Home. Prudence chewed on the word. Where was home? She seemed to recall another life in which being at home meant being with Killian. It only occurred twice a year, but oh, how precious those moments where. It was a time when she could put everything aside and really relax. There was no evil. No Inferum. No Sins. Only Killian.
“The Sins,” she muttered.
“All defeated,” Killian said. “I’m starting to think we overdid our lovemaking. Come,” he said, jumping out of bed. He went around and offered her his hand. Prudence hesitated. The nagging feeling she was making a mistake gnawed at her gut.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Prudence.”
Biting her lip, she slid her palm into his. He helped her stand and led her to the balcony.
“This is your work, Prudence,” he said while helping her into a white silk robe.
“My work?” she echoed.
Prudence stared out at the rolling green fields before her. A river of pristine water flowed throughout it, reflecting a corn-yellow sky. Here and there, animals dotted the landscape. Predators and prey together as one without a care in the world.
“This is impossible.”
“This is the world you’ve always dreamed of, isn’t it? Peace among all living creatures. This is only a small example. Out of here, humanity stands on the pillars of the virtues. The Sins have long been forgotten.”
“How?”
Killian grinned and his eyes took on a glittering hunger she didn’t recognize. Prudence took a step back.
“Working together, Prudence.”
“You and I?”
“You and Greed.”
“No. That’s impossible.”
“Is it really? We’re here, aren’t we?”
“Yes, but—”
“Animals at peace, clear skies, gold and precious jewels surrounding us. The love you’ve always wanted brought to life. It’s your ambition.”
“No. That’s not right. This isn’t what I wanted. It’s all so, so…” She fished for the right word. “Superficial. Animals and plants will die. Gold, money, jewels are useless if you’ve got nothing to spend it on. Why do we need all this?”
“Why?” Killian sneered. “Why wouldn’t we? We can appreciate it like no one else can, we can bargain with it, we can simply have it for the sake of having it.”
Pru rolled her bottom lip. A pounding headache hammered behind her eyelids. It didn’t make sense. Killian would never possess something just because. He was the most selfless person she knew.
“Killian? she murmured. She looked into her mate’s face. He was perfect. Had always been. Rugged. Handsome. Strong lips. The scar on his chin, covered mainly by a beard, except in that tiny spot. She edged closer. Her brow furrowed. There was hair. She glanced up at his eyes. They were blue but there was no warmth in them. The unspoken joy she saw when Killian looked at her was gone.
“What’s that, love?”
“You’re not the Killian I love. You’re not the love I wanted,” she whispered.
Killian’s countenance darkened, his eyes taking on a sinister glow.
“Does that matter? I can give you all you desire.” His voice turned lower, grating her ears with a metallic edge. “Killian, your magic, the power to become what you’ve always wanted. High Priestess. Savior of the balance.”
“Greed,” she gasped, stumbling backward.
“The one and only.”
His sickening laughter echoed all around her. Little by little, the man before her transformed, becoming a shimmering shadow of golden sparks. Shocked, she stared at the Sin. Greed sniggered. Her mouth dried and her heartbeat raced. Killian. Her mate’s name rang in her head. He’d never been at her side. The last few hours had merely been an illusion. Her skin turned clammy. Where was he? Was he even alive? Black spots danced in her vision but she still tried to draw a spell of protection. Killian. She had to find him.
“Your magic is no match for mine, Prudence, priestess of the Virtues.”
“What do you want from me? Where’s Killian?” she rasped.
“Killian? His fate doesn’t concern you any longer. You belong here. You are one of us, greedy, always desiring more. “
“No.”
“Are you not? You came here today because you wanted more. More information. More power. You were warned to stay back but you were greedy. You wanted to investigate further and take proof to your boss to where I was hiding. You wanted to have the upper hand in this fight regardless of everything else.”
“That’s not greed. I am fighting for the balance.”
“It is greed when you place it above all else.”
“What do you mean?”
“Above safety, sound advice, love.”
She stared in shock.
“Didn’t Killian beg you to wait? You disregarded his opinion as much as you have disregarded his love for the past years. His love was never good enough compared to the power of magic. Dear, you even made love to his mirage.” Greed snickered. “You were so blind to your own needs and wants you didn’t care that the man you were fucking wasn’t real.”
“No.” She recoiled, hands up. Her throat burned and her skin crawled, unclean, contaminated. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not, priestess. You are greedy. Your aim from the moment you became a chosen one was to become high priestess. You secretly dreamed of finding the way to destroy my brothers and sisters, of being the one priestess who came up with the solution. You found your mate and you chose to work day and night for the so-called greater good instead of focusing on what really mattered.”
“Peace really matters,” she said. “Once you become eradicated, we’d be able to live at peace.”
“Stupid Spell Caster, your life span is long but it is not eternal. We are immortal. While you wile away aiming to find a way to kill us, your life dwindles.”
“I have given up my happiness for a greater cause.” Shaking violently, she took a step forward.
