Page 20 of Villainous Greed

Someone broke through that maze of trees, and I couldn’t. How? My nostrils flared.

“Nova—”

Nova never let me get a word out. She surprised me by saying, “That movie you spoke about. We’d like to see it. Please.” She pinned with her chocolate stare.

I swallowed heavily. “Nova.” I wanted badly to talk about what was truly happening.

“Please?” Her brown orbs twinkled with unshed tears.

Gritting my teeth, I sighed. Why couldn’t I just steal her away, so I’d know she was safe? Greed never had a problem taking something before. Love was troublesome, but it seemed it was a feeling I couldn’t escape.

“Payment—” I didn’t get to finish before she held out her hand. I couldn’t help but notice the hair tie differed from all those before. There was a pattern woven into the tie like she was more careful with how she made that one. The decoration reminded me of stars embedded in the tree-like bark she used, but I didn’t think she’d know what one looked like. When I lifted my eyes to meet hers, she averted hers. My heart nearly beat out of my chest. Wait. Did she pay extra attention to it because she was giving it to me?

I stood straighter and materialized iPads in everyone’s hands, except Nova’s. They watched me closely as I put a Disney movie on for each of them. Mom spent a lifetime as a human. We knew of the human world and kept up with their gadgets because of that. She tried to get me and my brothers to attend a year of high school to see how they lived. None of us would. Who had time for school when you were born into our family? Joy and Kitty were interested and would attend when they were older.

“Where’s mine?” Nova asked as I finished setting Sofia up and handed it to her. Everyone had agreed on fried chicken again, so that’s what I gave them.

“Only one left,” I lied, knowing I could materialize however many I wanted at will. “We have to share.”

I crouched down, leaned against the tree, and motioned for Nova to sit next to me.She had a chicken leg in her mouth. She narrowed her eyes and watched me slowly before sitting down.

“I don’t bite,” I murmured, even though there might be a day in our future when I might. If that was what she liked. We would discover our shared interests along the way. I longed for Nova to be ready for a relationship, so we could discuss our plans together. I wanted to know her wishes so that I could fulfill them.

Instead of watching the movie when it started up, I watched the way Nova’s face lit up at the animation. I waited until she fixated on the screen for a while before maneuvering my arm around her neck. She still noticed and stiffened. Slowly, her face turned to meet mine, and my cheeks burned with embarrassment.

“If I said to remove your arm, would you?” she asked randomly.

I removed it and frowned. “Yeah. I’m always going to try to get closer to you, anyway.”

She observed my lips funnily. “But if I said no each time, you’d stop?”

“You’re not always going to want me to stop,” I said as my chest stung from her rejection.

“That wasn’t an answer.” Nova sulked.

My shoulders drooped. “Yes, I would stop. Why would you ask? If I didn’t listen to you, you’d already be safe and sound right now. In a home, with a warm bed, and food each night.”

Her eyes watered again, and she faced the screen. Abruptly, she turned to look at me again. “If I said you can keep me safe from one thing, August, but at a cost. Would you still do it?”

I didn’t even hesitate. “I would. You’re mine to keep safe.”

Nova flinched at my words. “I hate when you say that.”

“Would it make you happy to know that I’d be yours, too?” I grabbed her hand, rubbing my thumb over the top of hers.

Her eyes bulged, then she stammered. “I-I.” Closing her lids, she pulled her hand away and sighed. “I don’t know if it will work, but a girl told me a spell her mother taught her before Derrick kidnapped her…”

“You plan to use it on me?” I guessed.

“On us,” she corrected me. “It’s a spell that binds two people. It protects either from…” She averted her gaze again. “Fromthat.”

“That what?” I asked.

“Unwanted touches.” She pinned me with a scowl that dared me to say anything. “I’m getting older now. I-I can’t protect myself from Derrick. He controls me with these.” She flicked the shackle on her wrist.

I glowered. “He hasn’t….”

“Not yet, but he’s clarifying that it’s his intention.”

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