From what Asmodeus could tell, Kymra had been playing coy the entire time.
And Robyn's patience was wearing incredibly thin.
He wouldn't show it around me - or at least who Robyn thought was me - he'd show it to everyone else. He was moody often furious and would take his frustrations out on others.
Asmodeus had seen it first hand with some servants and on more than one occasion, had to intervene for their sake.
But he'd only been able to get close enough to Robyn several weeks after I left. Which meant I was on my own as to whether or not I could guess what happened in the few weeks he wasn't around.
Apparently, Kymra had been tired all of the time.
"I suspect it is because she had to do more Dust towards the end," he looked at me pointedly from his chair. "You were getting stronger and pulling more magic from her. She was barely holding on. Her hair was starting to turn black. I had to act."
I still didn't trust him and I didn't hide the sarcasm in my voice. "How very selfless of you."
He only laughed. "You have handmaidens now."
I frowned. "What is that?"
"Female servants, they help you with whatever you need. Feed you, bathe you, help you dress."
I looked at him, horrified.
"They're even helping you with your magic. Small tasks, of course, nothing like what Julian was showing you. Getting changed, spectering objects."
I let out a puff of air. Robyn wasn't even showing me magic himself? Damien would be the one to teach me. He would be the one that watch me carefully and make sure I wouldn't hurt anyone else. He wouldn't let some strangers let him do that for him. "This is ridiculous. Damien would never -"
Asmodeus interrupted. "You keep saying 'Damien would never do this, Damien would never do that'. That is the point. You're right - Damien would never agree to have handmaidens or servants like Robyn does. But this isn't Damien. Damien is dead. And the sooner you get it through your skull the sooner all of this can end."
I got up forcefully from the chair I was sitting in and strode across the room to the only door of the sitting room. I didn't need to take his crap.
"Where are you going?"
I didn't turn. "I'm leaving. I don't need to take your condescending attitude."
He suddenly spectered in front of me, dark eyes watching me over. "Do you even know where you're going?"
"At this point," I said moving around him. "I don't even care as long as it's not around you. Your energy is like battery acid."
And it was true - it was like the night before. I could feel his energy ooze from him, dark and polluted. Reading energy came and went in waves. It wasn't bad when I was in a crowd but as the day wore on it got worse. I was finding it incredibly hard to even concentrate and the effort alone was giving me a headache.
I opened one of the doors and found myself in a large hall. Right outside the door were two women dressed in black from head to toe. Both looked to be young and stunning.
They didn't meet my eyes as they quickly curtsied.
Instinctively, the words tumbled from my mouth. "Please don't curtsy."
They both looked at each other then at me, confusion written in their eyes. They were identical in their movements and expressions. "I'm sorry, my Lady, it's only proper. We must."
