Sinners' Kingdom #1: The Book of Lust (Complete)

58

To his credit, Lust lived up to his word and ferried me back the way we came without a single protest. I had fully expected him to at least wheedle me a dozen times no matter how desperate he was to make amends for, you know, blinding me, but it was as if he was... happy? Joyous, even, as he carried me through the sprinkling rain with his lips brushing various parts of my body every so often as we walked. When I made it clear I wasn't amused, he played it off by only doing so whenever the terrain changed unexpectedly, jostling us slightly as he navigated the uneven earth with swift strides. Yeah, right. I was blind, not stupid. He was clearly just trying to rub up on me the entire time. He was fully capable of keeping both of us perfectly and gracefully balanced as he walked.

But I gave up snapping at him after the first try. I was too tired for this. That last burst of fiery determination to get my way no matter what two Princes had to say about it flattened me like a ketchup packet. Done. I couldn't even keep from slouching against Lust and resting my head on top of his, practically passing out on top of him. No one warned me how much harder it was to resist sleep when you were blind and had nothing but emptiness for sight. The ultimate trap. Maybe I should have insisted on walking on my own two feet instead of giving in so easily. Seriously, wasn't it bad sign that I was becoming accustomed to touching Lust so much? Relying on him like this would undermine my Dominance in no time, and the contract...

I jolted awake for the tenth time, then jumped again in short order when Lust's fingers trailed down my back in a soothing stroke.

"Sleep a little longer, love. What has you so worried?"

"... Just had a thought. You're fast. Why are you walking so slowly?" His amused, delighted chuckle confirmed my suspicions. "You—just get us there," I demanded. "This isn't a picnic, Lust. I'm not here for a stroll. What if we're too late! It could disappear because you wanted to take your sweet time getting there. Put me down. I'll get there faster on my own."

I pushed off of his shoulder, shoving away the sleep that gnawed all over my body, but Lust's arms tightened around my waist and dragged me close again.

"For fuck's sake—!"

"It's dangerous to be running around out here," he purred. "Did you know that predators are designed to chase fleeing prey? And proto-sirens have keen vision, like hawks, eagles, falcons. They can spot quick little movements from miles away. It's safer for you to move slowly so as not to tempt their natures, even against this unpleasant weather."

I was about to call him out for making up obvious BS, then vaguely recalled something I saw on National Geographic or the Discovery Channel that slow, creeping retreats were the best way to deal with animals. Some of them, at least. If he was making all of this up, then he was making a convincing show of it, enough to make me sway. Or was that the incubus influence in my veins, nurturing my eagerness to agree with whatever he said? I battled between the polar forces of apparent common sense and defensive spite, wondering if I should object just to demonstrate to myself that I still could, but ended up giving in to the fatigue that wrapped around me like a fur coat. He really was warm. A toasty personal fireplace that made it so I didn't feel the chill of the light rain at all. I hated it.

(... Right? I hated it, right?)

God, if only there was a way to be sure. Like a meter to check my mental stability the way I could check my car's oil health. Maybe there was a spell for that. Not that I could see another witch doctor even under a pseudonym now that I was a criminal.

"Sable? What's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You're thinking so deeply and I don't know what's on your mind."