Page 46 of Touch of Death
We are already tempting fate as it is.
She turns, and I listen to her footsteps retreat before making my way through the quiet halls of the palace toward my bedroom.
I know it would be too much to hope that Death is already asleep. I am sure he is waiting, watching, for my return, but I welcome that now.
His presence no longer feels like a thorn in my side now that I know how I will use it to get closer to her.
Reaching the end of the hall, I pause outside the doors. Pressing a hand to them, I close my eyes and allow myself to focus on the energies within the room beyond.
A shiver runs up my arm as I instantly get a wave of Death’s presence … I frown, my mind searching for the emotion but coming up blank. There is desire there, yes, but so much more.
There is a depth to the feeling that feels familiar, but I cannot quite pinpoint it.
Searching the room further, I feel the warm softness of the mortal’s sleeping soul and am disappointed to find her still unreadable.
My thirst to know her, to learn what truly makes her so irresistible to me, grows worse with each passing hour. Realizing I will not learn any more about her like this, I open my eyes and push through the doors.
Instantly, Death shifts to look my way from a chair pulled next to the bed.
The fool.
If I were him, she would not be lying in bed alone but wrapped in my arms. Preferably after we had found our pleasure in each other. But, of course, that kind of behavior is far tooindecentto expect of Death.
He is far too stubborn, bent on following his own self-imposed rules of morality, to allow himself to do something as unforgivable asthat. Little does he know that by trying to do everything right by her, if he does not act on at least some of his feelings, he will only end up losing her.
But I welcome this oh-so-honorable fault of his.
I will teach the mortal what she needs to know, and I will win her from him in the end because of it. He will lose simply because I knowwhohe is.
Signaling to the succubae I had ordered to attend and watch over them, they excuse themselves, closing the doors behind them.
Without a word to Death, I begin to undress as I walk toward the bed. I can feel his cold glare fixed on me as I pull my shirt up over my head and toss it aside. It is only when I start to remove my pants that Death finally rises from his chair.
“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Death hisses.
“I am going to bed,” I answer simply. “You may wish to stay up all night, but I do not.”
“You will not sleep with her.”
“Of course I will” I answer. “Though tonight, I only intend to sleep inmybed. This is my palace, remember? Even you lack the power to prevent me from joining her in it.”
“Eros,” Death lets out a low growl at this, the room growing even darker around him.
“Would you wake the mortal to test me? I do not have to give back your powers each time I take them, Death.”
“I would give up everything if only it meant she was safe.”
“I do not doubt it,” I say, “but then, who will save her?”
His patience is wearing thin; I can feel it in the way his body tenses as he stares me down. He is not used to being challenged, let alone having to bend to his will to others. And yet, he would do it for the mortal in a heartbeat.
Curious.
What did she do to win such favor from a being as powerful as Death?
Honestly, I thought it would be harder to get under his skin, but this is proving to be far easier than I was expecting.
“If you cannot stand the idea of me sleeping alone with her, then I suggest you join us,” I say, reaching for the sheets. “I dare say some proper rest would do you good.”
