Page 30 of Entranced By the Basilisks

“Ari,” I say, scowling. “She’s had to deal with enough today. Give her a moment.”

Do I want Emilia to stay with Ari? It would be safer for her and those around her. It offers her protection that I can’t. I trust him with her safety.

His intentions though… I don’t trust those. He’s up to something. I’m not sure what exactly, but I know he wants to seduce Emilia…

I did tell him that I couldn’t give him what he wants. Chosen are compatible with serpent kin. Perhaps Emilia will be my replacement. I swallow against the burn of that thought.

Mrs. Rivera nods slowly, glancing from her daughter to the two of us. I don’t know what she’s contemplating, but it’s making Emilia nervous.

When Mrs. Rivera claps her hands together, it makes us all jump.

“Gentlemen.” Mrs. Rivera makes shooing motions until we’re in the entryway. “Pick us up dinner, please. I will speak to my daughter.”

In the next moment, the door closes behind us, and we share a look.

“I like her,” Ari says. “I think she’ll convince Emilia to stay with us.”

“With you,” I correct in passing. I don’t know what Mrs. Rivera is going to convince Emilia to do.

“Of course.” The words are easy, cajoling. “So… what should we get?”

A moment passes before I answer. “She likes tacos.”

Ari’s face becomes a weird mix of disbelief and amusement. “Jasper Adder, you do know that tacos aren’t Puerto Rican, right?”

“I didn’t suggest them because she’s Puerto Rican.” My blush is a vicious thing that spreads down my neck. “She brings back a taco order from a place near the library for lunch at least twice a week.”

Ari’s brows rise in something that looks like triumph and I feel laid bare before him. I hadn’t meant to let that slip.

“You seem to be noticing quite a bit more about your employee than her healthy work ethic,” he says.

I turn away and walk toward the elevator, not prepared to deny the allegation. Ari would see right through it.

He follows me in easy strides.

“Well then,” he says when we enter the elevator. “Let’s avoid her realizing just how closely you’ve been observing herandher assuming we’re idiots for stereotyping and bring them something other than tacos.”

My ears burn from embarrassment, and I avoid looking at the man next to me.

Ari makes a sound of contemplation before gesturing. “I know what to do.”

Of course he does. He always knows what to do.

“And what is that?” I ask.

“We’re going shopping.”

13

EMILIA

“I didn’t lie,”I say when Ma enters the kitchen after expelling Jasper and Ari from our home. The vision of her shooing out the two men, intense in different ways, would have been comical if I wasn’t aware of the oncoming conversation.

Ma harrumphs. “You didn’t tell the whole truth either. Acurse,you said, and now I’m hearing you’ve been blessed by a goddess. Sit before you fall down.”

“It really doesn’t feel like a blessing,” I mutter, falling into a chair.

Her face softens. “I know, mija. You don’t like change. You wanted the job out here so much, but almost didn’t take it.”

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