Deidre's Death

Pleased with herself, she began to think being human wasn't going to be so hard. It was going to be much more pleasurable than she imagined. Now that she was alive again and survived Darkyn, the hardest part was over. All she had to do was practice for a day or two and then find Gabriel. They'd start their lives together and live happily ever after.

"Light, off!" she commanded the annoying overhead lights.

Nothing happened. She rolled her eyes, recalling she had no magic.

"Deidre?"

She perked at the voice and strode to the landing overlooking the bottom floor. She recognized the female death-dealer at once.

"Cora," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Sleeping on your couch. You were asleep when I got here," Cora replied. "I didn't want to wake you."

Deidre's gaze was caught by the bank of windows lining one side of the penthouse. They'd been there when she originally selected the apartment, of course, but the sight of the sunrise left her breathless. The sun was brilliant, the pinks and oranges - combined with the multiple shades of blue sky as it lightened - creating a vision beyond that of any dream.

"Wow," she said.

Cora followed her gaze, brow furrowed. "Are you alright?"

"It's beautiful, isn't it? It's a shame there's only one." In the underworld where she spent almost her entire life, there were two suns and two moons.

Deidre returned her attention to the death-dealer, who looked confused. Deidre went downstairs. She had to appear to be a normal human by being careful in everything she said and did. She knew from watching human-Deidre where the food was and opened the pantry door. Cans and boxes lined the shelves. Nothing looked … edible.

Lipton Tea. Deidre reached for the box. She opened the box and carefully unwrapped a tea bag, attention arrested as much by what was in her hands as the stiffness of paper.

She held up the bag by its string. The tea she remembered drinking didn't look like this. It came in a cup. Her gaze went to the cupboards. There were mugs there, she recalled. She opened them until she found one and placed the bag in the cup. Stepping back, Deidre waited for the tea transform into what she remembered tea to be.

Nothing happened.

"This isn't working," she said, perplexed. "Do you know how to do this?"

"Um, yes," the death-dealer said.

"Oh, good. You can show me. We can have breakfast." Deidre went back to the pantry, trying to remember what human-Deidre ate. "Do you know where the omelets are?"

Cora didn't answer. Deidre turned to find the assassin staring at her. She'd said something off but wasn't sure what.