Page 139 of A Sin So Pure

It’s not lost on me that he refers to himself as an asset to Patience rather than a son. It’s not unlike Pride’s mindset on children, except instead of finding a partner to birth his legacy, he plucked me off the street.

“She turned out to be quite the impressive young woman,” Bennie says.

“Is that so?” I murmur.

“And what kind of magic runs through your veins?” Imogen asks, changing the subject.

She leans forward in her seat, elbow resting on the woven metal and chin resting on the ball of her palm.

Bennie’s attention is easily pulled toward Imogen, though his gaze lacks the desire that most hold when they look upon her. Instead, his mossy-green eyes shine with genuine interest in what she has to say.

So subtle, like a pheromone, her magic radiates feelings of calm, openness, and honesty. I’ve felt the brunt of her magic enough times to recognize the signs: getting lost in your thoughts, like you’ve taken one too many detours on a story you were trying to tell; a warmth that skitters all over your body; a blur at the edge of your vision, one that doesn’t just blink away.

The Seelie may know how to develop mental shields, but I can guarantee they haven’t been trained against the subtleties of her influence.

How could they? They don’t have any empaths to train against.

Bennie matches Imogen’s position, leaning close like they’re sharing a secret.

“I always wanted to be a healer. We come from a long line of them that traces back millennia. Patience is the strongest of his generation, and, as the firstborn, I was expected to follow in his footsteps,” he says. His expression darkens. “Unfortunately, I didn’t get those genes. Someone else in the family tree inherited his supposed greatness.”

“You sound bitter,” I say.

“Actually, quite the opposite. It took a lot of pressure off me. Allowed me to explore my magic freely.”

He lifts his free hand so that it is level between their noses. The world around us fades to background noise, the five of us all focused on the divot of his palm, where a miniature snowstorm swirls. Josie and I have seen Seelie magic in action before, but Leo and Imogen look on with open-mouthed stares as he blowsthe fake flurries around us. I touch one that sparkles near the tip of my nose and my finger passes through it, shattering the tiny illusion in a burst of rainbow light. The intangible snowflakes disappear as he closes his fist.

“It’s hard, living up to your family’s expectations. And then reconciling that with what you want,” Imogen says.

“Few truer words have been spoken,” he says. “Patience wanted me to be his Second despite the mismatched magic. But when the good old Benevolence before me kicked the bucket …”

“In walked Bennie,” I finish.

“You’re so observant, Pride,” Bennie say, sarcastically.

Josie clears her throat. “So, you truly haven’t been to the other side of the Veil,” she says, more a statement than a question.

A bee zooms past my head, its wings buzzing in my ear.

“For the eighth time, no. Not unless you count coming here.”

Leo snorts. “She doesn’t.”

The bee flies between Imogen and me, lingering near the hair that cascades down her shoulder. I swat at it, and it flies away.

“Casimir isn’t on the other side of capital-T,TheVeil—the one that separates realms. So, it doesn’t count,” Josie says, ever the knowledgeable one. “It is, however, on the other side ofaveil. There’s ancient magic warding the castle. It’s why we can shadow-walk within its confines, but not across the bridge.”

“Look at miss smarty-pants over here with the technicalities,” Bennie croons.

“I do my research,” Josie says, a smug twist to her lips.

The bee zooms by my head again, this time evading my hand but staying persistent in its circling of my head.

“Maybe we should go back inside,” I say. “I’m not a fan of bugs.”

“Did you borrow one of Lust’s perfumes?” Leo snickers. “We all know you don’t have sweet enough blood to attract mosquitos.”

“No,” I say, rolling my eyes.

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