1873

Priscilla lay in my naked arms. I traced her arm, thinking of what we had done, not regretting it. She fitted perfectly with me, as if she was destined to be mine. Perhaps that was my now romantic heart putting reason to our sudden, forbidden union. Still, I couldn't have it any other way. She'd moved and met every part of my body with as much need as I gave it.

I thought of the way she said my name until I couldn't.

A gentle knock on the door made my head snap up from our spot on the bed. I was alert. Had the homeowners returned? Was it someone nearby who saw us entering a house that wasn't ours? And if it was, would I have to go to the extreme of murdering them to keep our presence a secret?

Priscilla, having not heard the sound, rolled the opposite way, placing her face on the pillow. A gentle sigh slipped past her lips. I took the chance to pull away without waking her, reaching for my pants on a chair beside the bed, and glanced at the door. The knock came again.

I took three steps towards the door. "I am asking you to leave," I said loud enough, I hoped, for whoever was outside to hear.

There was a grunt, a sigh, and another knock. "And I am asking have you completed what you were sent to do?" a deep voice said opposite the door.

My eyes widened. I knew that voice. And I didn't hesitate to rush to the entrance and open the door. As I expected, Gluttony stood in the grass just outside the front. He passed his hands through his hair before adjusting his clock. While I smiled, relieved to see the Sin I always saw as my friend, he frowned. He glanced behind my shoulder, trying to see inside. "She's alive, isn't she?" he asked.

Gritting my teeth, I looked back into the room. Priscilla, in her sleep, pulled the pillow close to her under her head. Her chest softly rose and fell, undisturbed by us. Wanting to keep it that way, I stepped outside, quietly closing the door behind me. I gave Gluttony my full attention with what I hoped he'd see as a pleading gaze. "She is alive, but listen to me—"

Gluttony growled, passing his hands over his face. "You looked into her eyes, didn't you?"

I gulped. "How could I not?" I hissed. "You look into the eyes of the mortals you kill—you taught me that. It was an exhilarating feeling, you said, to see the life fade from their eyes. To watch death overcome them. So, yes, of course, I looked."

"But she isn't your regular mortal." Gluttony pointed at the door. "She is one of the pure souls placed within this realm to rile us. If they are here, we cannot do our duty to Him and Her." He stepped close to me, pulling me by my arm. He gently shook me. "They are resistant to us, Envy. They cannot give into sin with their light and—"

"She gave into me," I said, lifting my chin. "She looked at me, into my eyes, and wanted every bit of me."

"You are not Lust." Gluttony pushed me. "That doesn't count. And, and," he bit his bottom lip, hard, before shaking his head, "what do you mean she 'gave into you?' What did you do, Envy?"

My heart sped in my chest. How could I tell him I sinned? That I ruined the connection between light and dark by combining two conflicting souls for my selfish desires? How could I admit that I was a liability for what we were? The others always disliked me. I wasn't dark enough to enter the Seven. And here I was, giving them the reason to want me to leave.

That also didn't matter because I didn't want to stay. I wanted to remain with Priscilla.

"I love her," I whispered, licking my lip. "I want to be with her."

"Love her?" He stepped back. "Be with her? It's been ten days! Eleven! How–how?" He covered his face and growled into his palms before looking at me. "There's no way you can love so soon, Envy. There's NO way you can love! You are a Sin!" He slammed a hand against my chest. "You forfeited that right when you joined!"

"Did I have a choice?" I clenched my jaw and hit him back. "The rules weren't laid out in front of me. No one described what I'd become. It was either to die on the nurse's bed, in the hospital, ready to toss me to the streets with the rats, or run from the plague and live." I folded my hands in front of me. "I only wanted to live, Gluttony."

"Envy..."

"No," I pointed at him, "I wasn't given a proper chance, and I allowed the dark to consume my heart and soul. I was brought into a circle where many despised me, looking at me as though I were worthless. I am Envy, the connection between every sin, and yet, everyone acts as if I'm not needed. So why, why can't I have this? Why can't I live the way I wish?"

He took in a breath, not saying a word. He paced for a moment, looking back into the woods, then glancing at the town beyond us. He looked confused and indecisive. "What were you sent here to do?" I whispered.

