The Nymph King (Atlantis #3)(56)

"I have a surprise for you," he told Shaye.

"Good or bad?"

Before collecting her for their journey, he'd gone to his own chambers and filled them with food. He'd scented the pool with oil and removed some of the wall sconces for a dimmer atmosphere. He'd also circled a group of satin pillows around a low table nearly spilling over with fruits and desserts.

When she saw what he'd done, her eyes widened. "You're... this is... "

"Sit at the table," he instructed.

For a minute she didn't obey. She glanced from him to the table, from the table to him. She gulped. He expected her to say something in rebuke, but she surprised him by walking to the table and sitting.

He loved the way his shirt and pants draped her slim body, but all he could think about was getting under them.

He removed his armor, unbuckling the links at his shoulders and letting the gold pieces fall to the ground. He washed his face in the basin, splashing cool water over his skin. He should have bathed before collecting her and taking her into the city, but he'd been too eager to see her. And a part of him hoped to bathe with her.

"We are going to have a conversation, you and I," he said, striding to the table. He sat across from her and filled two goblets with wine.

"Very well." She sounded reluctant, unsure. At least she hadn't denied him outright.

"I was going to have a few of my former lovers advise you of my wondrous skill, but in the light of day that did not seem so wise."

"No," she said, nearly choking on her wine.

"Instead, I will tell you something about myself. Then you will tell me something about yourself. A conversation, as I said. Do we have a bargain?"

"I hate talking about myself," she said, tracing her fingertip over the bottom of her glass.

"Still, you will do it." Pause. "Please."

She bit her lip again, but nodded.

He sipped his goblet of wine, watching her over the rim. "I will begin." He paused, gathering his thoughts. How did one go about getting to know another person? What bits of his past should he give her? "I... had a brother," he said. It was as good a place as any to start, he supposed, as it was something he rarely spoke of, and never with a woman. The subject was too painful.

"Had?" she asked softly.

Nodding, he pinched a piece of fish between his fingers and popped it into his mouth. He chewed, swallowed. "He was my twin. He was stolen when we were children."

Her eyes widened. "Who took him?"

Familiar rage filled him, but he tamped it down. "The gorgons."

"The gor - what?" She crossed her legs, one over the other, and leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table. He had her full attention. She was interested in what he had to say, and her usual shields were still down.

"Gorgons are a race of women who can turn a man to stone with only a glance. Snakes slither on their heads. They are evil. Pure evil."

Ah. Like Medusa. "Why did they take him?"

Valerian slid a platter of grapes toward her and beckoned her to take one. She did. "They hoped to trade him for my father's aid - which they did not receive," he added darkly. "They killed Verryn for it. He and I shared a mind connection, and when that went dark I knew that he was gone." The last emerged as little more than a whisper. He glanced to Shaye, trying to clear his mind of the hated memories. "Now, it's your turn. Tell me something about yourself."

What should she tell him? Shaye wondered. He'd divulged something personal, something painful. She could do no less. Still, she tried to hold herself back. Tried not to reveal too much. He'd completely enchanted her today, and she feared she would never recover.

"Once I had a stepsister who chopped off all my hair," she said. "I was sleeping and didn't know it until the next morning." The action had been punishment, in her stepsister's mind, for cutting the hair of her favorite doll - a crime Shaye hadn't committed. That honor went to her stepbrother.

When ten-year-old Shaye ran crying to her mother, she was told to "work it out like a big girl."

Valerian's features darkened. "Your hair is sheer beauty, like moonlight and stars. Anyone who cuts it deserves death."

Pleasure speared her, utterly sweet in its headiness. She wasn't used to receiving compliments, yet Valerian gave them to her so readily. "Thank you."

"Living with the little demon must have been difficult."

"Yes. Thankfully, though, my mom was only married to her father for a year."

"Your mother had more than one mate?"

Shaye nodded. "She's had six."

"Six!"

She nodded again.

"Here a man takes but one mate, and keeps her for eternity."

She frowned as she considered his words. "What if the mated people are miserable with each other?"

"They must perform a blood ritual and offer a sacrifice."

"Oh, ick." She bit her bottom lip, not allowing herself to ask what type of sacrifice.

Valerian's gaze caught and lingered on her mouth, making her tingle, making her blood flow hot and achy. Then he shook his head, as if pulling himself from a spell. "What else would you like to know about me?" he asked.

"What about your first time?" she found herself saying. She wanted him, she did, and the more they talked, the weaker her resistance became. Surely hearing about his escapades with other women would strengthen her resolve.