Page 126 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

My eyes are on his, trapped by an ineffable intensity.

I back away, and he charges forward.

Until my back hits the wall. He’s in front of me, crowding me with his body. Placing his hand above my head, he leans in, his eyes narrowing at me.

He doesn’t speak again, though.

He just waits.

“I…” I close my mouth. He’s right. Maybe before this would not have concerned him. But I did agree to give him two months to court me—a lapse in judgment on my part now that I think better of it. A human courting a goddess. It would be laughable if I wasn’t in such a dire position. The position being the fact that I amnotunaffected by said human.

Even now, my heart beats so wildly in my chest, it might just leap out of it. Yet it is not fear.

Here I am, trapped by the massive body of a male who’s seen war, who can not just best me but also subdue me, and I don’t feel the slightest bit afraid.

There is something else, though. A tremor low in my stomach—one that worms its way through my entire body until every single cell hums with awareness.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I should have told you. But you have to understand that though I may be engaged to him inname only, I do not see myself as such. In fact, I’ve been doing everything in my power to evade the match. It’s just that in my world?—”

He presses a finger against my lips and shushes me.

“I know your virtue is intact,” he starts, and I’m shocked at the cadence of his voice. It’s rough and barely subdued, with a hint of malice. “But I must know what else happened between you and that fiancé of yours.”

“What?” My brows shoot up. “What do you mean? Nothing happened, of course.”

He isn’t mollified by my words.

“Did he kiss you?”

“Of course not!”

“Hm.” He clicks his tongue. “How could he resist the temptation?”

“Temptation?” I snort. “Trust me, there isnotemptation on his part,” I mutter, annoyed at the mere thought of that clown.

“More the fool he is then,” Mine scoffs.

“Right…”

“What else, Minnie?”

“I don’t know what you mean?—”

“Did he touch you inanyway?”

“He doesn’t see me that way, all right? He hates me as much as I do him. I bet he’s only going through with the marriage because his mother told him to.”

“Did he touch you inanyway?” he repeats.

I frown at him. What does he want me to answer?

“You’re being ridiculous, Mine. He probably only grabbed my hand once.”

“Your hand…” He nods to himself. “Which one?”

I blink. What?

“Do you think I remember?”

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