Page 292 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

“But how did you know?—”

“I did and didn’t,” he interrupts me. “I trusted that fate would bring you to me, and she did.”

“You’re such a charmer,” I grumble, though I am beyond pleased.

Of course I wouldn’t have expected anything else from him. Only a male worthy of me would have worshipped me before we even met.

“Show me the rest of the house. You said there are more surprises?” I ask, my eyes glistening with excitement.

Perhaps he will have a personal chef who can cook me all the pastries in the world. Now that would be the best surprise. I’m already hungry. How long has it been since I last ate? Four days? More? Outrageous!

The doors open and we step inside.

The first thing that strikes me is the sheer minimalist decor that’s somehow paradoxically shrouded in opulence. Sprawling staircase, black and gray marble columns, as well as four human-sized sculptures that look like antiques.

Everything is gleaming and spotlessly clean. The floors are so polished, I almost feel bad stepping inside.

“Come,” Mine says as he grabs my hand and takes me up the stairs. I let him lead me, though my attention is on every detail of his house, trying to make sense of what that says about him.

So far, one thing matches. Cleanliness. His obsession with cleanliness matches his house, too. There is not one corner that is not sparkling clean, in a way that I doubt even most Aperite houses are—and those deities can snap their fingers and clean everything.

“Where to next?”

“The first level houses the master suite.”

The first floor has a long hallway filled with all types of antiques. I’m not that versed in Anthropan art or history, so I don’t know if they are genuine or not. But they look old.

At the end of the hallway, there is only one door. Mine leaves me alone for a moment while he takes exactly five steps to the right and six backward, his steps thudding hard against the hardwood floor. The rhythm appears to be a code of some sort because as he stops, I hear a low ping in the wall. He reaches toward one painting, and pulling it aside, he reveals a secret compartment that houses a row of keys.

“I take my privacy very seriously,” he adds when he sees my questioning expression.

Unlocking the door, he holds it open for me to step inside.

I expected to see his bedroom. Instead, it seems to be yet another foyer that leads into a waiting room. This one is much more intimate. Though the ground floor seemed rather cold and bare, this part of the house is fully furnished and exudes a sense of warmth.

“The layout of your house is confusing,” I say when I, once more, don’t see his bedroom.

“It’s not. Think of this as an apartment within the house. This is the waiting room. Through that door there is the study and the library.” He points to the nearest door to my right. “Those twodoors right there are the bedrooms, with a large bathroom in the middle. There’s also?—”

“Bedrooms?” I interrupt him. “More than one?”

“Technically, though the second one does not really qualify as a second bedroom since there is no bed. Come.” He grabs my hand and drags be toward the room he claims to be the master bedroom.

“This is huge,” I whisper when he opens the door.

A large double bed is in the middle. Actually, I think it might be double-double, not just double. So double I could swim in it. Before he can say anything else, I forget myself and let my instincts run the show as I dash at full speed toward the bed and throw myself on it.

A giggle escapes me when I sink into the plush mattress, only to resurface as I spring back in the air. My, that’s a strong mattress. I bounce around the bed. Mindful of his love of cleanliness, I shed my shoes and then get to my feet and jump up and down.

“Oh my, Mine! This is such a good mattress.”

His mouth is ajar as he stares at me.

“Minnie, I’m not sure?—”

“Come! This is so much fun!”

He shakes his head and for a moment he hesitates. But my lips tug into a wide smile when I see him carefully take off his shoes. Then he shrugs his dusty coat off. Then he also takes his socks off—I probably should have done that too. Finally, he comes over.

---