My chest is thumping, like there might be something inside my hollow cavity.
“Okay,” I say quietly. “But if this is a trick… if you hurt me again… I really am going to burn down the world.”
“Never again,” River says, squeezing my hand. “So no more fires. Well. Maybe one more.”
He exchanges a look with Asch, who shakes his head.
“Later,” Asch says. “Food and rest first.”
Yeah.
That sounds good.
The thing in my chest lulls me to sleep.
29
PANDORA
The pillow is too fluffy.
I think that’s what woke me. I couldn’t get comfortable with how it elevated my head and of course I’m going to get a crick in my neck.
You’d think a place this fancy would have perfectly contoured memory foam pillows.
There’s a black smudge on the pillow too. Somebody’s mascara must have smudged. I’ll tell River to buy higher quality stuff. They make waterproof mascara for a reason.
I finally sit up and look around. I’m alone in the bedroom suite. My clothes are all laid out neatly on the chair next to the bed. Even my boring white underwear is there.
You’d think one of them would have stuck around in bed to keep an eye on me. What if I changed my mind and found some other weapon to bludgeon them to death with?
After I’m dressed, I go out into the living room area. All three of them are sitting around the coffee table.
Asch is sitting really close to Blaze, while River took the armchair. Some containers of Chinese food are half-eaten on the table.
“Wow. You really started without me,” I say with a smile.
Asch instantly looks wary, but River rolls his eyes.
“Don’t be so lazy, and we won’t have to wait until our stomachs are trying to eat themselves,” River remarks. “Your mapo tofu is over there.”
I sit down on the couch between Asch and Blaze and grab my food. I inspect it carefully.
“It’s not drugged,” Blaze says. “Asch, go eat some of it and prove it to her.”
“Why do I have to do it?” Asch asks. “You’re the one wholikestofu.” He takes the container, but he hands it to Blaze.
“Because there’s pork in it,” Blaze says, passing it on to River. “Fine. You do it, River.”
River takes it without complaint and takes a bite. “There.” He offers the container out to me. “I am your personal taster, apparently.”
I wait a few seconds, then say. “Okay, you aren’t immediately sweaty. This can’t be authentic.” I take a spoonful of the tofu. It’s spicy, but notthatspicy. “Daddy would say this has no flavor.”
“Your Daddy could eat a ghost pepper without breaking a sweat,” River remarks. “Raw. So I don’t think he counts.”
Asch and Blaze exchange a look, but it’s Asch who ventures carefully, “Your Daddy and your Papa are two different people, right? Damien Rossi and Giulio Pavone?”
“Yeah.” I keep eating. “Papa would say this is a waste of good tofu, and doesn’t Harmony haveanygood restaurants?” I tap the spoon against my lower lip. “Uncle Slayer would probably have glugged two cups of milk by now.”
