Page 83 of Spider Demon's Kiss

“Neither is coming here when I’m not,” I pointed out.

Yuki relaxed and headed to the couch.

“Are you not going to offer your sister something to drink?”

I didn’t know what she was doing but I decided to play along.

“Of course. Where are my manors?”

“They are deplorable,” Yuki proclaimed.

I wasn’t sure if she was joking or not. Knowing her, she wasn’t.

“Tea?” I asked her.

“If it’s what you have,” she said disapprovingly.

“It is,” I confirmed before heading to the kitchen to prepare it.

“Wait, are we just going to pretend that it isn’t as weird as fuck that she was in our place when we got here?”

Yuki responded before I could.

“Considering the facetime I received from Shiro, I thought we had progressed past weird.”

That shut Dante up for a second.

“Listen, having him call you was a mistake.”

“Perhaps this is my mistake. How many are each of us allowed?”

Again, Dante was quiet. Having no response, he clenched his jaw and headed to his room leaving my sister and me alone.

“We only have tea bags,” I informed Yuki.

I didn’t have to see her to know that she was displeased. Selecting the only one from Dante’s stock that was worth drinking, I added water to the coffee pot and brought it to a boil. Not saying a word the entire time, I collected a mug from the cupboard and poured us cups.

Yuki didn’t wait to make her feelings clear. Putting it down as soon as she received it, she stared daring me to defy my upbringing by drinking tea from a mug. I got it all the way to my lips before putting it down. I could try to fight it but like my father, Yuki’s cold stare had a power over me. As little as I could defy my father’s wishes, I could defy Yuki even less.

“So, why are you here?” I asked having waited long enough.

Straightening her back, she said, “To bring you home.”

“I am home,” I told her confused.

“No. You are where father put you.”

I couldn’t deny that. Father declared I would marry Dante and that was why I was here.

“That might have been how it started, but Dante is my husband now. I am where I am supposed to be.”

“Where you are supposed to be is home.”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you, Yuki. I am home.”

“Were you home when Father gave you away the first time?”

“No,” I said repulsed by the thought.

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