Page 31 of Definitely Dead

“Well, hello to you, too,” Erus deadpanned before lifting a chipped mug to his lips. “It is a nice day, isn’t it?”

Tyr growled at the cocky god. “Cut the bullshit. You know why I asked you here.”

“Ah, yes, your new mate.” His dark eyes flashed across the room to Sunne. “Cute.”

When Tyr growled again, Orrin placed a hand on Erus’ elbow and smiled imploringly. Though they didn’t speak, at least not out loud, the moment their eyes met, Erus sighed as if he had just lost an argument.

“Very well,” he said a moment later. “You’re lucky my mate likes you.”

And the asshole was lucky Tyr didn’t rip his throat out. Seemed like they all had something to be grateful for. Maybe they could bond over it later.

“What do you want to know?” he asked as he adjusted the gold cufflinks on his pretentious three-piece suit. “And why don’t you just ask him? He is your mate, after all.”

“Not Sunne,” Tyr bit out through clenched teeth. “The kid sitting with him.”

Orrin’s eyebrows drew together, and his nose wrinkled as if he smelled something foul. Though he didn’t comment, the subtle expression spoke volumes. The prince didn’t like the bastard either.

“Aster Hornby.” Erus leaned back in the booth as he studied the male. “Mage. Powerful.”

Well, at least the kid hadn’t lied about his name. Still, Erus hadn’t revealed anything Tyr didn’t already know. He gritted his teeth and waited, grasping at the threads of his fraying patience.

As a death deity, or maybe more death-adjacent, Erus didn’t need ledgers or a directory. With one look, he knew a person’s name, age, and other key details about them. If anyone in the Underworld could get to the heart of Aster’s secrets, it was him.

“Very old.”

Tyr stiffened, alarm bells ringing in his head. “How old?”

The god shrugged. “Hundreds of years. Let’s just say he’s been around the block more than once.”

Not a kid. Not some lost, confused teenager who hadn’t had enough time in life to learn boundaries or manners.

“What else?”

“He’s a cunning little shit. Deeply committed to himself.” Erus turned back to him with a bland expression. “And he seems quite attached to your mate.”

Tyr sat up straighter, his muscles tense, and every sense on high alert. “What does that mean?”

The god shrugged. “Nothing, really. Just an observation.”

“Sunne? Is everything okay?”He gripped the edge of the table until the wood creaked, only sheer force of will keeping him in his seat.

“I’m fine. We’re discussing the welcome committee. He asked about the valerian root. What should I tell him?”

Tyr thought it over quickly. If Aster suspected duplicity, he might lash out, putting Sunne in the crossfire. Besides, all Erus had given him was proof that the mage was a self-serving liar.

In a place like the Underworld, that didn’t exactly count as damning evidence.

“Tell him the truth.”

“That you smashed it?”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, his lips twitched at the snarky comeback.“Just tell him it didn’t work. He doesn’t need to know which version.”

“Got it.”

“Anything else you want to know?” Erus asked, drawing Tyr’s attention back to him.

“Yeah, what’s his flavor of magic?”

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