Page 87 of Spit

Legion cursed, and we drove back to the mansion. I had no idea how to help those women.

Legion surprised me when he asked me to join him for dinner alone. Not bothering to lower his voice as Katalina walked up the stairs to the front door.

I’d almost said no. Unable to get past the lingering disgust at Legion’s unwillingness to help those women simply because of acontract.

I was tied to a contract, just like those women. Over the years, I had begged, borrowed, and cajoled to try and escape Mr. Bub’s hold, but nothing had helped.

How many steps away was I from becoming one of those women in a hospital bed?

Would Legion helpmeif I needed to get out ofmycontract, or would he tell me to go screw because I’d signed it with my blood?

I had firmly believed that the meeting would be just dinner until Legion gave me a smirk that was several parts feral and five parts dangerous, as if I was an opponent, in the board room, on the streets, or in the bedroom.

I tried to put Katalina out of my mind, though it was proving difficult. She hadn’t been unpleasant to spend the day with, and when she wasn’t pretending I was a bad smell she could scowl away.

After all, I wasn’t going to pursue Legion, was I?

I’d grown close to Trey and Sev. Two men were enough, weren’t they?

Though Arlo and I had a moment as well. He had shown me his true self and protected me against Legion. It might not have been romantic, but something had been awakened inside of me for him as well.

If I was back in New Orleans, facing the same situation, I would have just walked away.

Many years ago, I vowed to never take another person’s will away with my curse. Even if I fell in love with them, I would walk away.

But, my curse hadn’t affected Legion.

And Trey had proved that I didn’t have to kiss someone to be close to them. Sev’s dream walking had opened my eyes even further.

Physical intimacy came with many limitations for me—but the demons in Hemlock House didn’t seem to find those limitations unappealing like the men I had met before. They viewed it as an exciting challenge.

My stomach twisted when I thought about what would happen if I was no longer an interesting challenge. It would be tempting to chain them to me. So tempting. But love wasn’t for me. Happiness in the arms of someone else wasn’t for me.

Would I ever see Legion, Arlo, Trey, and Sev again once my job was over and I was back in New Orleans?

With any luck before the end of The Elementals US Tour and maybe even their EU leg.

I went to my room and got ready for dinner, showering and lamenting my thoughts as I picked one of the dresses Trey had chosen for me.

Would Trey care that I was wearinghisdress for his brother? Maybe. Maybe not.

The facets didn’t seem jealous of one another or the closeness I’d shared with the others, but I felt like I was missing something. An inside joke amongst a group of close friends waiting for me to get the hint.

My stomach started to gnaw itself by the time I finished dressing, and I hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

My shadow was prowling, and I was downright dangerous to be around humans at that moment. I needed ten thousand calories stat, or I was certain my darker side would escape on a sleepwalking journey to find a group of unsuspecting humans.

Most likely, the coven in the basement.

The dress I wore was a mixture of peacock blues, vibrant purples, and flashes of emerald green. The color changed with the light. Thin straps over the shoulder, a gathered bust, and a hem under my breasts before flowing out and reaching my knees like a silk handkerchief. My pink hair set off the outfit nicely. However, I would have liked to refresh the color—it had started to turn a pastel pink instead of a Fuschia that I usually favored.

I could almost imagine Kailee giving me a pep talk, probably encouraging me to get on my knees for the demons in exchange for hair dye and spending money.

I hoped she was okay.

I missed her.

As I stood in the doorway and tried to gather courage for my meeting with Legion, I pressed my hands to the smooth fabric of my dress—thankful that the bandage fabric hid many sins. I felt a tug in my middle, and I looked at shadow, who shrugged. It felt like a rope had knitted its way into my stomach, urging me through the door.

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