Page 39 of Sequel to the Easter Bunny

“She isn’t your anything.” Jack’s words are pitched with command, but met with a laugh from our host.

Diyo makes a tsking noise with their tongue. “You know as well as I do, Eebie. Your wife has claim to the Valley. And that means we all have a claim to her. Just because your claim is strongest doesn’t mean the rest of us lose our itsy bitsy shares.”

They wave their hand at the table again, “Eat, drink, make merry!”

Jack relaxes the slightest amount when they skip into the crowd of their devotees, and I slip my hand into his, leading the way down to the far end of Diyo’s table.

There are no chairs aside from the throne at the head of the table, just cushions so plump they look like I’ll roll right off them.

But the seat Diyo has directed us to is large enough to be a bed for five.

I’ve no doubt others have used it for the sort of merry making Diyo would like to see tonight.

Leaning closer to Jack, I ask, “Would you be on the menu if they thought they could get away with it?”

“I still might be.” He holds my hand, studying me as I sit, and then, he pulls the enormous copper charger from my place setting.

He moves around the table, plucking all manner of delicacies from the mound of food, and, in one case, he takes an enormous peach directly from Diyo’s hand before they can take a bite.

Whatever he says, the other god laughs so raucously they fall backward, kicking their hooves in the air.

When a smile touches at Jack’s lips, I breathe a little easier. He doesn’t dislike Diyo, he dislikes the situation we’re in.

The price Diyo asks—and based on the particular level of revelry around us I don’t think it’s difficult to guess what it will be—might not be something he wants to pay, but I don’t believe he’ll reject it outright.

Jack places a plate in front of me that has all manner of food on it. The fruit seems too big, the cheese too small. There’s a grouping of intricately decorated chocolate cakes that are so tiny, I could probably eat five in a single bite. The smallest little bird’s legs sitting beside a gold fork, their meat golden brown, their dark claws curled like they should still be perched.

An enormous carrot drops to the table beside my plate and I look up to Diyo’s devilish smile. “In case your Eebie wants to give us a show without revealing his godly cock.”

Jack throws the carrot at Diyo’s retreating form.

“They like teasing you.”

He nods. “They’d like me to fuck them.”

“And are you opposed to that?” I eat one of the chocolate cakes and barely manage to hold in the moan of delight.

“I’ll do whatever I need to to keep you safe.”

“But are you opposed to it? If Juun hadn’t made me play this game, and if the… opportunity had arisen, would you have automatically said no?” Lako, I can understand. She’s taken too much from him, but Diyo…

His head tilts to the side, ears flopping a little, as though he’s deflated. “I don’t know.”

“Think about it.” I pluck a grape from the stem, it’s enormous and glassy smooth, the transparent flesh barely gives beneath my fingers. “Am I going to wind up with an enormous mess if I bite into this?”

I can just imagine it bursting like a balloon and pouring sticky liquid down the front of me.

He takes it from me, nipping off the tiniest piece and hands it back. The grape is so glossy, it makes me think of jelly, but it’s too delicious to waste time inspecting.

Jack lies on the cushion behind me, close enough to support my back as I watch the riotous guests and listen to stories too bawdy to be true—even though I’m sure they are.

I eat more of the offerings Jack brought me than I thought I would.

Full, I lean back against him, snuggling into him and letting the lazy, sultry air lull me.

He offers me a goblet made of deep green glass.

It’s the same sparkling liquid Lako used to clean the marshmallow come from her tongue.

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