Page 55 of Mortal Desires

Actually, that sounded genius. I was sure some other witch family cursed us with that.

“I like your cunt,” he said and I groaned, hiding my face in embarrassment. “But I can’t say it makes me change my opinions.”

“Well, whatever it is. I like it.” I tried to be a little cheery. “I’m very interested in less torture.”

“I’ll never let you go,” he warned. “You will end your days here. And then remain in your afterlife, too.”

“Will I get old?” I wondered. “Because I’m imagining you don’t. I don’t want to be an old lady while you keep all those huge muscles.”

He didn’t answer so I kept going. “I don’t know if I want to be immortal. I don’t want to see my sisters die. Although, they probably will go straight up right? I mean, Lucia will for sure. She’s a sweetheart. And Marnie, Emilia, and Florencia. Those are the good sisters. Elena will rot in hell, I’m telling you. Elisa can’t let anything go so I can’t see how she’ll transcend her earthly bounds. I thought I’d go straight up too cause I knew you get dunked if you wait too long. But now I’m here, so I guess I’ll spend eternity with Elena.” I grimaced, feeling guilty. “She’s not that bad.”

I finished my ramblings. Vicious stopped and looked at me like I grew another head. I made a face. “Before, when the ghosts kept interrupting me, it was like I could never form a complete thought, you know? Everyone thinks I’m so quiet. Now, they aren’t talking to me anymore. It’s like… silence in my head all the time. I’m sorry if I ramble too much.”

He resumed his walk, grumbling under his breath like he didn’t really want me to hear it. “I like hearing you talk.”

I smiled, taking this as a great sign. “You must be used to silence, though.” I skipped, since one step of his equaled two of mine.

Vicious shrugged. “Yes. The only time the palace is loud is when the court comes for a ritual. And I dislike many of them.”

“What kind of rituals do they come to watch?”

“Mostly underworld bindings.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Like ours?”

“Yes.”

“How’s that common?” I couldn’t understand how many other living people would want to be bound to live in the underworld.

Vicious pierced me with a look, his voice softened as he said, “Widows.”

I stopped in my tracks. “Oh god.”

He tugged me forwards. “They live in agony missing their love until they find a way here and ask to be bound.”

“They give their lives away,” I whispered. “They could just… die.”

“And risk it?” he shook his head.

“And you always say yes?”

He slowly nodded. “If they want to promise their life to the underworld? I don’t see how that affects me. More to rule.”

I smiled, not fooled by the way he phrased it. “It’s romantic. It’s giving people love. If you were as bad as you pretend to be, you’d say no just to torture people.”

“Torturing you was an exception. I have never tortured anyone before.”

“Wait. But I’ve seen people being tortured.”

He nodded. “I told you this is a manifestation of beliefs. I’m not punishing anyone, but they believe they need to suffer.”

“So they inflict it on themselves?”

“They don’t know what is happening. None of them realize they created this and it can be whatever they want.”

“That’s… horrible.”

He didn’t reply.

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