Page 37 of Up In Flames
I made a purring sound of agreement. “Yes, indeed.”
I ate my cake, groaning through every bite, then moved on to the savory items. I especially enjoyed a buttery sauce that I saw Aranren pour over his eggs. I covered my eggs with it and dipped the biscuits in it. Something inside me growled for more so I had another piece of cake—strawberry cake this time. Then I pulled the entire cake over and pushed aside my plate.
“I'm glad you're enjoying the food,” Aranren said.
“What have you accomplished?” I asked between bites of cake. “How much further have you come with the undead?”
Aranren frowned. “Let's wait until after breakfast to discuss such matters.”
I shoved the cake away and stared at him.
But Aranren wouldn't be rushed. He ate with pleasure and elegance. Slowly. Then he cut a piece of strawberry cake from what remained before me and set it on his plate.
I refused to let him get to me, so I went back to eating my cake. As I did, I ruminated over the past few hours. I hadn't forgotten the lust and longing Death had filled me with. But after analyzing it, I understood. Aranren and I could become the greatest power on the planet.IfI fell in love with him. I needed to bring the Corrupter into a bond, and then I could magnify his power.
But I wasn't sure I wanted that. First, love was a weakness, and there was no guarantee that I'd win Aranren's love in return. Without an exchange, I'd be weaker than him. Second, I would be empowering him, not myself. And lastly, I didn't want to be bound to him forever. So it was lucky that Aranren had put a stop to our sex.
No, I wouldn't be fucking the Corrupter.
Chapter Eighteen
“So, you haven't made any progress at all?” I asked as I looked around Aranren's lab.
“I have already made great progress,” Aranren snarled. “I deserve to do other things.”
“Other things?” I leaned against a worktable and crossed my arms. “What other things?”
“I enjoy reading and riding horses. I also like to garden.”
“Garden?” I laughed.
“By that, I mean that I use magic to transform the landscape,” he said stiffly. “I get bored with it looking one way all the time.”
“Ah. Well, that's better than you digging around in the dirt.”
“Ember, we must have more than war to focus on or we will flounder. And what would we do after we claim Varr if we don't have our hobbies?”
“Oh, I don't know,” I drawled. “Rule?”
He snorted. “Even rulers get time to themselves. Don't you have interests?”
I straightened from my lean and ambled about the room, peering at jars and books. I schooled my expression to be cool and collected, but inside, I was searching for something that made me who I was. Did I have other interests? What had I done for fun before I joined the Wraith Lords? Walked through the woods, baked, and tended the garden. Yes, I saw the irony in that last one, but it was more about necessity than pleasure. I did enjoy the baking. Could I rule the world and bake cookies? It sounded ridiculous.
You can have it all now, Death whispered in me.Be whoever you want to be. Have whatever you wish to have. That is what it means to fully embrace my magic.
The words solidified inside me, bringing confidence even as something struggled against it.
I turned back to Aranren. “I like to bake.”
His brows lifted. “Then we will build you a kitchen, something separate from the one our soldiers cook in. You can bake all you want.”
“Yes, I like that idea,” I said.
“For now, would you like to go riding with me?”
“In the dead of winter?”
“Oh, but we are one with Death.” Aranren grinned.
