Page 41 of The Pleasure Contract

Az steps closer, leaning down until his head is by my shoulder. “I mean that he’ll worship whichever Goddess suits him best, and not stick to the one that calls to him. We have four Goddesses,” he explains, pointing to each elaborate double door in turn, “Merri, the Goddess of joy and hedonism, Nex, the Goddess of death and peace, San, the Goddess of healing and nurturing, and the unnamed Goddess of wisdom and truth.”

I look at each door as he lists them, and then turn to face him, surprised he’s much closer than he had been before. “Why doesn’t she get a name?”

Az straightens, his mouth tipping up in a half-smile. “I always asked that same question as a child,” he shrugs. “She was my mother’s favored Goddess, and she couldn’t even put a name to her. But Aunt Zalora would always say that you don’t know Truth’s name until it smacks you against the horns.” He pauses, rubbing at one of his horns as if experiencing a phantom smack against them. “Which is strange coming from the female who would quite literally knock sense into my brothers and I with a whack of her cane to the horns.”

We share a soft laugh before it falls away to a slightly awkward silence – a silence that’s broken by one of the huge double doors creaking open, the noise echoing in the vast cavity of the temple’s central room. A single Xaviann steps out from behind the door depicting Nex, the Goddess of death. He sees us, bows meekly in what seems like an apology for disturbing our peace, and then quickly walks away to the exit.

“So…” I start, whispering this time. “What was he doing in there, praying for someone’s death?”

Az shrugs, grinning. “Maybe. But Nex is also the Goddess of peace, so perhaps he’s been praying for a resolution to an argument, or a good night’s sleep.”

“Maybe I should have prayed to her instead of writing that contract the other night,” I jest, snorting softly.

Az reaches his arm up, rubbing at the back of his neck. He bites his lip as he looks at me. “I’m glad you didn’t,” he says, that charming twinkle in his eye.

I can’t help but focus on that bicep of his, flexing as he reaches back to palm his own neck. “Yeah, me too,” I agree automatically, like I’m in some kind of thirsty-girl-trance.

Because I am.

“But we also tend to be loyal to the Goddess that gifts our particular venom, so perhaps that very meek-looking Xaviann possesses the ability to kill with one bite?” he muses as I think on that for a moment or two.

An elderly female Xaviann coughs over at the other side of the room, the sound echoing around us.

“So… certain venoms are given by a particular Goddess?”

Az nods.

I look to each door, trying to remember what each Goddess represents. “So the Goddess who gave you your venom would be-”

My words cut off in a squeak as a huge, warm hand covers the lower half of my face.

Az shakes his head. “We don’t talk openly about active venoms, little Lois, remember?”

I can feel my face flush at my faux pas. Nodding my head, Az slowly releases me, his eyes dropping straight to my mouth when I can’t help but lick my lips as we stare at one another. “Why do you have to keep it a secret?” I ask, my voice low and raspy.

“Because of venom chasers,” someone supplies – a deep, masculine voice that hadn’t belonged to Az.

In an instant, Az moves like lightning. Like, seriously, that man’s reflexes are insane. Before I know what’s going on, he has me shoved at his back – a back that I see visibly relax.

“Hello, your highness,” the voice says, dripping in a warm kind of sarcasm.

“Don’t fucking call me that, Zyre,” Az laughs before a large, heavily tattooed arm appears over Az’s shoulder, doing the weird, back-slapping bro-hug thing that guys do.

“And who’s this?” the newcomer, ‘Zyre,’ asks, peering over Az’s shoulder at me.

He’s as tall as Az, but rougher around the edges. He kind of reminds me of Zann, but less prince and more bad decisions in a dive bar. He has golden-yellow eyes and black horns that twirl straight up like an antelope’s. Long black hair falls over close-shaved sides, and tattoos crawl up his neck in shapes that make them look like tiger stripes. His bottom lip is pierced with a silver loop on one side, and he even has a pierced horn.

Holy shit, this guy gives off major ‘your-daughter-calls-me-daddy’ vibes.

“This is Lois,” Az says, stepping aside to introduce me. “She is a human,” he explains. “And she’s… under my protection.”

I… I’m pretty sure there was a double meaning Az was trying to get across when he said that, but I have no time to question it before he continues.

“Lois, this is Zyre. He’s the First Drak Rider for the team here at the Capital, and is the biggest pain in my ass in the arena.”

“Lady Lois,” Zyre says, his golden gaze holding mine before he bows deeply. “Prince Az is being modest. We haven’t beaten the Northern Principality in far too long.”

Az chuckles and slaps Zyre on the arm good-naturedly. “That’s why you guys poached our Arena Master last season, huh?”