Page 78 of Our Sins in Silver (Coven of Sin 3)

There was an awkward moment of silence. None of us liked thinking about the fun little fact that I was literally related to the devil.

“Yeah, ‘cause blood relation is the only reason you shouldn’t fuck the actual devil,” Eros quipped.

“Hey. How did you know about my thing for watching?”

“I didn’t. I just have a sixth sense for kinks, I guess. Also, you ask for a lot of details after one of us has fucked her. Like, with how many questions you ask, it would be easier for us to just paint a picture for you, bro. But hey, I get it. There’s something pleasurable about sitting back, not being so lost to the sensation of her so you can take all of her in. The way her ass bounces when you slam into her from behind, for instance.”

“The way her face screws up when you start to sink yourself into her.” Corry’s statement was punctuated with a raspy sigh, bordering on a growl.

“Fuck,” Eros muttered. “Especially when you go slow, and she gets a little frustrated. She screws up her nose and looks at you with that bratty pout. And how it makes you wanna fuck her brazen little mouth the moment you finish with her pussy.”

I could have stood there and listened to this conversation all damn night and probably touched myself to it, too, so long as the hall was empty. Too bad there wasn’t time for that.

Pushing through the door into my room, I found Eros leaning out the window, his elbows propped on the sill with cigarette smoke rising over his head. Corry was stretched out flat on his back on my bed with his arms folded behind his head. They both turned to look at me the moment I entered the room.

“Jesus. About time, Red. Surprised you’re still walking after…” Corry’s words trailed off when his attention fell to the marks on my throat. “Fucking hell.” The youngblood shot up into a sitting position and flapped his hand at Eros while keeping his eyes glued to my throat. “You seeing this? Ster marked her three times. What the fuck. Doesn’t that violate our bro code?”

Eros rolled his eyes. “Pretty sure Sterling revised fucking Shakespeare, dude. I think he can rewrite damn near anything he wants to. Especially our stupidbro code.”

Wow. I wondered if that was true. Not that I found it surprising. I mean, the priest had revised the literal Bible. “What are you guys doing here? I thought you were gonna wait for us in the council chamber.”

“We were.” Corry shrugged one shoulder. “Then the Elders arrived.”

I blinked. “Wait, so where’s Vincent?”

“Still in the council room with them. They asked him to stay.”

Apprehension tangled my insides. “Isn’t that concerning?”

“Naw,” Eros said. “Corry and I are never allowed at the meetings. Feral is, though. Probably because he was always there to feed the king. Now it’s just habit to have him around, I guess.”

Corry scrubbed his hand over his face, groaning into his palm. “Damn, why does she always smell like she’s on the cusp of a heat-state?”

The phantom of a smirk lingered at the crook of Eros’ mouth. “Because she is.”

I blinked. “I am?”

“Yeah, Doll. You are. You’re half-human, half-vampire. I don’t think you get how rare that is.” Eros brought his fast-shrinking cigarette to his mouth and took in a drag. His lips smirked around the butt, and his eyes lit up with cinders. “But there’s a part of your biological makeup that understands, and it’s looking to add numbers to your kind by getting you knocked up. Your instinctual urge to breed is probably especially strong because you’re a Helsing, and you gotta procreate to keep that going.”

Before I scrounged up the words for a response, Corry raised his hand. “Dibs!”

Eros gave a snort, the smoke streaming from his nostrils and making the sound ominous. “Yeah. Try telling that to Feral.”

Corry snapped his head in Eros’ direction and sent a prickly glare over his shoulder to the window where his brother stood. “So his culture is big on impregnating their women. Babies honor their parents or whatever. That’s cool and all, but why does that give him first dibs?”

“He made a deal with the princess. Dagon’s heart for the princess’ womb. And a deal’s a deal.” Eros’ eyes jerked in my direction, and the mark on my shoulder burned in solidarity with the sizzling feeling in my gut.

“Isn’t the necromancer as good as dead?” Corry interjected with an irritated snarl. “I mean if Master is wearing him like a fuckin’ outfit? Like, there’s no way he’s gonna take him off.” The youngblood’s shoulders bunched up around his ears with a cringe. “Like, the heart is already probably squished and shit.”

“You think that will stop Feral from beating your ass if you so much as breathe a word about breeding Ruby before he’s had his turn?”

Corry cocked a skeptical brow at the older vampire. “Why are you team Vin all of a sudden?”

Eros rolled his eyes and tapped his cigarette, discarding a clump of ash out the window. “I’m not, dick wad. I just don’t think Ruby should have to choose between us for anything. She’s got enough bullshit going on without us adding to it. The least we can do is let her do whatever the fuck she wants with her own body.”

Corry blinked rapidly. “When you put it like that, I sound like a creep.”

I sighed, smiling warmly at both of them through a teasing laugh. “We’re all creeps here, Cor.” I crossed over to my dresser, where my tiara sat, but something else on the dresser caught my eye. Picking up the storm glass needle Vincent gifted me, I clasped the chain around my neck. I wouldn’t need it until tomorrow night, but I found its yellow glow comforting. And no matter how dicey the meeting got, it would remind me of the next step in my plan and keep me centered.

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