Page 76 of Living Legend

“You haven’t told me much, so I just work with what I’m given.”

“He told me what happened and told me what they wanted me to do, but I said no. I. Said. No. Don’t you for a fucking second think I didn’t fight. It’s not likeyouhave any authority on what happens to me and the decisions I make!”

Elise smoothed a hand over her hair, nodding, unmoved by my tone. She pressed her lips together, then stuck out her tongue, wetting them. “Alright, simple enough, but how does saying no translate to doing the thing you said no so strongly to?” She tilted her head to the side, eyeing me “That’s where I’m lost, Dani.”

I felt myself losing my words again. My tongue felt like sandpaper. I wasn’t nervous or ashamed about what happened, but I couldn’t put my finger on what had me frazzled. Actually, I was well aware of that answer: I got manhandled by an angel ten minutes ago and can still feel the ghost of him between my legs.

This was my first time with an angel and maybe things were justdifferent- and sex with Nicholashadbeen different - but I couldn’t give that reason my mental stamp of approval. He fucked like someone with pent up, crumpled frustration. I paused in my silent processing; I kept going back to when he first kissed me.

His face looked like he was contemplating every unexplained anomaly the realms had to offer, but then, for just a small moment, he relaxed and then his lips were on mine. When he pulled back, he gave me a look of shock, and I had responded like a starved animal. Things had just escalated. He didn’t have an air of hesitation the entire time, foreplay seemingly overrated. We only came back to reality when we’d both finished and could process our…thoughts? Emotions?

“Oh fuck,” I heard Elise say in her raspy voice.I snapped my eyes closed and quickly opened them to see her staring back at me wide eyed.“Fucking…Dani. Oh, my fucking…fuck.” Elise stated, just looking at me. Her gray eyes danced with amusement. It was slightly unnerving, but I remained quiet. She shook her head, gazing at the floor. She wasn’t too far from me, but she leaned over a little so I could make out the shadows and strong, delicate curves of her neck tattoo. “You fucked him.” She said it like it was a fact, like I wouldn’t dare argue with it.

She wasn’t a mind reader. Was she? Was this some skill she only decided to reveal to me now? There were about a million things I didn’t know about Elise, so for all I knew, it could have been true.

Elise didn’t say anything else; she just simply waited for my reply, one I couldn’t conjure up. If I replied, it would come with a whole string of ‘yeah I know it was stupid’. She just stood there, looking at me with those knowing eyes burning into my skin. I realized I hadn’t moved. For the time being, I was immobile. I didn’t know what else to do.

She finally let out a small smile and pursed her lips. “The answer is either yes or yes, so the choices are rather complicated.” Her tone was sarcastic, accompanied by a knowing laugh.

I smacked my forehead, tilting my head back and closing my eyes, silently counting down from five. When I reached one, I let my eyes open and my head spring forward. I let out a loud, annoyed, but defeated breath. I nodded.

I almost took a few steps back when a closed mouth, gurgled, throat snort came out of her. She blinked, widening her eyes, and nodding her head a few times. She opened her mouth to show her teeth clamped together but poked her tongue out between them. “Well, that doesn’t surprise me one fucking bit.”

“Excuse me?” I blurted out, watching as she turned towards her bed to sit.

“Oh, come on, Dani, you’ve been dancing around this whole thing with Nicholas for days, even weeks now. It was positively sickening to watch, but I loved it. If I’m honest, I thought you were going toliterallyjust tease him forever, but hey, a girl’s got needs.”

I squinted. “That’s not what happened! I didn’t just throw myself at him.” Not completely anyway….

She lifted her hands up. “I’m not saying that because I know that’s not how it went. I told you his restraint was shredding and I was right, as per usual.”

I walked over to the window and perched on the sill, staring at my feet. “Well, if you must know, it was terrible.” The lie rolled out so easily. I looked up to meet her face, but I was met with a pillow launched directly at me. I swatted it away, watching as it landed with a soft sound.

“Fuck off with your shitty lies. I can practicallysmellthe good sex on you.” She did a few casual sniffs before nodding.“The guy gives you some good dick and you just do what he pleases? That manipulative little shit.” She clucked her tongue. “Damn. It must have been phenomenal.”

I shoved the heels of my hands into my eyes, hoping the pain of pressing into my eyes hard enough would somehow turn back time. “It wasn’t…I…ugh, just fucking forget it. The sex and torturing a demon are mutually exclusive. The sex isn’t even important.”

“Well then, please give me the important part,” Elise said.

I let out a disgruntled noise. “I told you already: another demon got through, but this one ended up being found dead, so it’s pretty clear someone is aware of this problem, and they aren’t keeping it as low key as they would like.”

Elise slid her index finger over her bottom lip and nodded. “That means their only option now is to get the first demon to try to give them answers.” She shook her head. “Don’t they already have sentries doing that job, getting answers from this demon?”

I place my hands on my knees and let my shoulders slump. “Yeah, they do, but it’s not doing anything. If that demon is working for Lilith, it’s pretty much a lost cause.”

“Doyouthink you can do it?” Elise asked, giving me a pointed glance. Her voice sounded like she really wanted to know, but also as if she already knew the answer.

“IknowIcando it, but that doesn’t mean Iwantto.”

“I can’t say I completely understand that mindset. I would give anything to curdle some blood without consequence right now. Are you going soft on me?”

I pushed off the windowsill and moved to my bed. “Not at all, but I don’t want to be used and then thrown away by angels.”

“Did Nicholas give you any indication on what this would mean for you afterwards? I mean, regardless of what happens with Lilith, Purgatory will always be there,” she inquired.

“He claims I’ll be fine, but his word is pretty shit until he can make a fucking choice on what side he wants to follow.”

Elise slid back towards her headboard. “You think he’s playing into their hands?”

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