Page 42 of Bride of Death

“I bet they do,” she deadpans, her sassiness thrilling me. “But I’m not an Omega.”

“So you’ve claimed.”

“And you haven’t helped me at all,” she mutters back, causing one of my eyebrows to arch upward.

“Would you like me to help you, Serapina?”

“I’d just like someone to explain to me how and why Hades thinks I’m his Omega. He hasn’t even spoken to me. So is he just making assumptions because I’m Alina’s sister? Or is there more to it?”

“There’s more to it,” I tell her. “So much more to it.”

She sighs. “Of course there is. Too bad Hades won’t share his madness with me.”

“It’s not madness so much as obsession.”A dangerous one. But I don’t add that part out loud. Instead, I focus on what we were discussing before talking about real Gods. “As for Alina, would you say she’s changed?”

Serapina looks at me, obviously startled by my return to this topic. However, it’s with a purpose.

I don’t want her fearing her soul or what might happen when she embraces her inner Omega. But I also can’t fault her skepticism.

“Does she possess any memories of the past?” I press. “Any hints as to her soul’s previous life?”

She swallows and looks away. “I don’t know.”

“You’ve not talked to her about it?”

Serapina shakes her head. “Not really. Just… just about her link to creationism and power. But I’ve not wanted to pry.”

I nod, understanding a bit. “An Omega’s nest with her mates is sacred,” I murmur. “It’s instinctual for you to not ask a lot of questions. Though, I suspect your sister would guide you, if you desired it.”

I’ve not met Alina, but I know Omegas well. Familial relationships are intrinsically important to them. And while Serapina may not be related to her by blood, she likely still views her as part of her inner circle.

“That said, if you would like to learn more about Mythos Fae from someone else, I would be more than happy to share some history with you. I can even tell you about Persephone.”

Shadows creep into my vision while I speak, telling me Maliki has mastered his dream faster than I anticipated.

I nearly sigh. The assassin is as alluring as he is irritating.

My vision blacks out for a blink, surprising me.

It seems Maliki was quietly working his way out of his mossy trap, and now he’s on the attack.

Fine. I’ll wrap this up,I think at him, ensuring the words travel into his dream and echo through his mind.

His responding mental snarl informs me that the message has been received and rejected.

“You don’t need to decide now,” I say, focusing on Serapina while mentally wrangling Maliki. “But if you do want more information, then I’ll be here again tomorrow night. Same time. Exact same place. If you appear, I’ll know you’re interested.”

I take a step back and wince when Maliki lands a blow to my temple. It’s not real. It’s in my head. But it hurts nonetheless.

Gritting my teeth, I send a paralyzing spell through his dream and take a deep breath to settle my tone before speaking again.

“Oh, and please bring Pip. He’s quite enjoyable.” I just met the little soul earlier in the evening, but our brief introduction endeared him to me instantly. It was too bad he didn’t accompany her on this walk through the courtyard.

Alas, I don’t have time to tell her any of that.

So I just give her a little bow and conclude with “Until next time, little dreamer.”

It takes significant willpower to leave her, but Maliki isn’t giving me much of a choice. His persistence is admirable and infuriating.