Thirty-One Prince Gluttony
T HERE’S SOMETHING DIFFERENT about you.” Lust looked me over, sweat dotting his brow as he dropped to the mat and kicked out, attempting to swipe my legs out from under me.
I danced back, narrowly avoiding contact with his blow.
Everyone assumed Lust was more of a lover than a fighter but never made that mistake again after training with him. He was as wicked as the rest of us when the mood struck.
We’d been sparring in my training room for the last two hours while the new royal reporter worked on the suitors’ profiles.
Much to my surprise, after speaking with them during the welcome dinner, a few would truly make fine matches. If I was actually in the market for a wife.
The dinner hadn’t been the chore that I’d imagined it would be, especially after what had happened with Silvanus. In fact, it had gone so well, I’d planned another dinner for this evening.
I would flirt shamelessly and dance, then sneak off to meet Felix at Merciless Reach for a night of hunting. That it would also help me avoid a certain blue-haired reporter was an added bonus. Try as I might to stop them, my thoughts kept turning to her. More often than I liked.
“You mean my godlike definition?” I lifted my brows. “I’ve been spending extra time training to impress my suitors. I’m flattered you noticed.”
“Definitely not it.”
Lust sprang to his feet, circling me, eyes narrowed. Dark hair stuck to his forehead. He needed a haircut and shave. Which meant he’d spent the last few days feeding his sin.
A fact made painfully obvious, literally, given the nail marks down his back.
We healed almost instantly, which meant he’d either gotten extremely rough or he’d used some sort of magic. Lust was the prince of pleasure, his appetites wilder than even mine.
He feigned an uppercut, then swung with his opposite fist, catching me in the abdomen.
I took the hit, then swung back, clocking him in the jaw.
He spit golden blood on the ground, eyes glinting.
“Distracted, brother?”
I landed another quick jab. “My spies report that Envy’s scheming. Care to enlighten me why?”
“Does anyone ever truly know why he does what he does?” Lust bounced on the balls of his feet, throwing a punch that would have done serious damage if I hadn’t avoided it at the last second. “Wrath said you didn’t patrol the border last night.”
“Something came up.”
“Tell me it was a lead on the dragons and not your cock. You know you’re not actually supposed to court anyone, right?”
I struck out, catching him in the shoulder as he turned away from the blow.
“You spend an unhealthy amount of time thinking about my love life. Find someone to court or read a book. Though, judging by your back, you found someone.”
“You were with that ice goddess from the Seven Sins, weren’t you?” He closed his eyes. “Gods. That dress. I might damn the whole realm for her too. Think she’ll be there again tonight? I’ll happily keep her company for you while you play doting husband.”
I struck him in the center of his abdomen, unable to land the second jab as he reared back, laughing.
I stalked a small circle around him.
“Stop thinking about her.”
“She didn’t seem to mind me thinking about her when I caught you together.”
I tackled him to the ground, and he knocked me off, his grin growing wider as we circled each other again. I bounced on the balls of my feet, shaking off my annoyance.
The damned blood oath was making me feel… territorial.
I kept my jaws locked together, refusing to take my brother’s bait.
Which only encouraged him to keep up his taunts.
“Probably because you were dry-humping her leg like a fiend, Gabriellis. Imagine if I unleashed my power on her? She wouldn’t be looking for thrills elsewhere. I can promise you that. She’d be on her knees, choking on—”
I landed my next blow, hard, and Lust staggered back.
Amusement flared in his eyes.
“So sensitive.”
“Would you focus?”
I feinted to the right, then doubled back, missing him by an inch.
He whistled softly when his attention snapped to the doorway.
I refused to look over my shoulder, not trusting his attempt to distract me. Surely Adriana wasn’t already up to her wicked reporting ways and meddling. Especially after her insistence that we avoid each other and pretend last night never happened.
As if that was an easy task.
I fired another quick punch at Lust, determined to push the rooftop from my damned mind just as she’d asked.
