Page 139 of A House of Gold
"Oh please." Seraph waves a dismissive hand. "We can all feel the binding between you. It's practically vibrating with your need. You've claimed her in every way that matters." His mirror eyes find mine. "The question is: will she survive the transition to the next house? Or will Croesus's possessiveness have broken something vital?"
"I'll survive," I say through gritted teeth.
"Will you?" Kael leans forward, heat rolling off him in waves. "Because I don't do gentle. I don't do patience. When you're in my house, you'll need to be strong enough to withstand fire. Literally."
"And I expect perfection," Seraph adds. "Absolute, unwavering perfection. The smallest flaw, the slightest imperfection, I'll spend a year correcting it. Reshaping you into something worthy of my attention."
"While I," Lysander says with a wink, "will simply enjoy you. Though I must say, Croesus, I didn't realize the contracts included such...intimate service." His purple eyes gleam. "Judging by the binding between you, you've been quite thorough in your claims."
"That's none of your concern," Croesus growls.
Oh, but it is. Idris's mental voice is amused.We all serve the same contracts. If the terms include binding ourselves to her, sharing essence, becoming entangled in such delicious ways... Well, I for one am very much looking forward to discovering what that entails.
"I doubt Croesus will enjoy watching that," Lysander finishes.
The binding flares with Croesus's rage. "Enough."
Why?Idris's mental voice is amused.We're simply stating facts. She owes us each a year. We're merely anticipating our turns.
"She's not a toy."
"No," Dorian interrupts quietly. "She's a sin eater.”He looks at me, those warm brown eyes sad but kind. "She's stronger than you're giving her credit for. Strong enough to serve each of us and remain herself."
"Is she?" Seraph challenges. "We'll see. In ten months, when her year with Croesus ends, I'll test that theory personally."
I want to scream. Want to tell them all to shut up, that I'm not a thing they can discuss and dissect and claim.
But they're right.
In ten months, I will go to the House of Ruin. Seraph will have his year. Then Idris. Then Kael. Then the others, one by one, until seven years have passed and I've served them all.
That's the deal. That's what I agreed to.
And nothing, not Croesus's possessiveness, not my own fear, not the danger we're facing, nothing will change that.
"Fascinating as this discussion is," Caspian's tired voice drifts from the shadows, "we're avoiding the actual problem. What are we going to do about it?"
The question hangs in the air.
Seraph is the first to speak. "We share information. Cross-reference our records. Find the pattern in our missing souls."
"We investigate Heaven," Kael adds. "Find out which archangels are involved."
"We protect the girl," Dorian says firmly. "Whatever our...disagreements about her future, she's the key to understanding this. If she dies, we lose our best chance at answers."
Agreed.Idris's mental voice carries weight.Though I suspect protecting her will be easier said than done. If Heaven wants her, they'll come for her again.
"Then we make sure they fail," Croesus says. His hand finds my shoulder, claiming, possessive. "We work together. Share resources. Set aside our territorial disputes."
"For now," Seraph interrupts. "We set them asidefor now. Until this threat is dealt with. But make no mistake, Croesus, the moment this is over, the moment she's safe, our agreements revert. And she becomes fair game."
Through the binding, I feel Croesus's barely controlled fury. "She's not."
"Fair game," Lysander agrees cheerfully. "I'm already counting down the days until my turn. Though I'll admit, the anticipation is half the fun."
"You're all disgusting," I mutter.
Yes.Idris agrees, amused.But we're also the only ones who can keep you alive. So I suggest you tolerate our 'disgustingness' a bit longer.
