The Seven Sins

27. Potions

Leon had surprised me to a trip to Italy. We ate in a fancy restaurant as I explained what happened over the past week. Our time in the woods and after. I didn't tell him everything, nothing about the things Pride told me about Marek or what happened in the pond. He told me that all of the princes were in a frenzy when they figured out I had disappeared. Telling me they all truly cared for me, but I knew that already.

After dinner, he took me to a pub. He and I were drinking and dancing until late in the night. Most of the night, I danced with him. It's been a long time since I had this much fun. Going out with Hanna was always fun, but boys all drooled over her, pulling her attention away. But Leon, he kept his attention on me, even though he had men come up to him. When he went to the toilet, I sat down at the bar to order another drink. A man with purple hair and brown eyes sat down next to me and paid for my drink. We got to talking, just some nonsense before he asked me to dance. I danced with him a little. Enjoying the freedom that has been taken away from me the past months, or the part that felt like that. When Leon reappeared from the men's room, he sat down at the bar. He watched me carefully, making sure the purple headed man didn't try anything. After a few songs, he came over and pulled me away from him. The man scowled but didn't object.

When the night turned into early morning, Leon dropped me off at Pride's before he went back to Sevrin's. I sighed as I glanced up at the large castle. Gone was the fun. I pushed the door open and went inside. When I reached the first landing, Pride pinned me to the wall. His arm over my chest.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I gasped from the impact. I went for my dagger, but he stopped me.

"Where were you?" He growled.

"Out!" I snapped at him. "I already told you, you can't control me or where I go. I know you hate that but that's the way it is. Besides you have been ignoring me ever since we got back from the woods. So, leave it!"

"I saw you."

"What?"

"I. Saw. You." He repeated low and slow. "We can't go back to the mortal world, but we can make a portal."

"You spied on me?" I asked shocked. "What if someone stumbled through it?"

"I'd wipe their memory and send them back." He shrugged. He said it so simply that I wondered he had thought about it before or even did it before.

"Why?" I wanted to press my dagger against his chin, but his fingers were still closed around my wrist.

"With what happened in the woods, I needed to know you were safe." Safe? Did he really care if I was safe or not? I looked into his grey stormy eyes, but it was too dark in the corridor to make anything out of them. "I need you alive to -" He stopped for a moment. "To break this blasted curse."

Now I had enough, I pulled my hand free and pushed against his shoulder. He stumbled easily back like he wasn't putting any force against me at all.

"That's all you care about, don't you?! To break your silly little curse! Why am I not even surprised." I scoffed. "Every one of your brothers has more caring in their little toe than you have in your entire body. So, fuck you, prince Pride!" I sneered his title. I turned away from him and charged towards my room.

"Ava." I heard him say my name. I didn't know if it was him saying it so softly it made it sound tender or it was because my ears and head were buzzing from anger. But I didn't turn around and kept walking. "Ava." A little louder now. "AVA!" He pulled on my arm and turned me around.

I was just about to open my mouth to tell him to keep his hands to himself when his lips slanted against mine. WHAT?! What in Karakas' name is happening? I was pinned against a wall again, Pride's surprisingly soft lips brushing over mine. His hands caressed my arms slowly. I was so surprised at the change I didn't kiss him back.