Page 88 of Lust
My eyes slightly widened. Before Sara and Ragu changed their surname to Marcolf, their last name was also Nineveh.
Had I ever disclosed that information to Michael?
My blood ran cold, irritation spiking. “Well, I’m sure the whole lot of them were very pleased with their secondhand names and lived a happy life.”
“Unfortunately, they didn’t.” Michael shook his head. “Asmodeus was always known to be more mischievous than cruel, tempting humanity with desires. However, after Sarah’s death, the broken-hearted demon turned into… an Anti-Cupid of sorts. He toyed with humanity with the first sins to plague them.” Michael looked at me meaningfully. “Do you know who became his favorite pastime toys?”
I didn’t respond because it was rhetorical.
“Sarah and Tobias’ kin,” Michael answered his own question. “Although Sarah and Tobias lived a happy life, Asmodeus tormented their descendants. He was hell-bent on proving they’d succumb to superficial pleasures and that only his love for Sarah was real.”
“But, why?” I asked before I could stop myself. “They were Sarah’s children.”
“Nonetheless, they were also Tobias’ bloodline. Some speculated it was Asmodeus’ pride that wouldn’t allow the children of Tobias to find happiness. He’d cultivate plans to torment them, and since Asmodeus was such a fan of theatrics, he’d set up the exact scenario to replay what happened in his own past.”
“How so?” I pressed. A suspicion that had lurked in the back of my mind was starting to show.
“Well, Asmodeus knew which two people would fall in love and would predestine it for Sarah and Tobias’ descendants, all so it could be ripped away.” Michael raised his brows at me meaningfully. “For example, he’ll introduce one of their descendants… let’s call her Sara for this hypothetical purpose… to a man named Tobias. Then he’ll whisper in both of their ears until they find each other irresistible.”
Dread coiled inside me.
“Meanwhile, the man Sara truly loves will be plagued with feelings of animosity and envy. Asmodeus will keep whispering in that person’s ears, too, until Sara’s true love goes astray, thus destroying her hopes. His goal is to force them into the same pain he suffers; a daily heartbreak.”
I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The air wouldn’t reach my lungs. I was choking and swallowed several times. “You can’t possibly believe—”
“Sara’s biological mother, Maya, was Raguel’s first love, was she not? Tell me, Tristan. Did he ever get over her?”
I froze. Raguel might love my mother, but all the same, he grieved Sara’s mother on a daily basis.
A daily heartbreak.
All these years, all this time, I thought if there were such a thing as a demon or a fallen angel, that I was their object of desire. That they wantedmysoul, my pain, my suffering.
But it was never my suffering they wanted. It was Sara’s.
I didn’t believe in such things past a figment of my imagination, but if there were even a morsel of truth in Michael’s words, then Asmodeus knew I’d fall in love with Sara because she challenged me. He knew she’d love me, too.
He didn’t give me these gifts because he wanted my soul. He gave me those gifts, so I’d become desperate for something real until I started listening to those murmurs in my ear. Until I hurt people. Until I hurther.
I didn’t wait for Michael’s next words, nor did I interrogate him over his knowledge. Suddenly none of those things mattered other than getting to Sara.
I rushed out of the office without a backward glance.
Ihummed while dumping out the contents of the saltshaker for the tasteless replicas I had ordered online.
This might be my best work to date. Over the last few days, I had been slowly replacing the salt level in Tris’ food until he was starting to become convinced that he could no longer taste salt.
That arrogant ass would never admit to losing his taste buds, so it was the ultimate torture. It was especially great when he bought new saltshakers, hoping that he had faulty salt in his home.
Oh, the small joys in life. It was the only thing that brought me back to earth nowadays. Otherwise, I’d be living with my head in the clouds.
Life had turned into a real-life fairytale. All my romanticization had come true through my life with Tristan… except it was exceptionally dirty.
Tris continued to prove that the damned curse was in my head. So, now, there was only one major hurdle. I wanted to tell our parents about us as soon as they returned home.
In the meanwhile, I was living in the Tristan bubble. Things had changed between us. He now held my very heart in his palms.
In the snap of a finger, Tris had become the man he was meant to be. He chose a noble route for his campaign, was living the life of an honest man, and had promised never to hurt another. Even the kids at the shelter looked up to him.
