Deidre's Death - Page 12/119

"We can make some," Cora said.

"Okay."

"Do you want me to … uh, remind you how?"

"Yes, please."

Deidre stepped back as Cora moved into the kitchen.

"This is a Keurig. You can make tea with it," she started.

Deidre watched closely as Cora demonstrated how to heat water, insert the teabag and then add sugar. She tested the tea Cora made and was thrilled at the rich, sweetened flavor.

"Wow," she said. She crossed to the pantry again, suddenly curious about what kind of new, intense flavors awaited her in the assortment of boxes and cans.

"The eggs are in the refrigerator," Cora said.

Deidre hesitated. The death-dealer gave her another long look before she pointed to the stainless steel box at the end of the kitchen. Deidre crossed to it and opened both doors. One side was cold, the other freezing. More food items lined the shelves of both. Her eyes went over the shelves. She read the names of everything, until she found the eggs.

She removed the carton from the fridge, opening it as she walked to Cora. She carefully lifted an egg. Fascinated by the cool, smooth texture of its shell, she bumped into the counter. The egg fell, and she gasped as it exploded on contact with the floor.

"I can fix it," she said quickly and knelt.

"No, no. Um, it's … you know what, you can drink your tea and I'll make breakfast," Cora said, taking the eggs. She handed Deidre the teacup and saucer.

Deidre went to the breakfast bar, eyes following Cora's movements. She had to learn to do everything a human did, and she had to learn fast. Her eyes went to the strange red chili lights dangling around the edge of the kitchen. She wasn't certain she liked them; they clashed with the creamy décor of the apartment.

As she watched Cora, Deidre began to think she'd missed a lot over the past few months despite trying to pay attention to the human world. Preparing food wasn't something human-Deidre did often. She ate at restaurants, where food was brought to her.

But the day she met Gabriel, human-Deidre made an omelet. Deidre wanted to experience everything about that day. It was the second strongest memory in human-Deidre's mind, the day when both of their lives changed.

The strongest memory in human-Deidre's mind: the moment she realized she'd made a deal with the Dark One, when his fangs had pierced her body. Deidre wasn't expecting to go through it with the human. Even as a sentient soul, she'd felt fear.

It must have terrified human-Deidre. She frowned. As a deity, she had few real emotions. She was numb to most of the world, and the colors of the worlds were muted. The thought of human-Deidre in the hands of the Dark One made her feel something … unpleasant.