Pandora is given a box. Quite simply, she must never open it.
And Pandora is normally very good at following rules.
Until she isn't.
Out comes her curiosity and out comes the contents of her box.
It's not all the disasters you've read about in t...
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𝑖𝑛ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛. LESSONS FROM LUST
•••
Suddenly I was up against the wall. He'd appeared out of nowhere, startling me. A scream sat ready in my throat before he clamped his hand to my mouth.
"Lesson one," his gaze dropped to my lips, "always be aware of your weaknesses."
My breath caught in my throat; I was overly aware of how hard his grip was on my waist, how close he was. He removed his hand, stepping away.
"You seem like you're in a better mood," I said, my tiredness suddenly gone.
"I'm always in a good mood." The teasing glint was back in his face, bold and bright.
"No. You were avoiding me like I'm poisonous."
"We're all poisonous here, Pandora," he answered lowly. "Did you have any nicknames? As a child, growing up?"
My face scrunched up. "What?"
A grin smoothed across his lips. "It's just a bit of a mouthful, isn't it?"
"It's three syllables, Beast," I stated blandly. "Stop saying my name if it's that much of an issue."
At that, his eyes darkened. "Pandora it is then." He took a step back; his power constantly radiated off him, in invisible waves. "What did you learn from seeing the fights?"
I shoved my annoyance deep inside, focusing on his question. "That your kind can be ruthless. And that you can't use your powers against your mates."
He cocked his head to the side. "Who said that?"
"The Ophidians."
"Interesting," he murmured.
I sighed, eyeing him side-long. He knew I didn't know; he knew I'd have to ask. "And why," I sighed again, "is that interesting?"
A Cruor appeared in his hand, taking form rapidly in the air. It was the same blade the Sins and Virtues had fought with—a clean, long metal shaft, with no handle on either end. "It's not impossible. It's just difficult."
"Why? If your powers are your true form, shouldn't it come easily?"
"It's difficult," he twirled the Cruor in his hand, its silver glow blurring with the fastness with which he moved, "because our true forms don't let us attack the people we care about. It just doesn't happen."
"For creatures that claim themselves to be Unholy, that's unbelievably sweet," I mused.
"Sweet?" He let out a humourless chuckle and then the wall was cold against my back once again, his lips a whisper over mine. "Do you not think that the Sins and Virtues would kill each other if they could?"
