tongue and over my lower lip. She stepped closer, crowding my body with hers and looking down at me with melted water dripping down the front of my dress. I sucked in a sharp breath as a droplet rolled down my breast, settling in the fold of my stomach. Her lips curled up in a wicked smile and she removed the rapidly dwindling cube from within my lips, sliding it across my chest. “So sensitive,” she murmured when my skin pebbled beneath her touch. The ice was nearly gone, only a tiny sliver of cold, and she pressed it to my nipple, flattening her fingers to feel my peaked flesh beneath the fabric of my dress.

“Did you come here to discuss themenin my employ, blossom?” she asked, pinching my hard nipple and making megasp. The sharp points of her nails traced the curve of my jaw, and I lifted my face to hers. Before I could construct a reply, they slid into my hair, tightening against my scalp. She leaned down, speaking against my lips. “I wish to never hear a man’s name fall from your lips again, pet. Especially dressed like that. Now tell me, why are you here?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The thoughts that had fluttered around my head like trapped butterflies all seemed suddenly unreachable. “I—” I took a shallow breath, trying to regain my determination. Her lips were still so close to mine, and all I wanted to do was lean forward and claim them. I could smell the sweet smoke of her hair, and I knew if I had reached down, I would find myself wet and wanting.

“I-I wanted to ask…” Again, I lost myself in the lime-hued light of her gaze.No.I shook it off, looking away to keep myself focused. “I wanted to ask you about something weird that I’ve noticed in the meadows.”

I didn’t look to see if her expression changed, but there was a heavy pause. “Go on,” she said, taking a small step back from me.

“Anna, the girl Charis sent to my room? She didn’t remember meeting me. And again, the woman who worked at the coffee shop in town didn’t remember her own name. She seemed confused, and when I went back, it was the same. Isthere something about the meadows that makes people lose memory, or forget themselves?”

“Tera,” she replied grimly.

“Why does everyone know her name?” It came out in a flustered near-shout. “I feel like everyone knows something I don’t, and I don’t like it.”

Lady Cora reached for the forgotten glass, passing me the deep burgundy liquid before pouring one for herself. Tentatively, I took a sip. The drink tasted like her—charred plum and ripe pomegranate, a floral hint of rose and saffron. It warmed its way down my throat, settling in my stomach and immediately easing my tension.

“Tera has a well-liked business that many souls frequent. I make it my business to know what happens in my realm, and she has been a part of it for quite a long time.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t answer my question, which isexactlywhat Charis did as well.” I raised the glass to my lips again, swirling the rich liquor over my tongue.

“I cannot tell you everything, Grace,” Lady Cora said softly. “There are other forces in existence, and we are all beholden to something. Long ago, I chose to distance myself from the rest, but my life is not as simple as that of the souls in the meadows.”

“Is it going to happen to me?” I asked. I hadn’t realized that it mattered to me, but once the words had been spoken, I knew it did. My life had been shit, but it wasmineand I didn’t want to lose that part of myself.

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