“You don’t know anything about me,” I remind her.
Richard probably wouldn’t care if I slapped her, but I would take no pleasure in it. Hitting Seira would feel like hitting Leaf–needlessly cruel. And while her words are exasperating, I am curious about her thoughts.
“What makes you think I want to be mortal?” I ask.
“Isn’t that what we all want deep down? To feel the things they feel?”
I consider all the mortal emotions I shouldn’t be able to tap into. Empathy, kindness, selflessness… love. I’m not sure if manners count, but what about guilt? Is that why I can’t bring myself to take Minnie’s soul? Can one feel guilt without a desire to be kind?
“I’ve stumped you,” Seira says, a hint of pride in her tone. “Don’t hurt yourself, Prince. I’m not here to give you an existential crisis.”
“A what?” I’ve heard that term before. Amber said Minerva was having the exact same crisis.
“A very mortal crisis of faith.” She rolls her eyes and rolls her wrist. “What is my purpose? What is anyone’s purpose? I know my purpose well. To feed. Which is why I need you to not make that contract with Richard.”
My brows furrow. “Here you come, waltzing in, calling me emotional, and now you want mymercy? A bold choice, Seira.”
She bites her lip. “If you make that contact, I’ll have to find someone else, and he… Well, all he ever thinks about is whatothershave. Be that the council or his mortal coworkers. But most of all–”
“He thinks about Sara. If someone else has won her heart.”
She nods. “It’s delectable how he yearns for her. He looks at me–” She touches her collarbone “–and sees her. But he knows I’m not her, and it drives him mad.”
“Is your name even Seira?” I ask, unable to resist.
“It is, actually. But I didn’t look like this before I met Richard. Most succubi settle into a mortal appearance.” She runs her fingers through her long hair, the brunette shade turning to a vibrant red. “But I never could.” Her green eyes catch mine, and I see they’re a much darker shade. More like Minnie’s. I blink, not sure how she would even know, curious if she has some way to sense others’ desires.
She approaches me, still sickly pale but now ginger with deep green eyes. “Perhaps… if you do make a deal with Richard, we couldalsocome to an agreement? I know you’ve made an arrangement with the other succubi.”
I snort, my lips curling to a snarl. “You can’t feed off me,” I remind her.
“No. But I could help you recruit.” Her fingers ghost along the edges of my suit. “I will be what you want me to be.”
I shake my head, scoffing. “Like you are with Richard?” I walk past her. “I’d rather agree to the contract and be done with both of you.”
I’m halfway across the room when she calls to me, “So you’re going to let me starve? Even if I find someone else, I don’t know if it’ll be enough. I’ve been at his side for a year now and I… I…”
“You crave him the way he wants Sara to crave him.” I click my tongue. “How unfortunate. For you, of course. Richard doesn’t seem to realize when he has a good thing going. First, he lost Sara. Now he’s going to lose you. And gain…” My head teeters back and forth. “Well, for him, perhaps it will feel like genuine love from Sara. I wouldn’t know.”
“Don’t take him from me,” she breathes.
Something about her plea makes me pause. Seira is nothing, a succubus begging to keep her meal ticket. I have no reason to even acknowledge her. If I’m going to listen to her talk, I might as well make it entertaining. “Do you love him?”
Seira blinks. “We’re incapable of that.”
“Fuck off.” I turn around to face her again. “You’re standing here, begging me to let you keep him. As if you own him. You desire himbecausehe doesn’t desire you. I’ve read it a hundred times.” She raises a brow but doesn’t question my words. “So tell me, do you love him?”
“If I say yes, will you leave us alone?”
Her question gives me all the answers I need. I turn on my heels to leave. “I won’t be seeing you or Richard.”
I make sure to use the stairs farthest away from the exhibit Richard is still waiting in. I’ve already had one person inconvenience me with talk of contracts, and he’s not nearly as pretty as Minnie. If he does find me tonight, I’ll inform him he should pay more attention to the sniveling cunt he already has on a leash.
I return to the first floor, walking past a few partygoers, when I spot Kas, looking around frantically. He catches sight of me and bolts over so fast, I think he’ll rip his pants.
“Where have you been?” he demands. “Fuck it, doesn’t matter. Minnie is missing.”
I huff. “She’s probably off pouting somewhere.”