My brother and I traded blows for the next several minutes without speaking. Lust remained uncharacteristically serious as we took turns knocking each other down.
The sparring session was meant to blow off steam but had turned into a brawl.
We fought like the dirty bastards we were. Kicking out, swinging, using our wings to shove the other back, slicing at each other with our daggers.
I released all the pent-up frustration I’d been holding in a flurry of punches and kicks. Channeling all my dark emotions into one goal: beating Lust.
I turned into the demon, shedding all pretense of princely civility as I unleashed myself.
I thought of the latest report I’d gotten from my hunters, how the dragons had gone after a lesser demon last night, maiming him severely enough to cause problems with the other solitary demons.
I should have been tracking the dragons last night. I should have left Adriana once she was sleeping and secure. Instead, I stood guard until morning. Watching her sleep soundly. As if the realm wasn’t in danger and I had all the time in the world to spare.
She wasn’t a suitor.
She’d never be my wife.
Her gods-damned sister was in the running to be my bride. So why then did I stay? The blood oath? I wished to the old gods that was it.
“Gabriel. Stop.”
Lust’s voice was laced with magical command, breaking me from the fighting trance I’d been lost in. I blinked slowly, taking in the blood, the ravaged training room.
We’d fought like feral animals, the tapestries torn from the walls, the weapons upturned and scattered across the floor. A shield lay crumpled and bent near my feet.
I didn’t remember using it.
I looked down at my fists; my split knuckles were slowly stitching themselves together. I glanced back at my brother, noting the swelling going down around his eyes.
“You were starting to frighten her.” Lust jerked his chin behind me, his voice barely above a whisper. “And you don’t need to start any new rumors.”
An odd prickle rolled down my spine.
I turned, already knowing who I’d find, my pulse speeding in anticipation.
Except it wasn’t her.
I schooled my expression to hide my conflicted feelings.
“Eden.”
She leaned against the refreshment table by the door, a book pressed to her chest like a shield. I wondered how long she’d been there, watching us.
I scanned her quickly, understanding why Lust had fought so valiantly. Eden Everhart exuded grace and poise. She was exactly the sort of challenge my brother couldn’t resist.
That she was currently part of a competition to win my hand wouldn’t be a deterrent, sham of an event or not. Lust was no stranger to scandal himself.
I crossed the room to her side, pouring a glass of water from a pitcher, trying to adopt that devil-may-care image I’d crafted. I settled back, sipping the drink.
“To what do I owe the honor of your company, Miss Everhart?”
She quietly studied me. “Are you angry, Your Highness?”
“No. Why?”
“You were fighting like you either wanted to end a war or start one.”
“Oh, he definitely wanted to start one. Our boy here is in quite the mood.”
Lust snagged a glass and poured himself a drink, situating himself between us.
I downed my glass by half, hoping to the old gods he’d keep his cursed mouth shut.
Eden glanced between us. “What happened? If it’s not too presumptuous of me to ask.”
I couldn’t help but wonder if she got her inquisitive nature from her sister and thought carefully about how to respond. My brother, however, was a meddling prick and didn’t waste any time, saying too damned much.
“I offered to entertain a mystery lover he’d been seeing before the competition began. He got all sensitive and bothered.” Lust gave her a lopsided grin. “Seems he’s not the sharing type these days.”
She ran her attention over me again, one brow raised. Eden looked entirely too much like her sister with that expression.
“You truly are staying scandalous, Your Highness.” Her mouth twitched. “It’s something I’m sure Miss Match would be very interested in.”
Lust nearly spit his water out. “Wait. I was only kidding. You’re not really going to have your sister write an article about that, right?”
“Was there something you needed, Miss Everhart?”
“I was wondering if I might tour the kitchens.”
My brother leaned in, not wanting to miss a word of our conversation. He really needed to get a hobby that didn’t involve gossiping to our brothers.
