I laughed. “I guessed so many times. I could’ve sworn it was Sloth.”
“Ludovica takes that one,” Desi smirked.
“Wrath fit Desiderio perfectly, just as Pride fits me. You’ll see.” Corrine winked.
Desi straightened in his seat. “What does that mean? Are you dropping this all?”
Corrine nodded. “I’ve heard your case at length.” She rolled her eyes. “I think if the choice is having you together or not with us as a Seven Sin, all of us want to see you both. For now. We still have a deal.” She shared a knowing look with Desi, whose face grew serious, and he nodded.
“Of course. I always get my mark.”
“In more than one way.” Corrine giggled and looked at me again, which caused me to laugh with her. She stood then and bowed slightly. “I haven’t gotten the opportunity to look at that bottle, but I want to do so tonight. Make sure to say goodbye when you leave.”
“Probably one more day,” Desi told her. She nodded and left us.
We went back to our room then. It was nearly morning, and we needed rest before traveling again.
“Where are we going next?” I asked as Desi helped to cover my wound. It had been two weeks, and still, there was a hole in my side. Wrapping my stomach tight, we laid down and relaxed into each other’s bodies.
“Anywhere you want, I suppose.” He whispered in my ear. “Although we may have to deal with some baddies for a little bit.” He nipped my shoulders with his fangs playfully. “I’ll take care of it.”
A giggle escaped my lips, but still, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Aleida had told me privately.
“Desi, Aleida told me that she wasn’t shot. At the diner. When we got cursed.”
“What?” He stiffened, his tone confused.
“What did you say when you made that deal with the devil?”
“I asked to save my soulmate.”
“And you thought that was Aleida.”
“At the time, in a panic. I knew I had only a few minutes before I lost the chance. Yes.”
“But you never said her name?”
Desi was silent for a long time.
“No, I don’t think I did.” He snuggled his nose into my neck and inhaled. “What does that mean?”
I gulped and told him my theory. “I think you saved me.”
He didn’t speak, so I continued. “You asked to save your soulmate, and I was dying. I asked to save the person who had my heart, and you, too, had been shot. I just don’t understand why they took Aleida’s memories.”
Desi groaned. “I think I know why. I didn’t say her name, but the devil did. He asked about her, and I said yes. He laughed and then said. “Sure, let’s add that one in too.” I didn’t think about it at the time. I was too scared about dying. He was saying a lot of things.”
“Are you sure that this is where you want to be?” I asked quietly.
He chuckled again, and his hand went to my shoulder, gently tracing lines down my arm. “You are such a nerd. Yes, in bed with you is where I want to be. Although, if I could be inside—”
“Don’t ruin this!” I squealed and turned to playfully slap his chest. I reached up and brought his lips down to mine. His lips parted, and our tongues teased each other in such a way that only felt right with him. “You’re such a fucking loser,” I smirked and bit down on his lip. My fangs pricked him just enough to get a drop to stain my lips.
He laughed as he rolled me carefully onto my back and climbed on top of me. Our bodies and minds were bare to each other, and still, I wanted to be closer. He leaned down, kissed me once more, and replied to my smart-ass comment. “Don’t I know it.”
The End
