"No worries, Leviathan and Serafina pointed me in the right direction," I say, giving her a smile as she ushers me to sit at the table.
"I do not like that girl. She is cold and devious, but he does not see it. Thankfully, he does not see her lust for him either." She rolls her eyes and I giggle at her. "Now then, I don't think you're allergic to anything, but just in case, we've got creamy chicken pockets, gravy steak pockets, fries and veggies are coming, but if you don't like any of that, I can whip something else up."
"Oh, my goodness, no, this all sounds heavenly." I thank her. Having barely eaten for two weeks, and even then, nothing more than stale bread and old cheese, the smells make my mouth water.
"Well then, dig in. No pretenses or graces here. Nothing better than someone who enjoys eating." She smiles and sits beside me. I load my plate up, and she does the same. We eat in companionable silence, as I devour the amazingness she's put together.
I stretch as I finish, bloated beyond measure but I feel more content than I ever remember feeling. I stand and gather the dishes, waving Everly off as she clucks about me being a guest, and tidy up. I find the dishwasher easily, and load it, wrapping the leftovers and leaving them on the counter.
"Settling in already I see, Everly will be out a job you keep this up," Leviathan says, I look up to find him leaning against the door frame, arms and legs crossed, more at ease than I've seen him. His eyes practically dance with laughter as I scowl at him.
"Boy, you need to learn some manners!" Everly scolds from the table she still sits at, and he at least has the mirth to look a little sorry.
"Yes ma'am." He salutes to her and enters the room, looking over the leftovers. "You made pastry pockets. My favorite!"
He groans as he bites into one, and I look away, pretending the sound doesn't do things to me. I know, from my dream, that very first memory I ever had, that I have known him before, intimately, but you'd never know it from the way he acts. The way he speaks to me. And yet, my traitorous body still reacts to that sound, and I feel shame and guilt. I already have enough problems trying to work out what I'm doing with Creek, Kain, and Roman. Leviathan would just be an extra complication. Right?
I shake off the thoughts and tiredness sweeps through me. I try to stifle my yawn, but I hear Leviathan’s chuckle, and realize I wasn't as subtle as I'd hoped.
"Oh, hush you." Everly flicks at him with a kitchen towel, and he jumps backs, laughing harder. "Come on, sweetheart. You've been through a lot, you need to get some rest. Ignore him." I smile at her, and she hugs me again.
"Thank you for your company tonight," I say softly before pulling back.
"Of course, anytime sweetheart. It's my pleasure." I wave as I walk from the room.
"Night, Remy," Leviathan’s voice calls out to my back, but I just keep walking. I’m practically asleep before I even reach the door. God knows I have a million questions for him, but first, I need to sleep. I close the curtains before stripping out of my clothes without even turning on the light, and slip under covers, sighing as I sink into the mattress, the soft cotton cocooning me. I snuggle down into the soft pillows and drift off to sleep quicker than I thought possible.
Chapter Two
I stretch out when I wake, the room still as dark as it was when I came to bed, and I wonder how long I've been asleep. I slip from between the sheets, flicking on the lamp on the bedside unit, and grab the robe I saw hanging on the back of the door in the bathroom. I take in my reflection in the mirror, the dark purple under my eyes now gone, my skin seems brighter, and I don't look as worn as I did yesterday. Other than the bird’s nest that is my hair, I don't look half bad. It's amazing what a good sleep can do.
I pad back out into the room, and open the curtains, discovering a small courtyard outside the room. I spy a door from the hall that runs alongside my room and make a note