Page 80 of Glutton for Punishment

Empty.

Satisfied, I shut it again and turn back toward them.

“Obviously not,” I say. “All he does is sleep outside my door and glare at anyone who breathes too loud in my general direction.”

Tabby gasps. “Protective and broody? Disgusting. I love him.”

“He’s basically a pet at this point,” I mutter.

Cleo snorts. “Yes, Maddox West, of all people, is clearly just a puppy dog.” Her voice drips with sarcasm, making us giggle.

It feels so good to have them back. The laughter eases some of the tension in my chest from the strained bonds. I hadn’t realized how badly I needed this.

Tabby points at me once the laughter dies down. “Stop deflecting. He’s your bonded. We’ve seen the way you two look at each other.”

Cleo nods. “It’s medically concerning.”

“It has to be killing you,” Tabby adds.

My smile falters. “It is,” I admit.

“In some ways,” I add. “But I just…” I exhale, rubbing my hands together. “I’m trying to figure out what’s real and what’s the bond.”

Neither of them interrupts.

“I went from having no sin power one moment to suddenly being flooded with one, forming a proximity bond and then completing it through blood exchange all in like… one minute.”

I gesture. “Then I got dragged into a dungeon, treated like a science experiment and dumped into the most insane family in Vail.”

Tabby winces. “When you say it like that—”

“Not exactly a lot of time to process.” I deadpan, slumping back into my chair.

“I just feel…” I search for the word. “Out of control. Like half my emotions don’t belong to me anymore. I had an attraction to Maddox, but I never let myself explore those feelings because I had four other stupid bonds to contend with.”

The room goes quiet.

“That’s the first time you’ve talked about your power,” Cleo says.

She’s right. Outside of admitting I’m no longer sinless, I haven’t delved into details. I’m still trying to understand it myself.

Tabby jumps in. “I know talking about powers outside your faction is technically taboo. SinVail treats it like discussing classified information. But we’re Gluttony…”

I grimace.

Because technically—

“Apparently I am too now, huh?” I finish for her.

“I don’t mind telling you,” I say. “It’s not even about it being taboo. We’re friends. It’s just that… using it is more the issue than talking about it.”

Tabby straightens. “Well then. Tell us everything. What does it do?”

“It’s…” I frown, trying to find words that make sense. “Like a void.”

They both just stare at me like I’ve lost my mind. How do I explain this without showing them?

“A hungry void is what the science team called it when I was back in Greed,” I clarify. “When I summon it, it consumes whatever it touches. Erases them. Like they stop existing.”