"You know what." He gulped and looked at me. "You know why I'm here and who sent me."

Pride. The one who ordered us all. Gluttony had to have been sent to take my mission, kill her, present her to the darkness, and kill me, too.

Chewing on my bottom lip, I glanced back at the closed door. I listened inside, focusing on the energy in the air. Priscilla was still asleep. At peace. I wondered if she was dreaming.

"I told you not to look into her eyes." Gluttony sighed as he calmed. He sounded hesitant, sad even. "That was the one rule I gave you."

I looked back at him. "But you didn't tell me why," I said. "If you would have told me that our souls had the reverse effect on us. If I had seen her light and wanted it for myself, then I would've known to just kill. I could've ignored her beauty and taken her soul."

"Do you believe it would've been that easy?" The pain was in his voice. I heard it. It radiated, trembling in the air as he spoke. "All of us have done this task at least once, and Pride," he paused and closed his eyes, "he believed it was your time to take the challenge."

"But you vouched for me." I shook my head. "I thought you believed in me."

"I did." His eyes opened. "I do."

"How?" Placing my hand over my heart, I looked back at the small cabin. "I took her as my own and can't go back."

"But you can!" Gluttony reached out and put both of his hands on my shoulders. He made me look at his face. "Giving into this isn't uncommon, but coming back from it shows your strength and dedication, Envy. You think you love her, but once she's dead and given to Him and Her, that feeling with cease. Your heart will return to the Seven, and you will feel no regret."

I pulled away from him. "I cannot kill her, Gluttony," I whispered. "Her light, her love, is in me. In my heart. I refuse my assignment and want to keep her by my side."

"Octavio—" My mortal name. He hadn't said it in so many years. "—if you do not kill her, someone else will extract her soul and complete this mission for you. You cannot have her; the moment this happens, she will cease to exist in every possible way."

"John—" I returned his name, reminding him that he was once mortal, too. "—I will fight this. You don't understand what this feels like."

His jaw clenched, and I saw the muscles in his neck tense. He couldn't look at me as I spoke. He looked up at the sky instead.

I continued to plead my case. "With her, I feel no pain and no desire to kill. I feel the world with its purity, I see the light in the sky," I licked my lip, "I see the paths of energy from the realms that counter us with joy instead of hostility. I want to feel this way. I want to love her for as long as she lives."

"It won't be long," he looked back at me, "and while I cannot give you a time frame, this is your warning. She will die, Octavio. This blissful existence you think you can have is not for you."

"And how can you be so sure of that?" I passed my tongue over my teeth to keep from snarling. "What if there's a chance?"

"There isn't." Gluttony stepped back into the darkness; all I saw was his eyes. "Not in any way that you think there is."

***

We didn't waste time when Gabriel returned to the house. We quickly left, hopping into the back seat of his SUV filled with weapons. We didn't ask questions as he sped off, either. In my mind, I thought if I distracted him, he'd take longer to get to Gluttony. And judging by the sudden change in his plan of 'doing this alone,' I knew something was terrible.

I just didn't realize how bad until we drove for an hour and reached a secluded part of the small town. The sky had changed, the air was dense, and my skin prickled uncomfortably. Sitting in the back seat, I tried to shake away the feeling, but when Gabriel slowed and pulled up beside a small, seemingly abandoned building, it got worse. Comparable to insects crawling over my body, I thought I could scream.

Turning off the car, Gabriel glanced back at me. "Your friend is in there," he said quietly, pointing at the boarded-up windows. "I followed his energy here until I couldn't feel it anymore. I assumed the worse."

I didn't feel Gluttony at all, but there was something else. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I had an idea as I stepped out of the back seat and looked up at the darkening sky. The clouds had changed, parts were red and black, and they swirled with an incoming storm. The weather didn't scare me, but the colors did.

Pride. Is he next on the hunter list?

Standing beside the car, I glanced at Gabriel as he stepped out of the driver's seat and closed the door. Priscilla followed, hurrying out of her seat and moving around the front of the car.

"Did you see him in there?" I asked as I bit the insides of my cheeks. "Was there anyone in there?"

