Page 82 of Mystique of the Fallen
“So, are my other surprises of a romantic nature?”
“Can you pause your investigative instincts for a few hours?”
Grant was taken aback. “No. How would I do that? It’s literally in the spell that created me. Plus, I don’t want to.”
“Fine, but this isn’t an interrogation, and I’m not answering your questions.”
“Spoilsport.”
“Change the subject, Valerius.”
“Can I talk about something unrelated to this incredibly romantic gesture?” Grant asked.
“Of course, baby.”
“This whole past life thing is still in the back of my mind. Like, it doesn’t matter to who I am now, but I have these questions.”
“Did you want to talk to the lawyer again? Reginald?”
“Maybe. But I think he’s a liar. I don’t trust him. How did I go from telling you I was leaving this guy to showing up as a fallen knight?”
“You died. That’s how.”
Grant rolled his eyes. “I know that, Roman. How did I die? Fallen knights are warriors with unfinished business. What didn’t I finish? Why was my soul chosen? How old was I?”
“I’m not great at human ages, but I’d guess thirties, maybe?”
“So, presumably healthy dude in his prime and I just died.”
“Given what we’ve learned about the few people who either carried their memories over or ran into a relative like Samson and Brynn, those aren’t the people who get resurrected. You didn’t go to sleep one night and pass away from some benign, undiagnosed cause.”
“I was murdered.”
“Highly likely.”
“Or my unfinished business was my mate, and I had to return for you.”
Roman sighed heavily. “Okay, I’ve thought about this. Here’s the deal. We barely knew one another. It wasn’t a love at first sight thing. If you were destined to die from natural causes and become a fallen knight to be with me, why did we meet when you were a human? What was the point? Why did I need those few memories of a man you can’t recall and I didn’t like?”
“You keep rubbing that in. That you didn’t like me.”
“I’m not rubbing it in. I want you to understand that I loveyou. VK Valerius. Not human Grant. You have my heart. Not him. Not anyone else.”
“I know. I believe you. Did we meet because there is a mystery here that should be solved? Like, I was murdered and we have to unravel the truth?”
“If you want to investigate the past, I’m willing to help you. I’m curious too. But be prepared. Should we get fortunate enough to put the pieces together, justice is unlikely. The humans won’t be interested in anything we bring to them.”
“Maybe they already know,” Grant suggested. “But no, I understand. We’re just zombies to them, and they won’t believe us anyway.”
“So, this is what you want? To put on our detective hats and figure out what happened to human Grant?”
“First thing we do is find out his last name, so we don’t have to keep calling him human Grant. Sounds weird.”
Roman chuckled. “I don’t know how else to say it, but you’re right.”
“Gentlemen,” the server said from beside them. Grant nearly jumped; he hadn’t heard the man arrive, which was sad given all the abilities Chander had given him at his resurrection. “Can I interest you in something from the dessert menu?”
“Um, no, I’m not going to do dessert,” Roman said. “Grant?”
