I nodded. I wanted to help.
“Then I will eagerly await my next meeting with him.”
16
EROS
“Oros will take care of it. She’ll find us an opening,” I said as I laid us both down on my bed in the room I shared with my sister, facing each other. “She’s good at this kind of stuff.”
I knew the human probably had a million things she wanted to ask. There had to be so much she didn’t understand about our world, and she knew that I wasn’t able to lie my way out of it without her knowing.
“She does look like she’s good at the whole court intrigue thing,” she agreed. “It doesn’t need to be a perfect situation. I just need to get close enough to hear his response.”
I knew that. And I knew Oros was a lot more no-nonsense and efficient demon than I was. She didn’t beat around the bush. I was the one who put on the big smile and acted all charismatic to get my way.
“She knows that. She’ll work it out, I promise.”
Eve suddenly looked at me. I was very careful with my words around her so I wouldn’t lie, but it was like she could tell where my head was at.
Like she could tell that I felt useless. And how afraid I’dbeen when I realized Father had sent for her. He easily could have killed her. And while she seemed to favor Oros, I didn’t think I’d be able to bear it.
Uncomfortable with her stare, I ran my hand through my hair, trying to work through the tension in my shoulders.
“OK, what’s going on?” she finally asked.
“It’s unlikely he will say much in front of you,” I offered, trying to deflect. “He already whisked you away in the middle of the night, so it means that he’s wary of you.”
I tried to pull her closer, but she wasn’t having it.
“That was not what I meant, and you know it.
I let out a sigh and sunk into her side. She was so warm, so soft, and smelled so good. I wanted more from her, but she always seemed to keep me at arm’s length. I felt like the runner-up. It wasn’t me she’d connected with.
And I wasn’t used to feeling like this. I wasn’t used to wanting someone who didn’t seem to want me back, other than what happened in the library.
“What do you want to know? How Mother died? What happened to us after she died? Why we hate our father?”
She gave me a curious look. “All of that, yes. But mostly what you’re thinking. Because I’m feeling… something. You haven’t lied to me, but there’s something you’re hiding.”
She has me there.
“You like Oros,” I finally managed to say. “You know you can count on her. I do too.”
“You trust her with your life, don’t you?” Eve asked.
“She’s smarter than me. More cunning. More capable. If anyone can do this, it’s her.”
She looked up at me then and touched my face. “I think you’re plenty smart.”
I let out a bitter laugh.
“No, you don’t. It’s okay. I know I’m not the smart one, just like Oros isn’t the talkative one. She has the brains, I have theflamboyance. I think our roles have been pretty nicely carved out for us.”
“You think you can’t measure up to her?”
I let her words settle between us before speaking. “You tell me. Even you seem to prefer her. Connect to her. While I?—"
“Don’t you ever get tired?” she asked when she cut me off. “Of the mask? The role? The lies?” Her eyes shifted to mine. “Because I feel like this is the first time I’m seeing the real you.”
