Page 121 of Spit

Ihadn’t genuinely thought of Legion, and his facets as angels turned demons. As enforcers of justice. They had seemed like complicated men who had vices. Their personalities were shaped by the sin they represented.

Though my curse was a heavy burden that hung around my neck like an albatross, I hadn’t thought of the Seven as being cursed in their own way. Cursed to be connected to each other. Cursed to know each other's thoughts—at least, the ones that they couldn’t hide if one of their brothers went looking.

Watching Arlo’s rage, his pain at Camio’s actions, and the swift way he ripped his head clean off his shoulders—I didn’t feel fear. No. The moment Arlo’s knees collapsed and he sunk to the floor, cradling Camio’s stick-thin frame, tears began to leak down his face; he shrunk from his demonic form into the slight man I had come to know.

Arlo rocked Camio’s body, mourning him. The moment felt too private, so I looked away, my heart hurting for my friend.

Legion stumbled to the side, placing his hand on his stomach. He looked up, his straight dark hair falling in his face as panic painted his features. Legion pulled his hand away, expecting it to be coated in blood, but there was no physical wound. Legion retched as if he needed to vomit.

“I can’t—” His voice was strangled as he pressed the heel of his palm to his forehead.

I rushed forward, dipping down with what little strength I had to wrap his arm around my shoulders. Sev had the same idea, and both of us managed to catch Legion as he dropped like a dead weight.

Sev frowned, his tongue pressed against his canine tooth as he appeared to be doing some sort of internal diagnostics. He gripped Legion’s face and forced Pride to look at him.

“The bond?” Sev demanded.

“It's… breaking.” Legion wheezed, his voice raspy and weak.

Sev cursed; Arlo looked up through red eyes. Mars and Quinn moved into the room, groggy from exposure to the drug and somewhat lost.

“The bond is breaking.” Sev declared.

Mars rubbed his chest. “I feel it.” He said numbly. “I haven’t felt the bond in so long, but it’s there.”

“It’s breaking,” Sev repeated.

“I know.” Trey crossed his arms over his chest. “It seems that Camio’s plan to kill Legion might come to fruition after all. I think we’re all going down with this sinking ship.”

My grip tightened on Legion. My eyes burned as I thought of a world without him, without his self-satisfied smirks. Without his rigid demeanor, he was somehow cute when he tried to be strict. Then came the realization that it wasn’t just Legion that would die—the others would also.

“Would Canio’s cuff do anything?” I asked, my head whipping around to each of the remaining demons. Only there was no hope in their eyes, only doom. “Come on,” I demanded. “We have to do something!”

Legion placed a weak hand on my arm. “Alexis.” He whispered. His eyes closed. “It’s my time.”

An uncomfortable look crossed Sev’s face, and he looked like he wanted to cry.

Arlo cleared his throat. “There is one thing we can do.” He stated, his face impassive as he used his ripped sleeve to wipe a tear from the edge of his eye.

“If you suggest taking off Camio’s cuff and pleading with the universe to bring him back, I’m going to scalp you,” Trey said dryly.

Arlo shook his head and turned to me. “Lexi has to decide.”

“Me?” I asked. “Why me?”

Arlo shifted uncomfortably. “You can take gluttony’s place. You can be our seventh.”

“I’m not a demon,” I argued.

“You have enough demon in you to make it work,” Arlo said, glancing down at Camio’s headless body and then down to his own bloody fingerprints. “But you would need to make a choice. To save Legion, you need to be bonded to us. You will need to stay in the Red City. You will become ours as much as we become yours.”

I took a moment to face each one of the demons. Sev looked away from my gaze. Arlo met his eyes unerringly, as did Trey. Waiting. Not trying to convince me or push me.

Legion’s head dropped.

I closed my eyes and tried to search for an answer, some divine message from the beyond to tell me what to do.

I had been running for most of my life, trying to carve out a world where I could live alongside humans without triggering my curse. I had walked on eggshells my entire life. I had friends and would hate leaving Kailee and my sister Rose behind, but they could always visit, even if I couldn’t leave.

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