Page 50 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

Yes. That is a good strategy.

The moment the book reveals my face, I rapidly flutter my lashes at him. When he doesn’t respond to this cue of a damsel in distress, I put in more effort. I bat my lashes at him to the point of aggression.

I can’t even see anything but my lashes as they create a dark web in front of my eyes.

Still. He doesn’t react.

Is he blind?

I lean in, fluttering them more. Good grief, if he doesn’t take a hint soon, my lashes might propel me into flight with how hard they’re fluttering.

“Do you have something in your eye?” he finally asks.

What?

Can’t he see what I’m doing? That I’m using a trick to appeal to his protective side so he won’t turn me in for stealing the airmen’s food.

I humph aloud and tilt my head, batting my lashes some more.

I am a female fluttering my lashes at you. You are male. Act like it!

“Are you all right? You don’t seem all right,” he adds in a low voice.

He comes closer to me.

Yes, this must be working, after all.

“There’s something wrong with your eye, isn’t it?” he asks.

“No,” I say with a groan.

My lids stop moving. I’m staring at him, wide-eyed.

He’s in front of me. As in, his face is only a few inches away from mine. Too close. Far too close for comfort.

And to my dismay, I realize why the voice and the name seemed familiar.

It’s him. The male from the other night.

The one who made me save the people in the bombing, thereby getting me punished for interfering in humans’ fate.

It’shisfault.

Not only is he the reason why my powers are gone and I am now little more than a puny human for one hundred and three more days, but he is also the reason why I am starving, why I had to steal, and why I was even considering eating my little cookie thief.

It’s allhisfault.

And now? He dares to come so close to me I can feel his breath fanning on my face. It’s minty and fresh and ugh! I hate it.

I hatehim.

“You…” he whispers, his eyes widening in recognition. “Tiny darling.” He smiles.

He invades my personal space and now he calls me that derogatory term. I might be tiny, but I don’t need to be reminded of it every single time.

My lips curl in a snarl, and before I can stop myself, I draw my fist back and punch him.

Straight in the face.

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