Page 71 of A Sin So Pure

Think about what it is you really want.

“What are your thoughts on filling in for me at some upcoming Sins functions?” I ask.

I want to ease him into this conversation.

“Sure, anything you need,” Leo says quickly. But then he peers down at me with concern in his deep brown irises. “Why? Is something wrong? Are you sick?”

A snort escapes me. “No, I’m not sick. But I don’t want you to agree because you think youneedto?—”

“I know I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to with you, Mo.”

“Good. Because I think it’s time you step up more.”

“Oh?” He smiles. “Am I not doing a good enough job running things as your Second?”

“The opposite,” I laugh. “I’ve finally taken your advice to heart. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want out of life. To see what happens if I take a step back, focus on the bars like I was supposed to before the accident. And let you take the lead.”

His heavy gaze weighs on me, but I keep my eyes focused on the cracks and crevices at our feet. It takes two of my steps to keep pace with one of his.

“We’ll take the transition as slowly as you need to feel comfortable,” I add with a laugh. “No pressure. You know?”

“If that’s what you want.”

This time I meet his eye and give him a smile, albeit a bittersweet one.

“I think so. But I’ll keep you posted if that changes,” I say. “So, you should be on your best behavior when we see Gluttony tonight.”

Leo nods, eyes swimming with a whirlpool of emotions. I lost my family that day, the same as him. Life looks different from what we both had planned the night the Den opened.

We turn our attention back to the street, me focusing back on our feet and him guiding us around a stray pedestrian.

After a moment, he chuckles.

“Does that mean things are going well with Nora?” he asks.

I smack his chest, though it doesn’t have much power behind it.

“This is about me.” My lips twitch, holding back a smug smile. “But yes. I think things are looking up.”

Leo’s laughter bellows between the buildings as we turn a corner and stop before a crowd gathered outside Gluttony’s restaurant.

“Oh, Mo. You’re fucked.”

“Yeah. I really am.”

Throngs of fae wait in line to use the elevator for the restaurant; the entrance is a small room at the base of the building used to ferry guests up to the top floor. Lit by two brass sconces, the plaque labeling the restaurant features delicate script and detailing around the edges.

When it’s our turn to step into the elevator, the attendant closes the safety barrier for us and presses one of two buttons on the panel. The doors close on their own, then the elevator jerks into action, raising us stories into the air.

The first thing I notice as we step out of the metal cage is the view. Three of the walls are floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the park and showcasing the sprawling city skyline. It gives the illusion that we’re gods floating in the clouds, looking down upon the little fae scurrying around the city like ants.

It’s still light out, but the sun will dip down soon; I imagine it’ll crest over the horizon with grace, painting the sky a beautiful wash of colors as we watch on.

Leo tugs me to the hostess, a thin, sharp-boned woman with her hair cut into a short bob.

“We should have a reservation under?—”

“Lust!”

---