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“Why are you moving so slow?” Orcus asks.
Closing my eyes, I pray for patience and open the door. “Are you always so rude?” The prayer didn’t work. Maybe I need to try to talk to Hecate instead of God.
“I didn’t mean it to be rude. Is your ankle bothering you?”
Oh. Well. I guess that’s kind of sweet in his own, grumpy ogre way. “It’s much better.” Together we ensure Edgar is comfortable, though the elderly man—er, folk—never wakes up and continues snoring.
I’m not looking forward to the jet lag that’ll accompany my return home. And I will get home, even if I have to threaten a warlock. I’m not quite sure how to go about threatening someone with magic, but I’ll find a way. See? Positivity for the win.
“Come.” Orcus turns and slips out of the room.
I stay beside Edgar’s bed, refusing to follow that type of request for a second time. The first time I let it slide because he was going to help me. It takes him a moment to realize I’m not following. Orcus returns with a huff.
“I said come.”
“Oh, I heard you.”
His eyebrows draw down, leaving angry gouged lines in their wake. “You’re hungry.”
“I am, but I’m not a dog,” I say through gritted teeth.
“I don’t know what a dog is.”
This ogre. I swear to god. “If you remember, I’m a lady. If you want a lady to do something, you should ask nicely.”
Releasing a full body sigh, he softens his voice. “Come, now.”
I laugh. “I’m so confused how you think THAT is any better.”
He grumbles and crosses his arms over his impressive chest. I ignore the bulging biceps. “Are you hungry?” he says.
“Lovely of you to ask, Orcus. I’m famished. Shall we go get some food?” I march around him and out of the room, heading toward the dining hall full of monsters. If I slow my steps enough for Orcus to catch up, that’s merely a coincidence and has nothing to do with the sudden fear gripping my chest.
“You’re safe.” He’s so confident.
I tip my head and glance up at him. “You said you were the best warrior. Is that why they were all staring?”
“Something like that,” he says.
We reach the sitting area and this time the conversation doesn’t completely die down. Monsters do stop and stare, but they return to their food or drinks and carry on. The shock of his arrival must be wearing off.
Orcus claims one of the last empty stone top tables. I wait for the minotaur server to pass with plates full of steaming food before moving to sit opposite of Orcus. He snatches me around the middle and places me on his thick thigh. My hand instinctively clutches at his soft gray shirt. It’s a lighter shade of the shirt he let me borrow. Before we left, I used what was left of the fabric he used to wrap my feet and made a belt. The outfit still isn’t the most flattering, but at least now there’s some shape to it.
“I can sit on my own.”
“No.”
I narrow my eyes, getting ready to ream into him, but a sudden low hiss comes from across the table. Whipping around, I release a tiny squeak. A big snake with gleaming yellow scales has taken my spot. It hisses again and leans across the table, flicking its tongue and tasting the air. I press into Orcus as my heart slams against my ribcage. Suddenly, sitting in his lap doesn’t sound so bad.
Orcus’ free hand catches the snake, his thumb and forefinger squeezing the snake’s mouth shut, and he gives the snake a look that borders on murderous.
Am I… attracted to this?
“Either speak to me in your common form or go away.” Orcus’ voice is low and threatening. It should terrify me but a shiver of delight races down my spine.
The snake’s eyes flicker in acquiescence and Orcus releases him. The snake slithers back. I expect him to leave, but his form ripples, and a second later, a large, naked man with a dick covered in shimmery yellow scales stands before us.
Huh. I wonder how that feels.
