Page 74 of Sequel to the Easter Bunny

“The same thing as you, I suppose. Fell in love with a god, gave birth to a child… died.”

I stumble to a stop, that could make her anyone, but I know…. “You’re Heim’s wife?”

“You didn’t know?”

“You failed to mention it.”

“I wonder why I didn’t tell you that?” She looks at me with narrowed eyes. “You feel like a friend.”

“I am, but you didn’t tell me a lot of things. I’m only just now realising how much you kept to yourself.”

“Or I lied to you about it… I wonder why I didn’t want you to know I could swim?”

“I had to find Juun’s peacock.” Snorting at the ridiculousness of that, I add. “No wonder you knew it was in Heim’s part of the godswood.”

“And I wasn’t willing to swim the icy stream for Juun’s dick? That sounds like me.”

That sends me into a fit of giggles, right until a sobering thought hits me.

“Maybe I shouldn’t be telling you about your future… what if it changes things?”

“Probably a good plan to stop then.” Ari’s smile is wry, like she thinks I’m being silly.

She pushes open a door and when I step inside, I stop.

It’s a tiny cell.

This isn’t where I need to be to see Cupid.

“I understand you don’t trust me, but I only have until the sun sets. If I don’t go back before dark, I’ll be stuck here, permanently.”

“I’m not going to keep you from them.” She waves her hand toward the small wash stand. “But if you’re going to beg an audience, I need to put you in some less… revealing clothes. You are delightful to look at, but if you show up looking like that, Cupid is going to think you want something they don’t.”

“I just want to get these tasks over with and go back to the life I thought I had.”

“I’m still not sure you’re not a trick.“ She watches me carefully as she pulls clothes from the drawer. One set for me. One set for her.

“Why would Juun wait this long… and send a woman from the future?”

“Time doesn’t work that way for them, you know that.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You are so much more helpful in the future.”

Ari stops dead in her tracks and turns to me with narrowed eyes. “Have we had sex?”

I blink at her for a little too long before I realise it was a legitimate question she wants a real answer to.

“No.”

Her brows pinch and she looks me over one more time. “Have I asked?”

“No.”

“How strange. You are exactly my type.” She holds up a deep blue sweater, and a pair of dark pants. “I’ve always been drawn to power.”

With a wink, she adds, “It’s one of my greatest downfalls.”

“That’s not the relationship we have.” I say, stepping behind the screen in the corner as Ari shrugs off her robe to put on a similar pair of pants and sweater that seems to have silver spun in the threads.

“Could it be?”

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