[Atticus]She tastes like heaven. But a demon like me doesn't deserve an angel like her. No matter how willing she is to sin for me. As soon as the door closes, I break our kiss. Liliana blinks up at me, dazed. Her cheeks are beautifully flushed, her eyes a sparkling green. and her lips, pink and ripe for kissing. I want to kiss her again. I want to take her to my bed and kiss her everywhere. And I don't know why. "Liliana," I take a step away letting our bodies cool down. "We need to talk."This was supposed to be a game. I can't let myself fall for the target. She's supposed to fall in lust with me. Not the other way around. "Atticus," her eyes open. "I thought," she touches her lips. "I thought you wanted to..." She holds her arms across her breasts, protecting herself while also providing comfort. She looks so lost as she captures my gaze. But then her gaze hardens. "Why did you bring me here, Atticus? Why did you invite me here? Is it just to toy with my emotions."Yes. "No
[Lily] As Atticus draws me deeper into his bedroom towards his bed, everything inside of me clenches in anticipation. He won't be the one to take my virginity. He has already said so. He cannot love me. And yet he cares enough about me to want me to give myself to someone who does. He could have just taken what most boys want and left me with nothing. So what are we doing? He told me to use him as a toy, but the thought of me using him made him so angry the day before. Something changed, but what? What is going on inside his mind? In a few small steps we reach his bed. It is still made, the comforter perfectly in place. Atticus takes a seat and pulls me down to sit next to him. My breath is rapid with fear as he places his hand on my cheek. I close my eyes waiting for him to move. "You're scared," he observes. "This won't do. I don't want you to be frightened of me." I open my eyes slowly. Atticus' face is so close I can count his eyelashes and see every speck of gold in
[Lily]"Tonight," I repeat, trying to stay as calm as he is. It is hard to seem businesslike when he is gazing at my body as if deciding which part he wants to try."Only if you want this," he presses his body into mine, leaving barely any room for air as he asks, "Do you want this, Liliana?"I feel frozen with fear and want. I want this so much, but I also fear what it will mean for me.He says we'll still be "just friends," but I can't promise not to feel more than friendship. I already do, as much as I hate to admit it."Atticus," I breathe his name as I nod my agreement. "Yes, I want this." "Good," his lips smile against mine. "So do I." When our lips connect, his kisses are gentle and sweet, cautious and careful, as if afraid he might break me. But I'm not fragile. I want him to crush me. I want him to take it all. Placing my hands around his neck, I pull him towards me, trying to deepen our connection. Gasping, he pushes away. "No," he scolds. "No?" I blink up at him confus
[Lily]There is only a wall that separates us. A tall thin membrane of plaster.In a way, we sleep together every night. Our beds both lying side by side this wall is the only thing separating Atticus and me. Through the vent near the floor we can hear each other breathe and do...other things. That first night, he was serious when he meant he wanted to hear my cum. "Are you in there, Liliana," he had said through that vent. "I want to hear you. I need to make sure you are doing it right.""What do you mean?" I sputtered."I want you to let yourself go. Don't worry about anyone but yourself. Find the ways you need to be touched to feel the most pleasure. It will make our lessons easier if you can tell me what you like.""Atticus, this is...weird," I whined. "Do you need me to help you?" I can almost hear him raise his eyebrow. "Fine. I can do that. As your teacher, of course.""No, please don't I'm fine I'll,""Pull down your panties, Liliana," he ordered. His deep, resonant, authorit
[Lily]Atticus shuts the door and presses me up against it, kissing my breath away. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him towards me as he lifts one of my legs, forcing my skirt to bunch near my hips. With his other hand, his fingers find my wetness and play with my folds, massaging happy little circles around my clit. "Atticus...oh yes." "Quiet now," he shushes me. "The others could be here any moment." Seizing my mouth with his own he picks up my legs, wrapping them around his waist as he carries me over to his bed. Setting me down with a flop he tears off his school jacket, throwing it to the side. One by one he rolls up his sleeves. "Off," he points to my panties. "Now." His hazel eyes burn with an inner fire that catches my breath. If I didn't know better, I'd think he wanted me as badly as I wanted him. But I know that isn't true. He is just helping me with my urges as a friend."Don't keep me waiting, Liliana," he growls, as he pulls off his school tie. "We have place
[Lily] It doesn't take us long to get cleaned up. I borrow one of his shirts so I'm not naked in the hall, and he gathers up all of our clothing to be washed by his cleaners. I always feel a bit weird after these sessions. I'm not sure if I should be thanking him, or pretending like it didn't happen. While my body is finally relaxed, getting all the pleasure it craves, my heart is more confused than ever. One moment I feel alive, like my whole body is afire. The next, I feel lost and a little ashamed. I let myself become Atticus' dirty little secret. What would Nyx say if she knew? She'd be disappointed. Never mind Link--we aren't technically dating but we do correspond. What would he think of this little "arrangement." Just because we aren't technically having sex doesn't mean this isn't a betrayal of sorts. What am I doing if this means nothing to him? Atticus stops me as I reach for the doorknob. "Liliana, talk to me." It's a struggle, but I make myself turn and face him. "At
