"You're at seven questions." Asher tells me instead of answering. I glare at him, my mouth falling open as I fight the urge to smack him. I hadn't realized he'd been counting the three questions I'd asked up until now as part of the 'ten questions' deal.
"You haven't answered-" I begin, barely restraining myself as my voice rises in volume, my temper flaring.
"Yes, I will begin teaching you in a more traditional manner," Asher interrupts before I can scream at him. He raises a hand to tick off the answers to the 'questions' I've asked. "Yes, I am alright. My body is healed." He adds another finger to the count. "And there are very few things that could remove runes once applied." He ends, his eyes flaring a little with the fiery red that twists my insides in anticipation.
I grit my teeth, the jar of juice in my hand making a crinkling sound as spider-webs of cracks begin fluttering from where my hands have it in a white-knuckle grip. Asher pulls the jar from my hand and sets the fractured thing on the table. I don't miss the hint of his signature sexy-smirk twitching at the corners of his lips as he looks away from me briefly. The man's face smooths back out as he turns his raptor-like gaze back on me, the light dimming in his eyes.
"Explain." I hiss at him, making my voice calm in an attempt to combat the roiling fury that's threatening to bubble over the threshold of my control. Asher looks at me for a long minute, his eyes locked on mine, and at this close proximity, his campfire-and-s'mores scent is wrapping around me like the most intoxicating blanket. It tries to smother my anger to turn the raging fire to something more...primal. Needy. Hot. I shudder and back up a few inches as my mind fills with lusty thoughts. No. No, no. Not what I need. I need answers not hot, mind-blowing-
"Runes are carved into the skin of a Reaper, yes, but they're not like humanoid tattoos. You cannot laser-remove them or cover them with other runes to nullify them. Once you receive a rune, it's there for life. Engraved on your very soul." Asher surprises me yet again by actually giving me an answer. I can feel the heat in me slowly warping, simmering back down...way down. I take in a slow, steadying breath as I process his words.
"Okay," I acknowledge after a second, drumming my fingers on the table to give them something to do as my thoughts flutter around the information.
"If a Reaper's soul is affected, there is a small chance a few of the runes on their skin can be erased." Asher tells me, his eyes dipping from mine to slowly skim down my face, neck, and chest. I fight a shudder as his gaze warms me, like his eyes are expelling tendrils of heat as they focus on me. My thighs press together, rubbing in an attempt to give some sort of relieving friction where I need it. "There are other things that could affect runes, such as corruption from ichor or venom. But since you were not injured by such tainted things, that is not a possibility."
"I never said-" I start, reflexively becoming defensive as his eyes flick back up to mine and lock. The bright red glow of them shuts me up almost immediately, piercing through my bullshit response and scouring me with their heat. I squirm as my libido spikes and swallow back the rest of my excuse. "Tell me what you think happened." I order, my voice a little thicker with desire. Asher's eyes flare impossibly brighter, a shimmer of black ink rippling under the surface of his paling skin.
"Are you finished eating?" He asks suddenly, the irises doused by the words. I shiver as a chill of annoyance rolls through me in place of the heat of desire and I glance at my tray.
"No." I mutter, looking longingly at the two custard deserts with what looks like some sort of nut-crumble on the top and the remaining dish of pasta.
"Finish. Then I will escort you to your quarters." Asher tells me and my neck makes an audible crack as my spine pops, my head whipping to stare at him so fast I swear I get whiplash. I let out a hiss as pain spikes through the now sore spot on my neck. Before I can reach up to massage the spot, Asher's long fingers are there. A shudder and moan of pleasure escape me before I realize what he's doing. The pain eases as soon as his skin makes contact with mine, and he puts just enough pressure to soothe the remaining ache before his hand goes back to his side. There and gone in the blink of an eye. I press my lips together as the pulsing heat in my core reminds me that his touch wasn't all in my head. I swallow and clear my throat before reaching for my food.
YOU ARE READING
Reaper Society
FantasíaYou've probably heard of Grim Reapers before, but even I never thought there was more to the typical 'harvesters of souls' until a week ago...