“No, child. You have chosen to ignore happiness, give it a slap in the face for a cause which you can never win and which would only benefit you. You would become high priestess. You would be in control. You would have the power to command others. Did you not immediately grab the opportunity in this weekend’s mission? You were eager to show your worth to move ahead in your plans. It had nothing to do with me.”
“No.”
“You are where you belong, Prudence. This is what you have always wanted. Peace among all creatures. The death of the Sins and the man you love at your side, supporting you without question.”
Greed smirked. “Don’t worry. You’re not the first Spell Caster to fall.”
“How did I get infected?” she murmured.
“Oh, you’re not.” Greed chuckled. “I don’t need to infect people. Everyone is born with an inkling of greed in their body. I just help them bring it forth. You didn’t even need my help, Prudence. You worked all on your own.”
Prudence sank to the floor. Tears streamed down her face.
“I promise you, this is not bad. It doesn’t make you a bad person. And life here is good. You will be happy. You will be the sole priestess, with knowledge above all others. The high priestess of my collection. You will be unique and powerful above all else. Just as you always wanted.”
“I don’t want that,” she said.
“Are you sure? Think about it.”
“No. I refuse to believe you. You’re a Sin. A natural-born liar. Your mission is to create chaos.”
Greed’s glittering body dimmed, then glowed brightly again.
“There is a test.”
Chapter Twenty
Prudence’s tears dried. Had she heard correctly?
“A test?” she stuttered.
“Yes, to see if you truly belong here, since you refuse to believe me.”
“You will cheat me.”
“I won’t. It is your own choices which will reflect your true character.”
Greed waved his hand in the air, and a swirling fog bega
n to take form.
“I will show you two possible futures, Prudence, priestess of the Virtues. You must choose one. Your choice will either free you or condemn you to eternity with me.”
Prudence squared her shoulders. “I am prepared.”
The mist spread, surrounding her. Little by little, strokes of color began to appear like a brush on a canvas. Shapes emerged. She started as she recognized herself. She walked through the halls of Veritas dressed in the High Priestesses robes.
“That’s me.”
“Yes,” Greed said. “You returned home and have become what you desired. With my help, you have tipped the balance in your favor. The world is almost at peace now.”
“With your help?”
“There was no way for you to tip the scale without my knowledge. You returned home with a mission, an unattainable one, in mind. Eventually, you agreed to making a deal with me. I helped you find my brothers and sisters and obliterate them. Now, only Greed exists in the world.”
Prudence gaped at the swirling image. She worked dutifully, head bowed in concentration.
“Where’s Killian?” she asked.
“There.”
A door opened and in walked her mate. Her heart tumbled in her chest. He had the same soldier’s bearing with a few more scars she did not recognize, but there was something wrong with him. An aura of grief surrounded him, making him small in comparison to the strong man she knew. He walked to her side and bowed. Prudence grimaced at the gesture. She would never require that from him. The Prudence in the image didn’t even glance up from her work. She waved him away. With a dejected nod, Killian left, his gaze a piercing testament to her cruelty.
“I have hurt him.”
“In return, you have obtained universal peace. It is a small price to pay, isn’t it?”
“I—” She hesitated. The destruction of the Sins and regaining the balance had been her life’s mission. She had achieved it, but at what cost?
“You said there were two possibilities. Show me the other one.”
The mist transformed again, dividing itself into three panels. On one side, she saw the world, overrun with Inferum. On the other side, herself. She stood in the same place. Alone, yet seemingly at ease. Finally, the third image showed a funeral. Nausea made her head swim as she recognized the name on the tombstone.
Prudence.
Killian wept openly.
“He will move on,” Greed whispered.
The image changed and Killian reappeared. He walked side by side with a striking woman with red hair and green eyes. Killian glanced at her and smiled. His eyes filled with the light Prudence saw when he looked at her. Though she could not hear the woman, she recognized the words she mouthed.
I love you.
Killian’s whole face lit up and he replied with the same sentence.
Prudence’s eyes filled with tears.
“If you remain here, he will grieve, but life will not cease. Both of you will be free from the mating pull which condemns you. He will continue to fight for a mission with no future, whilst you will remain here, an item of my collection. Your desire to obliterate the Sins and become High Priestess unfulfilled forever.”
“A collector’s item,” she murmured.
“My most prized possession. A priestess of the Virtues.”
“Killian looked happy.”
“Have no doubt that he was.”
Prudence nodded. What started out as a mission to rid a part of the world of Sin, of Inferum, ended with a personal mission for Pru. Inexplicably, the very thing she had meant to destroy and protect the world from had lured her. Even she wasn’t immune to a Sin’s power and allure. She’d made a grave mistake in believing she could sidestep them, even more so, considering her role as a Spell Caster. Greed wasn’t wrong. She had been avaricious and now she had to face the consequences. She was ready. However, she was not willing to allow the man she loved to pay the same price. Killian deserved better. Painful as it was, the decision was clear within her heart.
“I have made my choice.”