“I’ll meet you down there in thirty minutes.”
She gave me a shy smile. “Actually, would you mind terribly if Vanity and I went alone? We’re working on a surprise.”
I wasn’t sure if I should feel relief or concern that two of my suitors would prefer to not spend time with me. Before I could decide, a flash of ice blue caught my attention.
“I don’t—”
I stopped mid-sentence, my gaze following Miss Saint Lucent as she hurried past the open door. Unbidden, a memory from last night came roaring back.
Me, nestled between her thighs, worshipping her while she fell apart on the rooftop, her cries of pleasure echoing down on the world below.
Lust elbowed me in the ribs, dragging me back to the here and now.
I shook my head as if to clear it. Eden was here. Asking about the kitchens. I smiled apologetically, hoping I hadn’t insulted her too much.
“I don’t mind at all, Miss Everhart. In fact, I look forward to seeing what you and Vanity cook up.”
Eden’s eyes twinkled with mirth as she offered a low curtsy, then left.
I rubbed my temples. I needed to get out of the castle for a few hours. Adriana was already haunting my thoughts, and the urge to track her down the corridor to see what nefarious plot she was up to now was growing rather irksome.
My brother practically buzzed with the need to share whatever was on his mind.
I waited for him to dazzle me with his powers of romantic observation.
Lust remained silent. Stubborn prick.
“Go on.” I faced him, arms crossed. “Say whatever clever insult you’re practicing.”
Lust looked me over, shaking his head. “You’re an idiot.”
“Regarding?”
“Bloody hell, Gabriellis. How aren’t you sleeping with that female?”
“Miss Everhart is a suitor.”
“I’m talking about her sister. Don’t act like you didn’t see her hurry by.” He set his glass down and sighed. “I can’t tell if she’d be the best or worst thing to ever happen to me.”
My teeth audibly ground together.
Lust shot an innocent look my way. “Problem, Gabriel?”
I ignored him.
The gods-damned oath had sounded like an excellent idea, but now it felt like a curse.
The territorial rage that seized me at the thought of my brother taking Adriana to his bed was nearly all-consuming. For the next five weeks and six days, I wanted to work my frustration out with my fists. Since that couldn’t happen, I needed to hold it together.
I managed to give Lust one of my rakish grins instead of knocking him out. Again.
“I’ll see you in two days for the opening event.”
Let the Games Begin!
Special Edition: Meet the Matches
Dear Sinners,
Welcome to what the prince has claimed to be the event of the century. For the first time in the history of the Seven Circles, one of the seven ruling princes has decided to make a spectacle of love. Today your very own Miss Match has been granted the opportunity to introduce Prince Gluttony’s suitors. With each House of Sin represented, things should get very interesting here.
House Gluttony: Eden Everhart, of common birth but striking beauty; Eden is the darling of the circle and the suitor to watch.
House Lust: Allure Whitlock, daughter of the Duke of Whitlock; Allure is rumored to enchant a great many with her smoldering stare.
House Sloth: Erudite Monroe, daughter to the marquess; this suitor spends her time deep in the research wing of House Sloth, a voracious reader and lover of supernatural history.
House Greed: Ava Rice, of common birth; Ava’s parents own several gaming hells in their circle and are rumored to be wildly successful at collecting their due.
House Envy: Omen Seagrave; Omen’s father lost their family title in a bad bet at none other than Ava Rice’s family gambling den. Their private interactions might be more entertaining than the prince’s attempt to truly fall in love.
House Wrath: Cobra Pierce, of common birth but born into a legacy of combat fighters; Cobra is cunning on and off the battlefield.
House Pride: Vanity Raven, of noble birth; Vanity is anything but a raven-haired beauty. With the shimmering golden looks that grace most in her circle, she is one of the most physically stunning suitors. If the prince is thinking with his favorite appendage, she’ll certainly take an early lead.
Until next time, stay scandalous!
Miss Match