Page 13 of Villainous Greed

“I should have the ability already, like Sebastian and Barron,” I muttered.

“They didn’t get their scythe at fifteen,” Mom murmured.

“I’m not my brothers.”

The corner of Mom’s lip curved, and I kicked my foot out, hoping the scrape of my boots scuffing the floor would help me escape. “Then why are you so upset that they have something you don’t?” Her happiness evaporated when I revealed my glower. She realized what she said. Mom already knew the answer to her question. Greed wanted what everyone else had. It wanted anything from someone, my parents, tried to deny me. “August…”

“I’m heading out.” I walked toward the large double doors.

“There’s a reason your father won’t let you have them, August,” Mom mumbled like she didn’t want to tell me. “That’s the last thing we can give you. You think we don’t know we’ll lose you when there’s nothing left here for you to take?”

My heart tightened. For a second, I allowed myself to hate my sin before shoving the feeling aside. Her words rang true. I had a city to claim. Soon, there would be nothing for me in my parents’ castle. Oddly, the appeal of the city didn’t light up my curse.

Lifting my wrist, I inspected the hair tie. Mom didn’t know since I discovered it myself three days ago, but I had to save my family. I didn’t belong with them any longer. Without another word, I faded.

_______

While gazing upon the City of the Dead on a tree branch, waiting, I heard Odin’s loud mouth. “Do you think August came today?”

The five of them walked below me. Rolling her shoulders, Nova sighed, looked up, and mouthed, “Boom.”

Nova would never take me by surprise like that again. I flipped in the air and landed on my feet in front of them.Reaching my hand out for Nova’s, I bowed slightly as my gaze swept over her. When she didn’t offer her hand, I smirked. “You’re positively lovely today, Nova.”

It was the wrong thing to say. She flinched and gripped the ugly dress. Squeezing the material in her hands, her brown orbs shined with her irritation. “Why do you keep coming back?”

“To see you,” I said unabashed, lowering my arm.

“Do you like Nova?” Sofia asked.

Nova’s chest puffed out before she grabbed Sofia’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Materializing a single rose, I held the flower out, then sent it floating after Nova. Sofia covered her mouth and snickered when Nova grabbed it as it hovered in front of her. “Does that answer your question, Sofia?” I asked.

“Gross,” Odin muttered.

Nova’s body went rigid before the flower burst into tiny pieces in her grip. That only made me grin wider. I expected her to destroy the rose. She flinched or stiffened anytime I showed interest in her. She seemed to hate it when my eyes wandered over her, but it was something I needed her to get used to. “How old are you, Boom?”

If Grim showed me how to access my powers further, I wouldn’t have to ask. I would have known her age and much more the first day I met her.

Glancing over her shoulder, Nova’s brows furrowed in the middle. “Why?”

“How old are you?” Odin interrupted.

“Fifteen,” I replied.

Odin’s brows raised. “You’re only two years older than Nova.”

Nova scowled.

Nova was thirteen. Although I was interested in sex, I hadn’t done it yet. I stole Sebastian’s girlfriend a few months back when he fell asleep and made out with her. He was so fucking pissed about it. Kissing was kind of lame. I expected something more. That was the thing about greed. I didn’t want the woman he brought to the castle, but I wanted to steal her from my brother. The moment she became mine, I had no interest. The heady sensation of my curse had moved onto the next thing.

Women gawked and batted their eyes at me once I hit puberty. Even older ones. As a Reaper, I grew fast, and I grew big. I reveled in the attention, knowing I could have any female I wanted at any time… thathadsatisfied my curse. Not anymore, it seemed. Earlier in the City of the Dead, a jeweler fluttered her lashes at me, and I couldn’t muster the energy to con her. My curse hadn’t gone crazy either. I realized I lacked the desire to keep up the façade, and that wasnew.

I had so many plans when I left the castle until Greed became fixated on Nova. Something was quiet inside me those days, besides my desire to make Nova my girl. Before her, I had never included people in my future. My fascination with her differed from everything else. The feelings she invoked from me were so powerful. Instead of obsessing over objects and places to make mine, I was visiting a bunch of kids.

So, my sole focus was showing Nova she would be mine. My curse urged me to steal everything, but I couldn’t steal what I desired from her. Making her my girl would take time. As an immortal, I had plenty of that. I’d been jerking off for a couple of years already and had no real rush for more. I could take care of myself a few more… Surely, she’d come around by then. Given Nova’s naivety, I doubted she knew about sex yet. We woulddiscover it together. Warmth flooded my chest. Yeah, I liked that idea.

First, I had to convince Nova to leave with me. She was the one thing I knew I couldn’t take. While it was possible to kidnap someone, it was impossible to steal their affections.

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