[Lily]The poor freshman looked terrified as he handed me the invitation. "Thank you, Ms Adare," he bowed as he backed away as if I were some kind of royalty. People are so terrified of Legacies that even a "not quite" Legacy like me is a person to fear. The envelope is cream and embossed with gold and overly fancy like everything else at this school. He must have planned this because my name is engraved on the invitation. That isn't a last-minute detail. This isn't a reaction to my behavior this morning or a way to apologize for being an ass. He had planned to ask me. He wanted me on his arm at the biggest school event of the season. I pause. Was he telling the truth when he said he does care about me? Could it be..."This changes nothing," Nyx insists. "So what if he planned to ask you out before you dumped his sorry ass if you can even call it dumping him since you weren't really in a relationship," she points out. "So what if he wanted you to be his date? You know it probably
[Lily] By now, Atticus knows I received the invitation. There is no way that I didn't not with how everyone else at school is chittering in corners about it. Which is why I'm not surprised to see him waiting for me at the base of the legacy stairs. "Liliana," he stands, reaching for my books. "We need to talk. About the invitation, about everything." "Then talk," I say a bit more gruffly than I had intended as he follows me up the stairs. "Not here," he gives me a meaningful look and I shake my head. There is no way I'm going back into his bedroom. If he gets me in there, I'll end up in his bed, and then he'll find ways to distract me. I need to keep my mind clear and I can't think straight when his hands are on my body. I wish I never knew what it felt like to be kissed by Atticus Preston. "I don't think it is a good idea for us to be alone together," I wait for him to reach me at the landing and then lean in and hiss, "Somebody saw us this morning, Atticus. We weren't care
[Lily]Spending my evening with Link has been a blessed relief. He is just here for me, as a friend who cares, and he has worked hard all night to keep my mind carefree as we talk about everything from favorite books to movies that we hate.It has been a great distraction from the burning stare I feel along my spine. I can feel that Atticus is watching. But every time I start to look nervous or grow sad, Link has sensed it and taken me somewhere else, out of Atticus' path, or found some new way to distract me, to keep me from falling apart, or worse, into Atticus' arms. He even shields me from the spiteful energy radiating off of Evie as she glares at me right before screaming her relationship woes all over the dance floor, spewing hatred at Atticus. I will need to give Nyx a very big hug later. "So I was thinking," Link smiles as we take time to admire the ridiculously ornate and well-stocked food area, "Actually I was wondering if you have any plans for the upcoming holiday brea
[Atticus]It was a relief when Evie finally left me alone. Her presence grates on my nerves, and her kisses leave a foul taste in my mouth like wine turned to vinegar. Loving Liliana has taught me how kisses should taste. Sweet like honey candy, not bitter and cold. But how do I tell her how I feel? Will she believe me?I wouldn't if I were her, not with how I've treated her over the years. Even these last two months, with how close we've become, I could understand why she'd take a moment to pause and consider that it might all be one big trick. The sad thing is, she wouldn't be entirely wrong. This whole escapade started as a cruel way to make a brilliant soul dark, corrupting her fully, before tearing her apart like some kind of pagan sacrifice. We wanted to lift her above everyone else before we took her down so fast and so low that when she hit bottom the pain would be more excruciating.And it was all my idea. And I can't say anything about it or I not only risk my spot as a l
[Evie]"Can you believe the nerve of some people," I grumble in Ace's ear as I pull him into the tent? "Bringing the riff-raff to OUR ball as if...""He's hardly the riff-raff, Evie," Atlas cuts me off, "He's your cousin," he pulls away from me. "You know, if all you're going to do tonight is talk about Link, I'll find something else to do with my time."Ace puts his hands in his pockets and stands there, staring at me, his blonde waves flipped over one eye. He looks bored. Or I should say, distracted. All night he's been looking over at her thinking I wouldn't notice. Fine. Two can play that game. "You know what, Ace," I hiss. "If hanging out with me is so boring, maybe we should BOTH do something better with our time," I take a step away from him expecting him to reach forward and apologize like he usually does. But Atticus doesn't move. He stands there, his face as hard as stone. "Go on then," he urges. "Go bother one of your friends. I don't care what you do with yourself, Evie
