Page 21 of Dawn to Dusk
“Mirneax is…” My eyes went to the west, even though there were no windows in the hallway.
“Oh! She is about to sleep.” He realized with a big smile. “If I may, I have an idea about that.”
“What’s that?”
“Meet me at your balcony doors in twenty minutes to find out.” His cute grin grew as he backed away from me. “I know you can’t resist that.”
A laugh of disbelief tore out of me. “Is this a joke?”
“No,” He promised and disappeared into his room.
Who was this beast?
Twenty minutes later, I pulled open the balcony doors to find him sitting on a blanket with a spread of food before him. “There, now you can sit safely within your wards.”
I sat down eyeing him, looking for any red flags that this situation was a set up. “Why do you not have any anger towards me again?”
“I’m old.” A simple explanation. “There is always some squabble going on. This is not my first war. This is not about witches and beasts. This is Grand Councilwoman Ira versus everyone else.”
“Oh?”
“Ira Petriv decided she wanted all the power for herself, so she taught her people that all beasts are wild monsters after pussy and blood.”
“I’ve never met one witch scared of a beast hunting pussy,” I interrupted him.
“That is just you, beautiful. The ones who fear us think we’ll devour them afterwards.” His rainbow eyes danced with joy.
“Oh. I didn’t even think about that.” I teased, putting my hand on my chest. “Do you intend to eat me?”
His purple eyebrow quirked suggestively, and a lecherous smirk that could lure the devil himself into a trap curled his lips. His hair turned from purple to bright, look at me, pink. Educating me that he was not only sweetly adorable, but he was also mouth watering handsome. No man should be able to embody both of those extremes, especially with pink hair. That was just blatant favoritism from the gods.
His interest in me wasn’t natural. I tapped my finger on my leg, and Ziam’s demeanor changed. His hair turned back to purple as he watched my nervous movement.
“Edur told you.” I concluded.
His eyebrows shot up. “What did Edur tell me exactly?”
I narrowed my eyes at him again. A sudden smile came across his face, and he licked his lips. “Are we talking about the horrific bloodlust that you do not possess?”
Who was he? He didn’t figure me out in one day. Was he on the battlefield all these years, and I simply didn’t notice him?
“Anyone who looks at the facts instead of their emotions can see that.” He told me, sure of himself. “The day of your ceremony in Rashik, I knew. You merely wanted to get away from your husband.”
It felt like he slapped me. My face warmed up and everything. Hunters always hid their spouses and children toprotect them from any backlash. Here he was talking about it like it was common knowledge. “How?”
“He talks to you like owns you.”
“Pylo talks like he owns everyone.”
Ziam frowned at me. “He acts more entitled than usual.”
“Perceptive.” Albeit annoying. “My mother sold me to him when I was sixteen.”
Ziam’s face twisted up. “How distasteful. Sold you? Like a product?”
“Do beasts not arrange marriages? At least for the species without mates.”
“No. Never.” He gave me a kind smile as he shook his head. “Our entire society is built around our females’ comfort; by rule we can’t allow that.”
