At the mention of the dinner, Ursula’s stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten anything apart from a few grapes since she’d first arrived. As she crossed into the living room, she saw that Cera had arranged a few folded piles of clothes for her on the sofa. As soon as Cera left, she’d change into them. But right now, she just wanted to tear into the sumptuous-smelling meal.
At the bar, Cera had cleared up the wine and cheese from the night before. In their place stood a silver domed place setting. Cera pulled off the lid. Steam curled into the air, and Ursula’s mouth watered at the scent of grilled meat. Cera had arranged fingerling potatoes next to a T-bone steak with a small salad. Ursula pulled a chair up to the bar, a grin curling her lips. “This looks amazing. Did you make it?”
Cera beamed. “I did.”
“Thank you so much.” Ursula popped a potato into her mouth, savoring the buttery flavor. Amazing. She glanced at Cera. “Cera, you are indeed multi-talented. Are you going to join me? It’s a shame to eat alone.”
Cera shook her head. “I’ve already eaten.”
She picked up the knife and fork. “Maybe tomorrow you could join me.”
Cera’s brow furrowed. “No,” she said with some finality. “Fine.” Ursula picked up her knife and fork. Guess I’ll eat alone. Still, she didn’t want to be completely isolated. She’d lose her mind in solitary confinement. Maybe she could keep Cera here for conversation. “So how does the food get here? Surely you don’t have cows on the moon.”
“The salad and the potatoes are grown here. The lunar soil isn’t very rich in nutrients, but that’s easily remedied with natural compost. But you’re right about the beef. It is imported.”
“And how does that work?” She shoveled in a forkful of salad. “I had to leave all my clothes behind to travel through Nyxobas’s water.”
“That’s right,” said Cera nodding. “Since it’s impossible to bring anything through a portal with you, we have the lunar bats fly it in.”
“Bats like Sotz?”
“Exactly. They can fly between the Earth and the moon.”
“They fly through the vacuum of space? Without air?”
Cera shrugged. “They don’t appear to need air. They’re Nyxobas’s creatures.”
“Fascinating,” said Ursula, carving off a piece of the steak. Red streaks of blood oozed from the flesh.
“Is it okay? We don’t usually cook steak. I hope I didn’t overdo it.”
After ruining the dress, Ursula didn’t want to insult the demon. “It’s delicious.” She cut off a piece from the edge and popped it into her mouth.
Cera’s eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled. “Well, I should leave you to eat alone.”
Ursula turned to Cera. “Sotz flew back on his own?”
“Yes. He’s in the rookery now. Well, perhaps I—”
It was a long shot, but she had to ask. “I don’t suppose you can tell me what I’ll be doing here for the next six months. Am I really supposed to just hang out in my quarters?”
Cera frowned. “No. Of course not. And I completely forgot the wine.”
Before Ursula could tell her not to worry, Cera was already behind the bar. She slid a glass over the bar and pulled out a carafe of red wine.
Ursula took a sip, letting the rich flavor roll over her tongue. Delicious. It also helped rinse out the taste of raw meat. “If I’m staying here, how often will you visit me?”
“I’ll deliver your meals and clothes,” said Cera, eyeing the raw steak hungrily. “That’s all I know.”
“And you’ll never eat with me? Even if the food is delicious?”
“That’s not how it works. Everyone has their place here in the Shadow Realm. And my place is not at the table with you.”
Ursula forked another potato into her mouth. “I don’t understand.”
“The lord doesn’t allow the oneiroi to eat his food.”
“You mean Bael?”
Cera frowned. “Yes. The lord.”
“I won’t tell. You can have the steak, if you want. I don’t eat much meat,” she lied.
Cera drummed her fingernails on the marble bar for a moment before snatching the plate. “If you insist.”
The demon grabbed a fork, lifting the entire steak to her mouth. She opened her mouth, her sharp teeth glinting in the candlelight. She tore into the meat, ripping off a chunk with her teeth.
As Cera ripped into the meat, Ursula crossed to the other side of the bar and pulled out another wine glass. She slid it over to Cera, then filled it. “The steak goes well with the wine.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Of course not. I don’t want to be stuck here on my own. And will you please sit? Make yourself comfortable.”
Cera climbed into a chair and continued working her way through the steak, little grunts of pleasure emitting from her throat.
“So tell me about yourself,” said Ursula. “How did you come to work for Bael?”
“My mother was the lord’s maidservant. When she grew too old to work, I took over the position.”