Page 66 of Touch of Death
He blinks as though remembering that I’m still here, and then he hands me the light blue dress in his hands.
I realize that I have no choice but to accept at this point.
Before I have a chance to ask him why he chose this dress, he turns and reaches for clothes of his own. I watch after him as Eros leaves me standing alone in his closet, confused.
I can’t piece together what I did wrong as the female attendant from the day before suddenly appears. She quickly helps me into the dress before setting to work on my hair.
As expected, the light blue dress barely covers me. I sigh as I stare down at myself, running my hands over the gauzy material. As the woman makes several final touches, I make my way out of the closet and toward whatever Eros has planned for me.
I may not know the ways of this palace or understand what is expected of me, but I am starting to realize that I do not belong here. I have never belonged here or with Death, no matter how much I wish it weren’t true.
The sooner that I can get away from this place and these beings, the better off I’ll be.
29
Hazel
Eros seems off as we go about starting our day. He’s distant as we wander the halls of the palace, not once instructing me how to present myself or otherwise greet the others we pass, Death carefully remaining several paces behind us.
Even as we step into another one of the stunning gardens, this one fully blocked from outside view by high walls of blossoming vines and twisted trees, Eros remains quiet. His gaze doesn’t so much as dip to me once, no matter how often I glance up at him.
Normally, I would welcome his silence, but something about his expression has me wishing he’d speak.
Until he starts ordering me about.
The change in his demeanor is so sudden it takes me completely off-guard.
Eros leans against a tree as he begins instructing me how to walk, talk, and simply exist in front of a man I’m trying to win over. He barely glances at me as he tells me to stand taller, but not too tall, to hold myself as though I belong ... but not in such a way that I seem overly-confident.
Everything he says seems like a contradiction to whatever comes out of his mouth next, and it isn’t long before frustration starts to get the better of me.
“You have to be subtle in your seduction,” he says, waving a dismissive hand at me as his eyes move over the garden. “Try again.”
Biting back my irritation, I try my best to do as he says, even though I don’t know how to seduce anyone, let alone be subtle in it. Every movement I make, every look I send his way, feels wrong.
“This isn’t working,” I groan when Eros corrects me yet again, this time on the tone of my voice.
“Try again.”
His attention is clearly not on me as I try to repeat the words he tells me, but they are all wrong as they fall from my lips. They lack the charm they held when dripping from his own.
I turn away from him, my hands clenching at my sides. This is clearly a waste of all of our time. I can’t do this.
I am a farm girl; what grace and charm I have come in the form of painting and quiet moments with those I love. Not coquettish looks and honeyed words.
I was a fool to think this would ever work. There’s absolutely no way I can learn to harness this allure that Eros keeps referring to in time.
“Come,” Eros says, pushing himself away from the tree suddenly, “I have an idea.”
It’s only now that I realize, in his distracted state, that Eros has forgotten to say anything to Death. Resisting the urge to glance over at Death, I follow Eros, unwilling to draw attention to him and to shatter whatever strange peace has fallen over the two of them.
Eros doesn’t even look back to make sure I’m following as we move deeper into the overgrown garden. I’m distracted by the wildness of it all, once more longing to have a paintbrush in my hands and a blank canvas before me.
Pushing into a hidden clearing, Eros stops before a small pool. The surface of the water glimmers, reflecting the vines overhead in an almost mirror-like way.
“Sit,” Eros tells me, settling onto the grass beside it and patting the ground next to him.
Hesitantly, I obey.
