has ever called me that before in my life. I’m kind to you. Remember that.”
“I’ll try.” She ran her finger along the side of his thumb.
“I thought about trying to find a way to cure you. To give you sight.” Nero sighed heavily. “Viktor’s science, maybe. Hugo’s always tinkering with human flesh. I’m sure he could…I don’t know…give you owl eyes or something. But his science changes people in weird and terrible ways. I don’t want you to be different. I even thought about talking to Morten and seeing if he has some kind of magic to help you, but…I hate him.”
“It’s all right.” She squeezed his hand tighter. “It’s a very sweet thought. But I’m not afflicted. My world is just different from yours.”
“So…” He placed a kiss on her shoulder. She shivered. “If you experience all your other senses more keenly because you’re missing your sight, that explains why you love being touched so much.”
He kissed her shoulder again, and she felt goosebumps rush over her. “Stop it.” She smiled and gently pushed him away. A half-rebuke. It wasn’t slap-worthy. She only had a few more to go before they reached their “baker’s dozen” and he did…something. She didn’t know what, but she knew it would be lascivious.
“Oh, fine.” He draped an arm behind her and seemed content to simply sit close to her.
The warmth of his body was a sharp contrast to the cool night air. “Nero, why is your body temperature so much higher?”
“Part of my ‘gift’ of being Cardinal. My eye, that I can summon fire…my anger. It’s said that fire lives within me. Viktor has his storms and lightning. Hugo has his lakes and oceans. Morten has his ice and stone.”
“But how? It isn’t science.”
“No. It isn’t. It comes from that frozen piece of shit that sits on the throne up north. He’s to blame for all of this. Fucking ugly-ass pater familias of us all. He brought a curse down from the gods and splits it up to keep it from destroying him. He uses us all like a crutch so he can keep on existing.”
“Is he really…the original? I always wondered if it wasn’t just someone pretending to be him every generation or so.”
“Oh, no, trust me.” Nero grunted and lay back on the lounge, sitting perpendicular to her. He had his legs on either side of the bench. He pulled her to lie against him, her head on his chest, sitting tucked between his thighs. She didn’t fuss about it. “He’s the original. Somewhere around 1347, he came to this place. He emerged from whatever tomb he’d been sitting in for two thousand years. And he changed everything. He destroyed the world and brought back the old ways.” He draped an arm over her casually, and she rested her hands on him. It was comfortable. It was nice.
She let her eyes drift shut. “The rest of you have always been mortal, though?”
“Mmhm. Thank fuck. He doesn’t want us to think we’re gods. He keeps immortality to himself. I’m fine with that. If what it’s done to his stupid ass is any indication, I don’t want any part of that shit. I have no interest in living forever.”
“That’s shockingly wise.”
“I don’t deserve my power. I don’t deserve to be Cardinal. I certain as shit don’t deserve to live forever.”
“What makes you say that?”
He sniffed dismissively as he thought. “I’m not a good man. You know that.”
She kissed his arm. “You’re good enough.”
“You say that now. We’ll see how you feel once you see me have to beat a slave or watch me kill a man in person.”
She waited. One…two…three…
“Fuck!” He growled.
She laughed. “You got it faster that time. You’re learning. And no…I don’t like the idea of you taking the rod to a slave or killing someone. I don’t like it at all.” She paused. “I disagree with the concept of slavery for obvious reasons.”
“I suppose you would. If I could free you, Hope…I would. But it would require abolishing the foundation of this country, and if I did that, everything would fall apart. I can’t make exceptions.”
She would try to convince him. She had a chance to change things for the better, and she would take the risk. But now was likely not the time. “That you would means enough to me.” She squeezed his hand again. “It’s the thought that counts.”
“I’m going to keep you to that sentiment.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m going to make you