Page 88 of Hunted By Fear

“I’m not sure age is something we should be discussing right now.”

“Well, how can you possibly win my heart if I don’t even know you?” I hadn’t meant to say it out loud. And judging by the way Talian’s eyebrows shoot up, I’m going to assume he didn’t expect that kind of comment from me either, but here we are.

“I guess that’s fair.” He purses his lips, and I can’t look away, even with the beauty of the garden surrounding us.

“Eons.”

His answer hangs in the air as I try to digest that information. Not one eon but multiple…

Fuck.

“Since the world was born, before man and woman.”

Wait.

“I thought demons weren’t around in the beginning, not until Lucifer fell.” I don’t know a lot about religion, but I feel like everyone's heard that story.

His lips press into a thin line, and I feel the deep breath he pulls in, his fingers digging into my side and thigh.

I’m about two seconds from telling him to forget it when I see the flash of pain in his eyes, but I want to know; no, I need to know. These men know everything about me, and I know next to nothing about them; this is my chance to learn.

“It wasn’t just Luce who fell, Aeri.” My stomach drops at his words, and even though I had a feeling that was a possibility, hearing him say it still shocks me.

It’s quiet, and as much as I want to break the silence, I can’t do it. My mind races as I think about what that means and how old they are, what they must have seen in their lifetimes.

Holy shit.

“All of you?” I finally manage to ask, looking up at him to find his gaze already locked on me.

He nods, his steps never slowing, and I finally look around again, only to find us so deep in the garden that all I see are plants, a pool of lava, and a small checkered blanket.

Picnic.

That had been on his list.

He seems to hesitate for a moment before he sets me down, moving to sit across from me. His eyes never leave mine, as if worried I might disappear or make a run for it.

Not that I would get far–these guys are freaky fast–but I don’t intend to leave.

“So you’re really fucking old, and you’ve never been in love. Got it. What else should I know about you?”

“Never been in love before now.” He corrects me, and he can’t mean what I think he means, right? “Which is why I have the notebook. I can’t fuck this up again.”

“Again?” Talian doesn’t comment, his face twisting in distaste.

He snaps his fingers, and before my eyes, platters of food and drinks appear on the blanket.

Of course, my stomach chooses this exact moment to grumble loudly. I’d intended to keep asking questions, but the look Talian gives me says I won’t be getting any answers until I eat.

Bossy demons, the whole lot of them.

Everything is finger food. Tiny sandwiches, little balls of bready goodness stuffed with cheese, sausage bites wrapped in pretzels, and desserts! Brownies, cupcakes, cookies, and a few things I’m not sure what they are. They still look delicious, and I have to remind myself to eat real food first.

We eat, and he pours me a pink drink, strawberry lemonade, and it’s seriously the best I’ve ever had. I eat until I’m stuffed,only one bite from exploding, before I fall back onto the blanket with a groan.

The sky is black, with just a faint glow that Bast said was from the lava pools, kind of like the sky is blue from the ocean.

One of the few things I really miss from home is the moon.