Page 40 of Living Legend

“I don’t always use it to be cruel, if it’s any consolation. Sometimes, I tell them to think about their favorite place in the world, or that they are in a deep sleep. It just depends. Sometimes, demons want screams and sometimes, they just want buckets of blood. You kind of have to be there to get what I mean.” I tapped my fingers one by one on his chest. It would be awkward to try to feel for the abs I knew he had, so I forced that thought out of my mind.

“I think I understand. I guess I can’t really fault you, at least for now.” He glanced down at me as I started to look up at him. He had a look I couldn’t read, like he was expressionless on purpose. “There is something that’s been on my mind, though.”

I smiled softly. “Let it out, Nicholas.”

“How come you aren’t shaken by the idea that Lilith could find you?” He genuinely wanted to know.

I answered with the only response I had. “Because she can’t. Not on her own, at least.” I didn’t admit that her attempt to find me had been on my mind, but it wasn’t eating away at me.

“What?” He continued to look at me, one of his eyebrows raised in suspicion.

I let out a long breath that made my stomach collapse. “I guess a long time ago, during the war that Lilith caused, angels locked her in Purgatory. It wasn’t so easy for her regardless, but now she has no way of getting here by herself. They chained her up in her own cage.

“I don’t look over my shoulder constantly because I know she can’t be here. That doesn’t mean she won’t try. Who knows, maybe we’re both wrong and she doesn’t care about me at all.”

“Could she possibly be the one who started all this?” He was talking about the portals.

I brought my fingers from his collarbone back to his neck and grazed the skin again. The hilt of his sword, the cool metal of it, created cool pressure when it slightly bumped my hand. I felt his heartbeat thrum off beat for a minute with my other hand. “I wouldn’t doubt it, but I’m not running to your master with the information because that part is obvious. Lilith would need someone to help her, so until we find that someone, it doesn’t really matter. She can’t do much on her own, no matter how powerful she is.”

“How do you know? I doubt she would just decide to tell you that information.”

I wrapped one of my tight curls around my finger. “Demons talk, you know. Even if she didn’t tell me, she told someone who told another and so on. I learned about it at some point, but all the history behind it is beyond me.”

He veered right to bypass some clustered clouds before responding. “You don’t seem as scared of her as I assumed you would be.”

“That’s because I’m not, but I know she scares you. She scares all of you.”

He narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything in return. It was like I’d just told him a secret when really, it’s known to everyone. I decided to lighten up the mood from the darkness of the conversation. Eventually, I would speak to him about Lilith, let him in on my time there, but right now, Ireallydidn’t want to.

“Purgatory really isn’tthatbad, in the grand scheme of things,” I confirmed, pressing some of my weight to the arm around his neck and lifting myself up to his ear. “I have a really nice room with the biggest fucking bed.” I let my words travel through him, his expression never changing as his shoulders stiffened a little and his heartbeat seemed to miss the beat it wanted. “You should see it sometime and test it out for yourself, Mr. Cassial.”

He looked down at me, the corners of his mouth starting to pull up, as if he wanted to laugh. “I think I’ll stick with my bed here. I wouldn’t want to ruin your precious beauty sleep.”

“Ruin my beauty sleep? Hmm, does that mean you’re the kind to keep me up all night? I can appreciate that kind of stamina.” I let my teeth graze his earlobe slightly before I satisfyingly slid back down into his arms, letting my fingers playfully tickle his neck.

I felt goosebumps again, but this time, they didn’t go away -- they lingered a while. His heart thumped against my hand on his chest. I let my eyes climb from his chest to his slender neck to his perfect face, up to his eyes that always looked at me when I wanted to look at him.

When he’d caught my attention, he let those eyes creep down to my chest. The tank top I wore pushed up my breasts in a way that from this angle would be the downfall of any male.

Nicholas was no exception. He let his gaze stay on my chest one more minute before he looked away, back to our destination. He made a slow but steady descent towards the ground. I couldn’t see much of the trees yet, but I assumed he wanted us to have an easy landing.

“Have you ever spent the night with a demon before?” I asked casually.

“I can’t say I have.”

“Have you spent the night withanyonebefore?”

Nicholas let the tips of his wings curl upward as we continued our descent. “I really don’t see how that is any of your business.”

“If we’re going to work together, I’m going to need to know more about you. If you’re a virgin, I wouldn’t judge you.” I smirked.

He raised an eyebrow at me. “I hardly think knowing my sex life will help this situation.”

I ruffled my hair, letting my curls tumble and hang down his arm. “Maybe not, but I promise I’ll annoy you until you answer.”

He let out a deep breath, rolling his eyes. “No, I am not a virgin.”

I let out a sly smile, letting my hand slide under his chin and caress his cheek. “Angelic females, I presume? That’s no fun. I bet they never told you you can use that precious sword of yours for something other than fighting.”

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