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I also had him get chocolate because while Nyssa tends to be very closed off about her human life, she mentioned a few days ago how much she misses chocolate.
I’d have preferred to procure all this stuff myself, but given my inability to leave the Underworld, I have to rely on Calix for now.
Reaching out, I pick up a black lacy bra and study it. We don’t have such things in the Underworld, but I’m looking forward to taking this off Nyssa.
“That’s a little too frilly for you.”
I jolt, recognizing Zora’s voice but turn slowly to look at her. She’s the only being who has the power to sneak up on me.
“You could knock,” I say dryly, tossing the bra back on the bed.
She shrugs, moving forward to examine the items laid out. Zora looks as lovely as ever with her white hair and exotic eyes, yet now she emanates power. A side benefit of being a god.
“Are you still mad at me?” she asks, facing me with her hands clasped placidly before her.
“Are you going to open my prison doors?” I ask.
“No.”
“Then I’m still mad at you,” I reply, walking into the main living area. As expected, she follows.
“Interesting… all the things you’re providing for your new acquisition.” Her tone is playful, not condescending. Zora doesn’t like me being mad at her. We’ve shared too much.
I ignore the jab. “Would you like something to drink?”
“No. I won’t be staying long. Just checking in.”
“You never just check in.” I pour a glass of wine from the sideboard and move to the couch. Without invitation—she doesn’t need one as her welcome is always implied—Zora settles in on the opposite side.
“True. But I did want to make sure you were okay after your dustup with Maddox.”
“Dustup?” My laugh is mirthless. “We tried to kill each other.”
“Which is impossible. The extra powers I gave you for taking the throne makes you Maddox’s equal in terms of immortality and strength. You two attacked each other knowing nothing would come of it.”
We attacked each other over Zora, and she knows it.
“I don’t know what you see in him,” I grouse, not from jealousy but pure consternation. “He’s arrogant and pigheaded.”
“Sounds a lot like you.”
I sip my wine, noting she doesn’t deny seeing something in him.
“Did he ask you about reincarnating Lucien?”
“He did,” I reply with a genial smile. “And I declined to look into it.”
Zora nods her acceptance of my edict, though not without a slight flattening of her lips. She won’t ask me to reconsider—she respects my decision as king of the Underworld. It’s born from the fact I didn’t want this job and took it only because she begged me to.
And I only agreed because I felt so fucking guilty about helping to keep her prisoner in the Underworld for so long.
“How are things?” she asks, referring to my realm as a whole.
I wasn’t going to bother with such unimportant chitchat, but since she’s here and asking, I tell her about Ariman and Jago wanting to carry on Kymaris’s work.
Zora grimaces as she hates Ariman as much as I do. He’s the one who worked with Kymaris’s lover, Pyke, to funnel the dark magic into her. It was excruciating to watch. While I wasn’t responsible for the actual torture, I was responsible for bringing her to those sessions.
Zora may have forgiven me, but I’ve not forgiven myself, nor will I ever.
