Page 79 of Sequel to the Easter Bunny

“After you threw a tantrum and left with Heim’s pathetic wife? You are too fond of mortals to be an accurate judge of anything related to them.”

Hand snapping out like a serpent, Cupid snatches the egg necklace from Juun’s throat and turns to me, handing it over. “I am so sorry you have been caught in the middle of this farce we cannot stop re-living.”

Ester watches me with irritation in her pink gaze. “Why are you still here?”

She sweeps her hand and I fly backward, but Cupid catches me.

“You will not throw her away as if she has no part in this.”

“We can finish this discussion on our own. She may return to Babel and await our judgement.”

“And she can leave on her own. You have to stop treating them like toys for your entertainment.”

Face as still as stone, Ester’s eyes slide to me. “Go wait for us to finish this.”

I swallow back the ugly lump in my throat, and go.

…Until it Doesn’t

I don’t remember how I get back to Babel.

I’m certain all I did was follow the path. But the rest is a haze. As soon as I step out of his mothers’ realm, Jack scoops me up.

He squeezes me in a hug so tight, I can’t breathe. And I hold him just as tightly.

When he releases me, I can’t stop the tiny tremors fluttering over my skin. That dread has sunk deep into my bones.

“How long have I been gone for you?” I ask, trying to ground myself.

“It feels like months.” His smile is apologetic. He runs his hand over my shoulder, brows knitting. “Have you eaten?”

“No,” I can’t stop the bitter laugh that tumbles from my lips. “I was too busy trying to survive.” As if that was ever an option.

He lifts me off the ground before I’ve finished the sentence, and in a blink, we’re back in his domain and he lays us both on his bower. A chocolate egg appears in his hand a moment later and I gladly take a bite.

“Sugar is going to be the death of me, you know.” My smile feels watery, but the chocolate helps.

“Not here.” The egg disappears, and he offers me another goblet of that sparkly drink. “The food of the gods will always sustain you, no matter what form it takes.”

Snuggling against him I let out a long sigh. I have to tell him what happened—what I know is about to happen.

“You don’t have to tell me.” Brushing his knuckles along the line of my jaw, he tilts my head so I look up at him.

His dark eyes study my face, looking at me almost as if he’s trying to memorise the shape of me.

“Can you read my mind?”

“No, but I can guess what has you stressed.” He traces his fingers over my forehead, the sound of his fur on my mask makes me shiver. “I already know, anyway.”

“You do?”

He nods, one ear flopping down to touch mine. “I thought I might try to talk some sense into Juun again…. I don’t know why she’s doing this. It clearly isn’t for me.”

“She said I failed. That she’s not going to fulfil her end of the bargain.”

“I won’t let Death take you.”

“Am I to be relegated to Cupid’s nunnery then?”

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