"You are happy now?" Andre asked. He sipped his tea.
"This, too, is different. I feel Andre. Emotions. Real ones. As a deity, it was not so. The only emotions I felt had to be so intense and when they were, they still felt nothing like those I know now," she explained. "I loved Gabriel, but I know now that love was nothing compared to what I feel now."
She heard herself talking. A lot. She didn't usually talk this much, but something about Andre put her at ease. The alarm sounded in the back of her mind.
Mind reader.
The air grew heavier in response, and it faded once more. She wolfed down the rest of the croissant.
"Before we chat, he asked me to verify your tumor is gone. May I do so quickly?" Andre asked.
"Yes."
"Be still. It'll take a few seconds only." Andre leaned forward and rested the fingertips of one hand on her temple.
She closed her eyes at the cool touch. A ripple of cold energy floated through her head and made her shiver. Even this sensation she loved. True to his word, he removed his fingers and leaned back. Deidre opened her eyes.
"Not there, right?" she asked.
"No, it's not," he agreed. He didn't smile this time but sipped his tea, eyes on her. "Are you feeling well?"
"Very." She ate another croissant. "Except I can't remember anything beyond my twenty-six years."
"I may be able to help you with that," he offered. "You do seem very …different from the other night when we talked."
Deidre struggled to recall what happened, when human-Deidre had last seen Andre. Vaguely, she recalled human-Deidre sat with Andre in the penthouse. She recalled no emotions, though, to indicate if that exchange was good or bad. She doubted it was bad. Andre was an Immortal, a friend of Gabriel.
"Yes. That night I went to Darkyn for him to remove my tumor," she said.
Andre was listening patiently, relaxed and interested.
Deidre shook her head. The air grew heavier. She wasn't certain what was wrong with her, but she didn't want to lie to Andre. She needed to tell him the truth. The urge was beyond her control.
"I mean … she went to Darkyn," she said. "I was in her head. I guess we went to Darkyn."
"She?"
"The human I created twenty six years ago. I made her to carry me and to bring us together. Except …" Deidre strained. She didn't want to tell him. But she did. "Darkyn was supposed to find us sooner. I made him a private deal. I made Zamon, his predecessor, a private deal first … I …" Her head hurt from struggling.