Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
He snorted. “I wouldn’t dare.”
Posture softening, she speared an apple wedge with her fork. “You said I could get to know you better. So. What do you admire most about Lore?”
“I will tell you.” Reluctantly. “But in turn, you will answer questions for me.” And he would absolutely, positively limit his questions to Neeka’s process as an oracle. He was certain of it. Determined. Unwavering. “Do you agree?”
“Sure.” Smiling, smirking really, she informed him, “I’ve now answered your first question, so you owe me an answer.”
He would’ve laughed if his guts hadn’t clenched. She was a female assured of her power yet still so soft and...he liked it. “I favored her gentle nature.”
“Favored. Past tense?” Neeka asked, a brow arched. “Do you prefer something else nowadays? FYI, this is just an extension of my first question, so it doesn’t count.”
He pursed his lips, unsure how to respond. Yes, he still fancied Lore’s gentle nature. But... His grip tightened on his silverware. Her lack of interest in monogamy bothered him. “As a child, I dreamed of experiencing such gentleness from another.”
“Excellent misdirection, Your Majesty.” Neeka saluted him with a glass of pineapple juice. “A wonderful way to avoid the subject you don’t wish to discuss. Now I’m super curious about your childhood. Actually, I’ve been curious about your childhood ever since I learned we both have mommy issues.”
Was that what he’d done? Misdirect? Or did some part of him hope to share the deepest aspects of his life and help her understand why he was how he was? No, that couldn’t be it. He’d never desired to do such an irrational thing. Not even with Lore.
He tried to recall what kind of childhood the goddess had, but he wasn’t sure they’d ever discussed it.
“Ask me whatever you desire—when it’s your turn.” He blinked as his words registered. That wasn’t what he’d intended to say. Was it? He’d meant to guide Neeka to another line of thought. Yes? “Describe the characteristics of your desired kingdom.” Again, not what he’d intended to say.
She deliberated for a moment and sighed. “I’m not sure what I want, honestly. I just know I’m supposed to rule someplace somewhere at some point.” Moving corn kernels around her plate, she said, “It’s probably a know-it-when-I-see-it situation. That’s what happened after I got married and entered Phoenixia.”
“Perhaps you can change things to suit your tastes after I take care of your ex. Free of charge,” he offered and blinked. Had he actually spoken those three little words aloud? When she intended to demand triple his original payment?
No need to ponder his answer. Yes. Free of charge. Because Rathbone enjoyed her. She amused him. And frustrated him. But even still, some deep, hidden part of him needed to see her happy. This had nothing to do with nullifying the lord’s claim on the oracle. Nothing at all.
“You already promised to murder my enemies as part of my payment,” she said.
“Ah, but I’ll keep killing this one until he stops rising.”
“Really?” Neeka beamed at him, and Rathbone barely stopped himself from preening. “And what will you do if I pick your kingdom instead and give you the boot?”
“Wage war to win it back,” he replied without heat. “I believe you intended to ask me about my childhood.”
Neeka waved her fork in his direction. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? Hooking me with multiple lures to, what? Divide my focus? Well, it’s working, you dirty sneak. I’m unsure which bait to gobble. No, you know what? I’m going with the childhood. Tell me everything!”
Her enthusiasm nearly drew a smile from him. “I was born in the heavens, my father a personal guard to Hera, who is my mother.”
“Seriously?” The oracle popped a grape into her mouth. “This story just got more riveting. Do go on.” She didn’t say anything else upon discovering his link to a royal Greek, just shoveled more food into her mouth as if too captivated to risk a change of his mind.
“She kept me in a private realm, hidden from Zeus. Upon occasion, she visited me.” The best and worst days of his existence. He remembered watching her with the mátia, longing for her to see something good in him. To praise him. To hold him. But she’d only ever found fault.
Why aren’t you as fast as your father?
You aren’t worth the trouble you’ve caused.
How I rue the day I conceived you.
“She wasn’t fond of me.” A muscle jumped in his jaw. “I trained to become her guard, but she was taken captive soon after my eighth birthday. A year later, Hades learned of my existence and came for me.”
Sympathy softened Neeka’s lovely features. “I’m sorry,” she told him with a tone just as soft. “Well, I like young Rathbone already.”
“What were you like as a child?”
“Sickly. The reason my mother disliked me from the beginning. Honestly, I think she latched onto the first excuse to execute me.”