Page 23 of Immortal Sun

She stares off at the small gate in the alley way enclosure, and I know what she’s seeing. To the naked eye it looks like a small stable holding what would be a petting zoo but suddenly it shifts into something larger than life making you think you’ve lost your mind, but I allow her to really drink it in, I whisper the words under my breath. “Believe.”

She goes very still. She probably see’s the original mountainside that used to be here in this place with it’s tall green grass, a perfect black fence that holds at least a hundred head in, and a bright burning sun shining down on the land.

“What’s that?” She points a pale pink finger toward the only cow out of the three not eating, the one that Inti is convinced would eat him in his sleep just to prove a point about her friends and family getting butchered. “That cow looks different.”

Because sheisdifferent she used to be a goddess now look at her. “She prefers cheese.”

Cleo bursts out laughing, then stops when I don’t join in. “Wait, are you serious?”

“I think of it as a weird form of cow cannibalism, she provides the milk to the cheese we make here locally, and then eats it only to provide it again, weird as hell.”

“I miss cheese.”

I do a double take. “That’s your take away?”

“It’s not like the cow knows she’s eating cheese made from her own milk, that’s even weirder than the cannibalism.”

“And what about the fact that we have cows behind the pub?” I lift an eyebrow and grunt. “Plus she’s been alive a little long, refuses to give up, seems to be a running theme, hmm?”

Cleo looks up at me from the corner of her eye. “It’s probably the fumes of alcohol from the bar.”

It’s probably something else entirely, but I still nod and say, “Nature is immensely powerful, don’t forget that.”

“So…” She ignores me, but I can see what I said makes her a bit uncomfortable, I need to be more careful. “Before training can I at least know her story, the cheese eater?”

I almost laugh, then quickly change gears. “She’s old. She hates people. And you aren’t cheese. Not much more to say about that.” I turn around, ready to lead the way back to the bar.

Cleo doesn’t follow though, instead she holds out her hand to Cow. Bad idea. She’s just as stupid as her brother. Warnings do nothing.

Once Cow is close enough to touch her, she gives a warning bite against Cleo’s hand and then presents her back and starts kicking up dirt.

The horrific scream of terror that comes out of Cleo might be the most amusing thing I’ve ever seen.

I can barely hold back my smile. So Cow is jealous of others’ beauty, interesting.

Cow just looks between us then turns back around and abandons us to her food while Cleo looks traumatized. The last thing I need is for her to develop fear instead of faith me—us, the immortals.

So I lie.

It will be the first of many.

“She likes you,” I find myself wanting to convince her, wanting to see her smile again. “Promise.”

“Sounds…like a total fabrication. I almost feel like every animal and thing on your property either likes or hates me.”

I freeze. The others revealed themselves? That’s new. What the hell are they thinking? “What other animals have you met other than Bast, Rat, and Cow?”

She laughs and crosses her arms. “You have more?”

She has no idea. “Ha, yeah well, we love animals here.” Lie, total lie. “Are you hungry? For breakfast? Then I can show you the ropes.

Her smile’s wide and pretty again. “Sure, I’d love that, but, I mean you don’t have to. Do you even have time for that? I mean you don’t have to train me I’m sure there’s someone else that can. I mean eating with me is enough.” Her eyes go wide. “Not that I assumed you’d be eating with me, I just?—"

I wave her off. “I train every employee and we’ve already had dinner together, why not breakfast? Plus, it will give me time to show you around the bar.”

“Ah, all it’s hidden secrets.” She nods.

“Not all of them.” I say with a smirk. We do after all, leave the best for last.

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