Page 69
Story: This Vicious Grace
“Two things to look forward to, then.”
“Are we playing or not?”
Teasing him was fun, but she couldn’t risk him changing his mind. “I’ll start with an easy one. Most beautiful place you’ve ever seen?”
He pursed his lips slightly. “A little beach on the far side of the island.”
Her heart twisted. “What does it look like?”
He lifted his glass, let it plunk to the table, then did it again. “A beach.”
“Whatkindof beach?”
“The kind where the land meets the sea,” he drawled, reveling in her annoyance.
She shook the bottle with a wet slosh. “Humor me. I haven’t been on a beach in years.”
He cast his eyes to the ceiling. “High cliffs on both sides. A narrow path to get to it, so it’s not worth the effort for most. But the water…” He trailed off with a wistful smile. “I’ve never seen that color anywhere else.”
“It sounds perfect,” she said with a sigh. She rewarded him with a stingy pour and tucked the bottle between her thighs, the most secure place on earth. “What’s my question?”
“If you could do anything before Divorando, what would it be?”
“Easy. Control my power and stop killing people.”
“No, no. Games are meant to befun. Pick something good.” Dante lifted his glass to his lips.
“Lose my virginity.”
Dante choked. Red-faced, tears in his eyes, he pounded his chest.
Alessa preened. “Better?”
“Much,” he croaked. “Challenge.”
“Hmm. Say something nice about Kaleb.”
“Nope.” He tipped his glass.
“Slow down,” she protested with a laugh. “The game will be over in five minutes if you drink that fast.”
“Nah. Iron constitution.” He patted his firm abdomen. “Ugh, Kaleb. Fitting he makes electricity.”
“How’s that?”
“Ever been near a lightning strike? Not fun.”
“You haveterribleluck.”
“It wasn’t a direct strike. I’ve also broken seven bones, including my nose, been stabbed and burned, and nearly lost a finger.”
She grimaced. “The gods must really hate you.”
“I’m certain they do.”
“That makes two of us, then.”
He scoffed. “You’re the savior. After Divorando, you’ll never work another day in your life. They’ll write sonnets about you.”
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