Page 124 of Spit

Arlo glanced at me for a long moment, his consciousness a buzz of questions, judgment, and his own memories. He said nothing.

“I don’t have a problem with being a demon,” I told him. “I’ve been just a witch all of my life. It's going to take some adjustment.”

“You were never ‘just’ a witch,” Arlo said.

I wondered what he meant by that.

“Do you miss Camio?” I asked.

Arlo sighed, his forearms resting on the roof rail as we both looked out to the horizon and the walls that kept the demons in the city. “Camio and I were well suited.” Arlo closed his eyes and tilted his face to the sky, basking in the dying sun. “He was Temperance. His duty was to bring balance, patience, and moderation. He had a perfect amount of self-control. As virtues, I was forgiveness. A virtue that requires a certain amount of blindness. Gullibility. Camio helped me see when I was being taken advantage of, so I could exist with my eyes open. He didn’t want to join Lucifer’s crusade, but I begged and pleaded. He said no, for the longest time. When God came to punish us, Camio could have walked free, but instead, he put himself in front of her wrath. For me. He died, the first time, protecting me.”

“We all make our own choices,” I told him.

“Yes.” Arlo agreed. “As Wrath, I became the controlled one. I had to walk a tightrope every day to prevent myself from being lost to my sin. Camio slipped away from me. I held on to our relationship, our history. I truly loved him, but I didn’t know what he loved more. His sin, or me.”

I rubbed my chest, feeling the phantom ache of Arlo’s pain as if it was my own.

“I don’t know how to do this,” I admitted. “I don’t know where I stand with all the guys.”

“Why don’t you ask them?” Arlo suggested.

I hummed, considering his words as I knitted my fingers together. “Speaking about emotions isn’t really my thing.”

Arlo smothered a laugh. “That’s true. You’re like a beehive in there.”

“You’re one to talk.” I snarked. I looked down at my feet, half expecting my shadow to rub its hands together and send a pang of hunger my way, but he was gone. I missed him. “My curse is broken now.”

“Is it?” Arlo turned to face me.

“Legion wasn’t affected by it. He never told me why.” I continued, flicking my pink hair away from my face.

“The bond.” Was it my imagination, or had Arlo’s voice deepened? “The seven can’t use magic against one another.”

“We kissed before the bond.” I reminded him.

Arlo chuckled. “I think Legion bonded to you long before then. I know Trey and Sev did.”

“What about you?” I cocked my head to the side.

“Me?” His eyes widened behind his glasses.

“Never mind.” I waved my hand dismissively.

Arlo put his hand on my shoulder. “Lexi.” He said my name like a single finger trailing a path up my spine.

“Arlo,” I returned. “You saved me. You tried to protect me from Legion when you thought he was cursed and he was going to attack me. You’ve nursed me back to health more than once.”

“And?” Arlo’s cheeks turned pink underneath his glasses. “It was the right thing to do.”

“Your demon form doesn’t scare me,” I told him.

“I never thought it did.” He admitted. “Though I should confess, I didn’t exactly save you from Legion because I was trying to protect you as such. It seems my demonic side is rather jealous.”

“Jealous?” my eyes widened.

Arlo looked away as we felt Legion through the bond, calling us home.

“Family meeting.” I gritted my teeth in a smile, unhappy at the interruption.

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