Chapter Five

In Which the Lady Wakes in a Location Most Unfamiliar needs fn

Once it was done, I descended into nothingness for a time, until eventually, vaguely, I realized I could sense my body. The cool water buoyed me up, and my dress had dried. I tried twitching a finger, but the connection was so tenuous that my body didn't respond. Similarly, when I attempted to reach out using my magic, it resisted my direction, slipping through my fingers with a playfulness that reminded me of a pixie's. I could almost hear the giggles, see the finger wave as it skittered away.

I retreated from my physical body, and found that wherever I was, I had some semblance of a body here. Soft blankets and a plush mattress enveloped me, and I yawned, stretching in the bed. For the first time, I experienced the hazy confusion of waking from sleep, because somehow, I'd slept. For the first time in my life, I'd experienced something I'd seen my people do so many times, their fragile, mortal bodies needing respite for the inundation of life's sensations.

I'd never needed it, always assuming it was for those weaker than I. And, after all, it looked entirely boring. Nothing happened whilst one slept, I'd thought, or worse, things did happen, but one would miss it. I was a goddess. I couldn't afford to miss anything. At first it was because I didn't want to miss a second of my entertainment playing out, but as I'd increased my people's autonomy, it had been because every time I diverted my attention they'd do something foolhardy. Couldn't they see that if they crossed that mountain pass, they'd be trapped before winter was over? Especially not when there was another not two weeks south that would be preferable?

But of course, they couldn't. Or perhaps they'd make a discovery while I was averting a crisis elsewhere, one that would lead to technological advancement on the scale which I was not yet prepared to deal with. Couldn't they see that if they forged ahead blindly, they'd end up exactly like that poor planet Earth?

They needed me, I'd thought. Needed my guiding hand to set them back on track. On the slow, steady path of advancement that would lead to a more sustainable future. In hindsight, of course, I could see what hubris that was.

The surrounding room was dimly lit, so it didn't hurt my eyes. The bed I lay in had a large canopy, swathed with deep green curtains. Beyond them, the light of candles flickered, and the sounds of a popping fireplace told me I wasn't alone.

Sweeping the curtains aside, I saw I was in a room that looked as if it had been carved from the cavern where my body floated. In front of the fire, a pair of high-back chairs sat with a table between them. The table held a flagon, a pair of goblets, and a cloche. After scanning the room, I decided that while Orcus was obviously around; he wasn't currently in the room with me.

I padded across to the table, removing the cloche to find a steaming bowl of chowder, a hunk of thick, crusty bread, and a dainty cupcake.

I frowned, immediately suspicious. I was a prisoner, and he fed me my favorite foods, complete with dessert? It had to be a trap.

The flagon proved to be wine, which smelled like a vintage I adored. It was all too perfect. While the room didn't adhere to my personal preference, it appeared designed to comfort me. One wall was covered by floor to ceiling bookshelves, with books looking to be arranged by age. Farthest left, I could see some of my favorites from Earth, near the middle, more modern books from Earth that I didn't recognize, and to the far right were a selection of books written by my own people. In front of the shelves sat a large, dark wood desk. It was neatly adorned with a bunch of moonflowers, a selection of papers, writing implements, and a typewriter. Flipping through a notebook I found, I could see that all the pages were blank, though some had patterns swirling at the edges. Opening the drawers revealed an array of journals, sketchbooks, and sealing waxes. Perhaps I'd be given homework as part of my rehabilitation. Did Orcus not know that I adored study?

He could mean to use it against me, or he could always use it as a reward. Yes, that must be it. This room was designed to tempt me, an incentive he'd dangle over my head for good behavior. It was smart, really. Though I shouldn't be surprised, he'd been made to be cunning.

The click of a door opening startled me, making me gasp and spin around. I was more nervous than I'd like to admit. Orcus sauntered in, leaning on the bedframe nonchalantly and leveling his dark eyes at me.

"Is everything to your liking?" he asked.

As if it mattered. Then again, if he meant to use it as leverage, I suppose it did.

"It's quite cozy." I allowed.

"You haven't eaten. Come, sit, you should eat—keep your strength up—you'll need it."

"I don't need to eat. Surely you know that."

"Ah, your body doesn't need to eat, but here? I assure you, you'll need to. I designed it that way, after all."

Hm. Well, what was it, but another hook ensnared into me? I'd trusted him to enact my discipline, my exile. I suppose I couldn't complain if he did so by plying me with the things I loved most, and then ripped them from me. Again, cunning.

With a grace that defied his size, he crossed the room and settled into one of the large chairs.

"Come." He waved me over, but when I was close, he patted his large lap.

"You can't be serious." I shook my head. What in the world was he playing at?

"Serious as death. Now, do as you're instructed. I'd hate to punish you before we've even truly begun."