“What will it be?”
“I will remain here.”
“Why?” Greed asked.
“Because it is the only way to free Killian.”
“You are saying no to ridding the world of all the Sins but one. You are refusing to become the highest of your order and all because of a man?”
“Not any man. My mate. The man I love. If to give him the happiness he deserves I must give up my own, then so be it. He deserves it.”
Greed’s mist dissipated. His image turned dimmer. Darkness swirled at the edge of her consciousness.
“So be it,” Greed said. “But bear in mind, priestess. Whatever your choice, you will eventually return to me.”
****
Prudence gasped in shock as her feet hit the ground. Her mind reeled and her stomach churned, bile rising to the back of her throat. She swayed forward.
“Prudence.”
Killian wrapped her into his arms, lifting her off the ground. He brushed back her hair, frantically searching her face.
“Are you okay, love? Are you hurt?”
“Killian? Is it really you?” She cupped his face, taking in every detail of his visage. Firm lips, trimmed beard, the scar at his chin, the bumps on his nose, repeatedly broken throughout countless battles.
“It’s me, love. You’re safe.”
Prudence looked into his eyes. The light of love she’d seen in Greed’s illusion burning and alive. She had returned to her mate. Her heart banged erratically against her chest. Her love. She’d been an idiot not to take into account what her heart had been telling her all along, stupid for ignoring the true meaning of the Virtues. Love was the most powerful force in existence. It wasn’t about sacrificing your identity. It had never been about that. Love was about compromise, about giving and taking in equal measures. Love meant knowing when to let go if it meant happiness for your partner.
Prudence would prove Greed wrong. She would never return to him, to Sin. Whatever it took, her devotion would be for the love she and Killian shared. And she would start right now, making sure he understood the depth of her emotion. For years, she’d kept her true feelings to herself. No more.
“I love you, Killian,” she said. “I love you. I’d do anything for you, Killian. I’m sorry I’ve been a fool all this time.”
Killian’s lips landed on hers, demanding her silence. The salty tang of her tears mingled with the sweetness of his mouth and she sighed, giving in to the kiss every ounce of emotion she’d always held back. Killian’s fingers on her waist tightened. Finally, he pulled away. Their gazes locked.
“I love you, Killian.”
His mouth quirked, his features lighting up.
“I love you, Prudence.”
Epilogue
“This is the last of it,” Killian said, placing the box over another. He took a good look at the space surrounding them. It was humble, but it was theirs.
Their home.
He didn’t think he would ever see the day and even now, five months after their ordeal with Greed, the changes their lives and relationship had gone through seemed like an illusion. Every night he spent with Prudence, he had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t trapped in a dream which was too good to be true. Fortunately, he wasn’t.
Even though, the last five months had been close to a nightmare. Thrown apart for several weeks, Spell Casters examined them top to bottom to make sure they were not infected. Then, the Council had come in to interrogate them. He shuddered at the memory. It had not been easy. In the end, Prudence was demoted from her job. Due to her narrow escape with the Sin, she was strictly prohibited to ever work in such a position of power. To his surprise, she was not upset. From what she had told him, if they hadn’t come to that decision, she would have taken it herself.
Aslan had forced him to take a leave of absence to get his life in order. He had a meeting with him the next day, but he was hoping to return to work
in two weeks or so.
“A hand here?”
Prudence came into the room balancing a load of books. Killian’s heart tumbled in his chest, spreading warmth across his limbs.
“Do you really need all those? You’re working in the archives now.”
“They bring me joy,” she said.
Killian shook his head. Taking the books from her, he kicked the door shut and placed them on an empty surface. He glanced around him and then back at Prudence who was already opening one of the boxes and fishing out the contents.
“What are you doing?”
“What do you think I’m doing?” she replied without looking up. “Unpacking. This place isn’t going to set itself straight on its own.”
Killian crept up to her and snaked his arms around her. Prudence squealed.
“Killian.”
“I think there’s something much more important for us to do before unpacking old things.”
He tucked her hair to the side and brushed his lips over her neck. A shudder ran through her.
“What exactly do you have in mind?” she asked, placing her hands over his.
Killian led their entwined hands to her breasts, kneading them until her turgid nipples grazed his palm over her clothes.
“I want to show you what brings me joy,” he murmured.
“I think I already know,” she said. Disengaging herself from his grasp, Prudence swept off her shirt and shimmied out of her skirt. Killian’s cock stiffened. He reached for her, sliding his fingertips across her skin, watching in fascination as the feather-light touch brought goosebumps to her flesh.
“You’re not wrong,” he said, his voice husky with desire. “You bring me great joy.” After quickly ridding himself of his clothes, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Massaging her ass, he fingered her from behind, pleased to find her already wet.
“You’re always ready for me,” he whispered, circling her pussy.
“More than ready,” she agreed. “Fuck me.”
“Since when do you give orders?” he asked, lifting her. She wrapped her legs around him, grinding against him. Killian dipped his head and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth. Prudence gasped.
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