Page 44 of Our Vicious Descent
Heat spread between Layla’s ribs as she noticed the intrigued tone in Elise’s words. Still, she worried whether she had done too much—beentoo much. Her eyes darkened. “I had to do it,” Layla muttered.
Then Elise did something Layla never would have expected: she dropped a hand onto Layla’s chest and trailed her fingers through the blood. “I know. It was quite the show.”
Layla let out a shaky laugh. Between coming down from herexhilarated state and Elise watching her with eyes of lust so intense, Layla felt like they could have commanded her to do anything, she wasn’t sure how she was still standing.I would do anything for you. She did not say the words out loud, for fear of being looked at like the monster she had just become.
Elise’s smile widened anyway. “I love you even more like this.”
Her lips were on Layla’s a second later. Though shocked at first, Layla reacted quickly and returned the kiss, her hands coming up to grip Elise’s waist. Already, Elise had parted her lips and cupped the back of Layla’s head to deepen the kiss. If there was anything that might have been better than Elise’s blood, it was her lips.
Kissing her was akin to what Layla thought being close to God would be like. Her entire body felt light while simultaneously grounded by Elise’s touch. Being close to her like this matched every dream Layla had had of her in recent days. But even with them kissing like they wanted to consume each other, with Layla’s core heating and her body vibrating with anticipation, it still wasn’t enough. She wanted to press into Elise until they were one entity, a Saint and a reaper rolled into one sinful act. Layla might have allowed it to happen.
“We should stop,” Elise gasped, her breath hot inside Layla’s mouth. “They’ll sense me on you, and they’ll hate you for having me.”
There were almost no better words to encourage Layla. In this moment, she did not give a damn about anything besides the girl in front of her. “Tell me to stop then,” Layla murmured.
Another sigh of pleasure left Elise as Layla put more intensity behind her kiss. “No.”
It was word enough for Layla. She walked Elise back until she was against a wall, the blood on her smearing between them while they continued to kiss. The cathedral watched them with its dark windows and cross-laden steeples casting shadows upon them, judging them as the saint and the damned they were. Layla was certain there was nothing more sacred than having Elise Saint in her arms, whispering her name like a prayer between their fevered kisses. If it was sacrilege, then Layla welcomed it. She pulled back just enough to peer into Elise’s eyes. Her own had gone black with ravenous desire. “Lise…I need you.”
Elise gave her a knowing smile, but she shook her head. “You just want my blood.” Startling realization filled her eyes, and her face paled.
Layla touched her wrist, concerned. “What is it?”
“I just realized something. That reaper at the blood house all those weeks ago—he said he paid for a Saint, but he wasn’t expecting me. He was expecting a different Saint.”
23
“Are you sure you don’t want me to help you with those?” Layla gestured to her throat. She had come out of the bathroom with wet hair and fresh clothes moments ago. Elise still sat at the kitchen counter, staring into space while she considered her options after the incident at the lair. She was glad to have something else to focus on when Layla approached her.
“I’m okay. I don’t want to be responsible for your starvation again,” Elise said with a slight smile.
Layla watched her intently. “You know my starvation is always worth it when it comes to you.”
Elise stood from the chair and made her way to the couch. She tried to ignore the blossoming heat in her cheeks and throughout her body at the undertones of Layla’s words. At this point, there was no part of her that did not want Layla. But Elise wondered if Celie had been right—that there was no use in sharing their lives whenone of them was destined to outlive the other by an eternity. In the grand scheme of things, Elise would be a mere moment in Layla’s impossibly long life. That had never been what Elise wanted—with Layla or anyone. Love to her had always been beyond just a grand gesture or a moment of bliss. It was a promise that refused to be broken against tumultuous times and lasted long enough to tell future generations what true romance was. It was akin to a myth, where belief belonged to those who were so consumed by their passion, they might as well have been made of it. While Elise had never been so close to anyone, she could not be certain that reaperhood would not change things.
Layla had always alluded to the idea that her reaperhood made her unable to love—or at least struggle to do so fully. If Elise’s humanity would be a problem, she did not want to be in the way of Layla’s happily ever after.
“Elise—”
“I’m okay,” Elise said quickly, trying to shove the spiraling thoughts from her head. She always forgot how sensitive Layla was to her ever-changing emotions. Even more so now, the reaper seemed to pick up on her with increased precision. “I’m just thinking of my sister. If we don’t find her soon…I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to help her.” Elise settled on the couch and pulled her knees up to her chest. She had not even arranged the sofa into a bed. More desperately than not, Elise hoped seeing her preparing for bed would help Layla take the hint and leave. Part of Elise wanted Layla to convince her to stay with her. Why not be like the thousands of Harlem residents whoprowled the night like starved beasts in search of sinful pleasures? Why not allow herself to succumb to the darkest desires at work in her soul, which would not only lead to her inevitable demise but provide endless satisfaction in the moment? Though her last name had not changed, Elise had long since been unable to call herself a Saint. Looking at Layla only made her realize that more.
Layla stepped closer, and Elise’s heart jumped at her sudden proximity. Layla tilted her head to the side, a small smile playing on her lips while she watched Elise. “We will find her, and we’ll find Dr. Gray too, and everything will be okay. Tomorrow we confront the gangsters stealing your father’s weapons to ensure we do not have another failed attempt to save your sister.”
Elise wanted to ask her why she had so much personal investment in finding Josi, but she trusted that Layla cared becauseElisecared. Josi was important to her and must have been important to Layla to some degree if she truly cared for Elise. That was enough for her.
“What are you doing out here anyway?” Layla asked.
Elise shrugged. She could barely bring herself to look at Layla, for fear of igniting in herself a naked want she would not be able to control. “Going to bed.”
“On the couch?” Layla asked, lifting a brow.
The sigh that Elise let out had more feigned frustration in it than she meant to display “Thank you, truly, for noticing that I’ve been relegated to the couch for the past couple of nights since you returned and Sterling joined us. No one has even asked how my backis from sleeping on such a rickety thing. No one has even asked if I was comfortable—”
“You surprisingly have not complained about it.” Layla crossed her arms and tapped a finger along the back of her wrist. “Sterling has no problem sharing a room with Jamie. You could have asked to sleep with me.”
Elise almost choked. “You onlyjuststarted talking to me properly!”
Layla pursed her lips. “You could have found some way to tempt me.”
