A Love From A Different World

Chapter 92

Aelin felt weird. Utterly weird. But how could she not when she was lingering by the front door of her distant aunt's apartment?

Amren owned the top floor of a three-story building, the sloped ceiling ending on either side in a massive window. One looked out on the Sidra; the other on a tree-lined city square. The entire apartment consisted of one giant room: the faded oak floors were covered in equally worn carpets, furniture was scattered about as if she constantly moved it for whatever purpose.

Only her bed, a large, four-poster monstrosity canopied in gossamer, seemed set in a permanent place against the wall. There was no kitchen—only a long table and a hearth burning hot enough to make the room near-stifling. The dusting of snow from the night before had vanished in the dry winter sun by midmorning, the temperature crisp but mild enough that the walk here had been invigorating.

Seated on the floor before a low-lying table scattered with papers, Amren looked up from the gleaming metal of the book.

"Do all the gods drink blood, or is it just a morbid, and frankly disgusting personal preference?" Aelin asked, holding up a jar full of spiced blood- an offering, Mor had told her.

Amren's silver eyes lit up. "You—oh, I like you."

Aelin snorted and unceremoniously threw herself on the couch. "I hope so, for Mala's sake."

Amren didn't let her put the jar down and wanked it out of her hands and quickly unscrewed the lid. Her aunt took a long sip and when she smiled, blood gleamed off her teeth. "You really do remind me of her. Her hair, almost her eyes. But most importantly, her power."

"Was that how you knew who I was?"

"You look the same as you did as a child, yes, but it was your power. Many have fire magic, but none so powerful as Mala's, none like yours. I suspected for a while, but I knew for certain during the attack."

"Why did you watch me as a child?"

That stopped the other female. Her eyes turned serious, secretive. "This again?"

"I tend not to repeat myself, but yes, this again. Perhaps I wouldn't have to bring up the subject again if you hadn't been so cryptic."

Putting down her drink, Amren pressed her lips in a hard line. "I'm cryptic? What about you? You have as many secrets as the Bone Carver has answers."

"My secrets are my own, however, yours involve creepily stalking me as a child, apparently."

"You're very dramatic." Amren returned to her blood.

"And you're in desperate need of sex. Do all the gods have sticks up their asses?"

The goddess ignored her and the assassin frowned. "Well?"

"What?"

"Do they?"

"...Depends on the god."

Smiling at the response, Aelin returned to her line of questioning. "Now, about you watching me..."

"Drop it, girl."

"Not going to happen. When I want information, typically I get it through threats and torture, but something tells me His Sexy Holiness would be pissed if I turned you into a pile of ashes. So, I'm asking nicely." Aelin finished with her most dazzling smile.

Something told her that the look Amren gave her would send an ordinary person running. But unfortunately for Amren, Aelin was no ordinary person.

"Get that stupid smug look off your face. I watched every fae child with the affinity for great power."

"And you remember every single one over the duration of your very, very long existence?"

"Yes."

"And did you take notes for references, or am I just so sparklingly, breathtakingly, oh-so-amazing that you recognized me ten years later, and in a sea of the hundreds of thousands you kept inside that teeny-tiny little head of yours?"

Amren gave her another look. "I will not dignify that with a response."

Feeling satisfied with having successfully annoyed the female, Aelin turned her attention to the book.

"So, how long until you decode this?"

"Don't you mean we?"

"Ha, no. As brilliant as I am, I have done my duty here. My sole purpose from now on is to sit still, and be pretty."

Unsurprisingly, her dull, uptight aunt gave her yet another bored look. "Uh, no wonder you don't get any. Is it just you, or do none of the gods have a sense of humor?"

"Does every mortal ask an incessant amount of questions, or is it just you?"

"Touché,"

"Now, sit your ass down and let's get to business."

"Whatever you say, auntie."

The female's face contorted in disguise.

"Not a fan?" Aelin asked innocently. "How about elder aunt Deanna? Goddess of the Hunt?"

She wasn't sure if the female was suppressing a smirk or a frown. "Amren will do."

"Whatever you say...auntie Amren."

So the two of them worked on deciphering the book, all while Aelin made Amren frown with her dirty innuendos and creative insults. And more than once did she catch Amren smiling secretly as she pretended to be annoyed with Aelin's endless comments.