[Lily] "Link!" I run around the other Legacies, who all give me strange looks as I ruin the perfect line of their precessional. I don't care about their sneers. I only care about my friend, who I haven't seen since that strange weekend in New York. "Lily," he opens his arms. "I am happy to see that you are happy to see me," he gives me a rakish half smile, before looking down at the corsage in his hand. "I wasn't sure if you'd be happy to see me or not." My face falls hearing the note of uncertainty in his voice. He's been nothing but kind to me, but I've been a terrible friend. Link and I have been corresponding via video chat and email, but I stopped calling when Atticus and I began our nightly study sessions. Part of the reason was because I was just too busy to make the time. But the bigger part, the part that makes my heart stop in my chest, is that it felt like I was cheating. Even though Link and I have never been anything other than friends, I know he likes me, and I gue
[Lily]Atticus has been conspicuously absent this week leading up to the ball. I haven't once seen him enter or exit his room, nor is he taking meals with the rest of the legacies. "Does anyone know what happened to Ace?" I asked the crew the second morning he didn't show up. Nobody responded with words, but Evie gave me a whithering look, and Veronica's eyes opened wide with warning. The message was clear enough, even without anyone saying a thing: Don't ask. That afternoon, I responded to his invitation and slid it under his door. By now, I'm sure he's seen that I will not be going with him, but that I am also not going alone. Instead, I'll be tagging along with Nyx and whomever it is she is taking as a date. Nyx has been so secretive about the identity of this date, that I can't help but bubble over with anticipation and curiosity. I can easily say I am more excited about the idea of who she is taking than I am about whatever little surprise she has in store for me. Friday nigh
[Atticus]I am in no mood for this meeting. Especially not with the way Evie is acting, like she's already won something.She has a plan, I know she does. She hasn't set it off yet, but it feels like I'm waiting for something, something big to happen. I promised Liliana that I'd protect her. But how do I protect her while still following the rules of the game? One of the biggest rules is that we do not tell anyone else outside of our tight circle of seven what is happening.This is why we are meeting in Laz's room, the room furthest away from Liliana's, to have this final meeting before the Equinox Ball."Alright, the first order of business," Laz starts. "Does anyone have anything to report?"Evie is the first to raise her hand. "I'd like to give Simon kudos as far as gluttony," Evie points to Simon who grows very red in the face, I'm not sure if it is from embarrassment or some other emotion. He almost looks mad. "His work at the club was a prime example of gluttony. Of course, it w
[Lily] By now, Atticus knows I received the invitation. There is no way that I didn't not with how everyone else at school is chittering in corners about it. Which is why I'm not surprised to see him waiting for me at the base of the legacy stairs. "Liliana," he stands, reaching for my books. "We need to talk. About the invitation, about everything." "Then talk," I say a bit more gruffly than I had intended as he follows me up the stairs. "Not here," he gives me a meaningful look and I shake my head. There is no way I'm going back into his bedroom. If he gets me in there, I'll end up in his bed, and then he'll find ways to distract me. I need to keep my mind clear and I can't think straight when his hands are on my body. I wish I never knew what it felt like to be kissed by Atticus Preston. "I don't think it is a good idea for us to be alone together," I wait for him to reach me at the landing and then lean in and hiss, "Somebody saw us this morning, Atticus. We weren't care
[Lily]The poor freshman looked terrified as he handed me the invitation. "Thank you, Ms Adare," he bowed as he backed away as if I were some kind of royalty. People are so terrified of Legacies that even a "not quite" Legacy like me is a person to fear. The envelope is cream and embossed with gold and overly fancy like everything else at this school. He must have planned this because my name is engraved on the invitation. That isn't a last-minute detail. This isn't a reaction to my behavior this morning or a way to apologize for being an ass. He had planned to ask me. He wanted me on his arm at the biggest school event of the season. I pause. Was he telling the truth when he said he does care about me? Could it be..."This changes nothing," Nyx insists. "So what if he planned to ask you out before you dumped his sorry ass if you can even call it dumping him since you weren't really in a relationship," she points out. "So what if he wanted you to be his date? You know it probably
[Lily] It doesn't take us long to get cleaned up. I borrow one of his shirts so I'm not naked in the hall, and he gathers up all of our clothing to be washed by his cleaners. I always feel a bit weird after these sessions. I'm not sure if I should be thanking him, or pretending like it didn't happen. While my body is finally relaxed, getting all the pleasure it craves, my heart is more confused than ever. One moment I feel alive, like my whole body is afire. The next, I feel lost and a little ashamed. I let myself become Atticus' dirty little secret. What would Nyx say if she knew? She'd be disappointed. Never mind Link--we aren't technically dating but we do correspond. What would he think of this little "arrangement." Just because we aren't technically having sex doesn't mean this isn't a betrayal of sorts. What am I doing if this means nothing to him? Atticus stops me as I reach for the doorknob. "Liliana, talk to me." It's a struggle, but I make myself turn and face him. "At