Page 67 of The Demon Prince

Oh, this stubborn woman would be the death of him. Grumbling, he sped up his pace. “No, we don’t. I listen to what you want, and I ask what you want. Why are you running from me?”

She tried to speed up, but then the worst happened. Her leg, oh gods, her leg. He should have noticed that limp a lot sooner than he had. But it twisted underneath her, moving a little too fast and getting caught underneath the other one. She tripped, her hands outstretched to cushion her fall, but he could already hear the snapping of her wrist bones if she fell like that.

So he sprinted forward. And he knew she didn’t want him to touch her, but he had to touch her.

He had to know she was all right.

Gluttony lunged, wrapping her in his arms long before she hit the ground. Her breath stuttered, her eyes finding his arm around her waist as he drew her upright. Carefully, always so carefully.

He put her back onto her feet, holding onto her only until she was stable before he released her and held up his hands for peace. “I just want to talk,” he said. “Will you let me talk?”

“I don’t want to talk to you right now.”

“That’s fine. You don’t have to say anything back. Just listen to me.” He dipped slightly, forcing her to look at his face. “Yes? Will you listen at least?”

His heart wouldn’t stop its rapid beat until she finally nodded. And though that made him sweat, it was permission for him to at least try to save this.

“My brother is an idiot.”

She curled her lips in and he knew that she was trying to hide a disbelieving laugh. Maybe that wasn’t what she’d thought he would lead with.

He smiled, relieved she could at least find some humor in all this. “I don’t care what he thinks or what he says. I’m sorry you went through that. I’m sorry your life has not been as easy as I wish it had been for you, but that changes nothing. You’re still Katherine.”

He saw her melt, just a little. She looked at him, at least, and that soft expression returned to her gaze. “You don’t agree with him?”

“That you’re broken? No.” Desperately, Gluttony moved a little closer and then wrapped one of her curls around his finger. He moved her hair and gently revealed the faintest of scars on the side of her face. Scars he’d never noticed at all. “Like mended bone, you are stronger now than you were then. And that is admirable.”

She swallowed, and he tracked the movement with a desperation he wasn’t used to.

He wanted... No, he needed her to stay. He couldn’t survive without her. Didn’t she see that? And he was willing to do anything, say anything...

“I don’t want to say goodbye to you,” he said abruptly. “I don’t have a lot of friends, Katherine.”

“That’s rather obvious.”

“You could have at least pretended to be surprised,” he grumped, pleased when she finally smiled at him.

“I’m not surprised, though, and I have no wish to lie to you.” Katherine swallowed, and that shadow passed in front of her face again. “Or at least, anymore.”

“You never lied.” Gluttony reached for her hip and then tugged her into his arms. He wrapped her firmly in his grip, needing her to understand that his words were true. “You had no reason to tell me about your history or how you were hurt. I never asked. You never offered. Neither of those are lies.”

“I don’t think we’ve been very good friends to each other,” she murmured against his collarbone. “Friends know about the things that happened in each other’s pasts. They know everything about the person, as though they are an extension of another.”

“Is that true?” He rocked her side to side. “I’ve never had a friend. I’m afraid you’ll have to teach me how to be a good one.”

“Well, I suppose we could start over...” Katherine pulled out of his arms and held out her hand. “Hello. My name is Katherine. I was injured in a fire when I was very little, and I have a permanent limp and a very painful leg.”

He took her hand without hesitation. “Hello, Katherine. My name is Gluttony. I am a spirit who has taken flesh and then named myself a god. Most people in this kingdom are terrified of me. You probably should be too.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I wish to drink your blood, and the smell of it makes me forget that anything else exists.”

She bit her lip. “That sounds like an obsession.”

“Oh it is.” With a solemn nod, he tugged her a little closer, leaning in for dramatics. “I would burn this whole kingdom to the ground for a drop of your blood.”

“How terrifying.”

---