Page 138 of Winter Gods & Serpents

Her lip ticked in a sneer. “You are so smug sometimes, I could swear there is two of you in that body of yours.”

“I am sure you would not mind.”

Her mouth parted open a few times, but she seemed to have run out of words. After moments of silence and staring she narrowed her stare in thin slits. “You really think I’ll drop my dress if you keep staring at me, don’t you?”

I guffawed, dropping my head back. “I think I only need to ask.”

She threw a spoon at me. “I don’t like this new found mouth of yours.”

I caught it mid-air and set it back on the table. “I am sure you would not mind it on yours.”

“Seven sweet hot hells of Celesteel,” she said, wide eyed.

“My, but why?” I asked in a similar teasing tone she used. “Frustrating to be teased, on and on?”

She flung a hand in the air composedly. “Point made.”

I nodded. “Good.”

She studied me a moment. “Why do you smile at me? Laugh at my jokes?”

“Now she denies me smiles.”

“You know what I mean. Why did you give in, I am sure the Kilian of that first day would never tolerate his gaze lingering over me a moment, this one is openly flirting with me?”

“I am flirting with you?” I was flirting with her.

“What do you call this?”

“Two adults, sincere adults.” And flirting.

“Is that what we are? Sincere?”

“You think I am lying?”

She shook her head. “No, you are forcing yourself to tell the truth, that is worse than lies. I am who I am, and you know very well. You hate that part of me along with the whole existence of me, you hate when I kill, you hate that I think about killing, you hate my purpose, you hate…the whole of me. It doesn’t matter if you feel attracted to me, most are; but you are Adriatian, and I am your monster. Yet here you sit, having light conversation with the one you hate.”

She was wrong again. “I don’t hate you.”

“I think you are forgetting to hate me. I think you have built an image of me in your head, and you keep pushing that above all I have done and all I will do. I will tell you Kilian, it is a grave mistake.”

“Cakes,” Caiden called, striding with Mal down the room.

“Sleep inside,” I say, standing to leave.

“Don’t forget, Kilian.”

I turn to her. “That your revenge won’t grow cold?”

“That I am a hateable monster that will end you. Above all that you have seen beneath me, it’s still that monster.”

Yet I saw all but that.

Chapter 26

Past and Present

Kilian