Page 120 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

“It’s already done,” he replies smoothly. “So now that we’ve put this entire debacle behind us, would you like to come with me to see our new shed?”

Our. He saidour.

A tiny sliver of excitement goes through me, but I temper it.

“Fine,” I mutter. “But remember. The mission comes first. Everything else is second. Is that clear?”

“Of course,” he agrees easily. Far too easily. “Who said demon hunting and courting don’t go hand in hand?”

SIXTEEN

By the timethe new shed is ready for us to move in—three days later, to be more precise—the greed demon has become stronger. The atmosphere at the base has changed, too. There’s a heavy undercurrent, an invisible tension that has formed between people due to the overwhelming effect ofgreed.

Although the manifestations of greed are most evident when it comes to the desire to own physical objects, there is a strong indication that the most sought-after thing on the base is power. And that has caused quite a few conflicts between soldiers and their superiors.

Alas, as I have been observing these changes, I have been unable to come up with a way to defeat the demon. The usual blessed items I’ve managed to find do not work on it, and every time the demon sees me or Mine, he just…laughs.

I ball my hands into fists.

Have I really become a demon’s laughingstock?

Unacceptable.

“Does this not please you?” Mine asks when he sees me frowning.

“It’s fine. But you must keep to your side of the shed.”

At my request, he’d installed a curtain in the middle of the room to divide it in two. This way, our sleeping arrangements are separate and I don’t have to constantly think about whether he will get an extra eyeful of naked flesh.

The shed is not too large. I believe in human size it is about twenty square meters. That means I have ten, and Mine has ten.

Each half has one small bed, a chest of drawers, and a chair. His side has his desk and his many possessions. Since I don’t have much, my side is rather…bare.

But the best thing about this shed is that it is warm. I have come to appreciate warmth far too much considering I’m supposed to be made of ice.

Mine smirks.

“I promised I would behave.”

“So you should. Otherwise, I will make your life a living hell,” I warn.

“Really?”

I nod.

“Humans need sleep. I will not let you sleep until you become crazed with sleep deprivation. I have heard it is a tactic of war and I’ve decided to borrow it—should younotbehave, of course,” I tell him squarely.

His only response is to laugh.

I frown.

Once more, he shows that he is not scared of me. Even after I broke his nose—though it does appear to have healed quite well—he still won’t take me seriously.

“Stop. Laughing,” I grit out.

“You are amusing.” He shrugs. “I have not laughed much in my life, so think of this as me catching up.”

“I am not sure how I feel about being the source of your amusement.”

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