Page 43 of Entranced By the Basilisks

Grace coughs a snort. “That was quite the pause for just nice.”

I crack a smile, letting out some snark. “Oh, he’s hella sexy, but we’re not focusing on that.”

Grace laughs. “I see. We wouldn’t want you getting distracted from this or anything.”

My smile falls. “Right.”

“I’m joking.” Grace’s voice is serious. “You deserve a fantastic distraction. If he’s hot, then at least he’s eye candy. And if it’s more than eye candy, I’ll have you know I’ve heardthe wildest things about serpent kin as lovers.”

“Really?” I ask, curiosity pulling the question out of me before I can think to play it cool.

“Let’s just say they have a reputation for satisfaction.”

“Grace, don’t tell me that right before I’m supposed to spend all day with this guy!” I’m trying not to laugh, but Grace has no such control. Her laugh sounds through the phone.

This is nice. Talking with her like this is almost how we were before all the revelations about magic and gargoyles. I miss it.

And it’s still there,I think to myself. I just need to adapt to this world. I need to find my footing because I deserve to feel safe and confident about my surroundings.

“Speaking of,” I say. “I need to start the day of training, whatever that entails.”

“I’m sure it includes many tails.”

“What?” I frown.

Grace clears her throat. “Forget I said that. Good luck today! I believe in you.”

“Thanks,” I say, and mean it. I have people in my corner. I can do this. We say our goodbyes and with a deep calming breath, I go to meet the two men that inspire a variety of emotions, with only a few of them being appropriate.

I don’t find two men. I find one.

Ari’s mood doesn’t look very enticing at all this morning. He sits in a cushioned chair in the living room, half of the open-concept space. He looks aloof and forbidding, pressing his knuckles to his lips with his elbow propped on the arm of the seat.

He’s still stunning with his dark brows low over his gray eyes. Today his fingers have stacked rings on them with different stamped designs and thicknesses. He wears a similar outfit to yesterday.

Old habits are hard to break, and around someone new, like Ari, the fear of rejection tries to creep in, but I push it down.This is Ari, and for whatever reason, Ari and Jasper don’t inspire the same panic. My self-talk game this morning is stellar.

“Good morning,” I say.

“What?” Ari startles blearily. “Oh, good morning.”

I blink at the lackluster tone. It’s so different than the exuberant way he spoke to me yesterday that a spike of doubt stabs my heart.

I clear my throat. “Hey, if you don’t want me to stay here—”

“No!” Ari responds, alarmed. “Forgive me. I’m just not a morning person.”

He seems awake enough to put out a spread of cold breakfast options, from fruit and yogurt to cold cuts. The food is placed artistically on three plates. Three plates and two people present.

Ari must notice the way my eyes are drawn to the empty place setting because his mouth tightens.

“Jasper seems to have left earlier this morning,” he says.

And didn’t tell his host or me. That’s what has upset Ari. He had said last night how important it was to him to eat with company.

“Did you tell him you wanted to make him breakfast?” I ask. “He’s just probably needed at work early and we took a lot of the day yesterday to deal with this.” I gesture to my hair. Jasper strikes me as someone who gets to work early and leaves late.

Ari’s expression stills before it cracks and he shakes his head at himself. “I admit I may not have communicated that.”

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