"Have you ever fought your brothers before today?" Gabriel avoided my question. I didn't know if it was intentional or if he was so focused on what was in that building and the Seven that he either didn't hear me or didn't think it was of any concern.

If he didn't, he wouldn't have asked for your help.

"Not like this," I looked back at the building, "arguments, sure, but none of them wanted to kill me."

"Are you sure?" Gabriel stood next to me, looking ahead. "A century ago, what you did was pretty bad for all of us."

I pinched my brow together. Was this a guilt trip? Side-stepping, I faced him. "A century ago, Gluttony protected me, and from what I understand, so did you." I narrowed my gaze. "So, either my brother is in here, and we'll go in and save him, or—"

A scream from inside the building rattled the ground under our feet. Priscilla jumped, coming to my side. Her hand immediately pushed into mine, and our fingers linked. The warmth of her aura pressed into me, but I think she needed to keep every drop she had. Gabriel may have taught her the basics, but to experience it, like when Greed destroyed her apartment, was different. There wasn't a place to hide this time.

Looking over at the building, I peeled my hand out of Priscilla's and approached. Gabriel came to my side without hesitation, and we walked in stride. He pushed one of his pistols in my direction. Glancing at it, I shook my head. "I don't need that," I said,

Gabriel clicked his teeth. "It's been a minute since you've done this, and based on what I saw earlier, you're a little out of touch," he said. "Take the gun, so I'll feel better."

It hung in the air for a minute, barely sitting on his hand, but I took it when another scream shattered the air. Not because I thought I needed it, but he was right—I was a little out of touch, and sometimes felt like my powers weren't what they once were. A little extra never hurt anyone, right?

Wrapped my hand around the handle, I set my finger on the trigger and pulled open the building's large door. The smell of sulfur hit me immediately, and I stepped back.

"What is that?" Priscilla whispered. "That smell..."

"A demon," Gabriel said as he stepped inside.

I followed. "The leader of our group." Glancing back at her, I had her follow us but ensured she stayed behind me. "Pride."

"Pride?" Priscilla's gulp echoed.

I knew Gabriel had told her stories and taught her history, but I wasn't sure how accurate his books were. By the looks of them, they were written by mortals, and we all knew humans tried to see the world, but look how far that got them.

Looking into the dark open space, I scanned the surroundings and waited for movement. There had to be something if someone was screaming like that. And as my gut flipped uncomfortably, I knew it was Gluttony. If Pride had him here, it was my fault.

Everything is your fault, isn't it? Rolling my head around my shoulders, I looked ahead at the pillars, the large crates, and the scattered chains around the floor. I wasn't sure what this place used to be, but I could see why Pride would choose it. It was small, yet large enough to maintain his power. In the end, as long as he was able to perform his dark arts, nothing else mattered.

Putting two hands on the pistol, I slowed when a red light glowed ahead. It sparked like a fire, bouncing off the dirty, grey floor. Then the sniffling hit my ears. A struggling cry. Stretching my arm out to my side, I stopped Priscilla from coming forward.

"Octavio—" she started, but I quickly shook my head.

Gabriel stopped, too.

"Oh, Gluttony," Pride's voice echoed with such malice and hate. I felt the rage even though it wasn't directed at me. A shadow passed through the light, and I knew Pride and Gluttony were behind that pillar.

Quickly and quietly stepping to the side, I tried to get a better look. I needed to see what we were dealing with before I'd make my attack.

As if he knew what I was doing, Gabriel followed close behind me and Priscilla behind him.

"You had to revert to your old ways, didn't you?" Pride hissed.

Once I was around the corner, protecting myself in the shadows of a metal crate, I saw them. And my heart instantly sank, sending emotional pain through my body.

Pride paced a pillar. Left and right, he walked. But he wasn't my concern. Gluttony was. He was chained to the post, his arms bound behind him. His massive body slumped forward as he sat on his knees. His body trembled with each breath he took. The amount of blood surrounding his body was terrifying. What was Pride doing to him?

"Call off... the others," Gluttony weakly said through gritted teeth. "The others—"

"The others are doing as they're told!" Pride slammed his hand on the pillar. It shook with his force, causing Gluttony to rock forward.

I clenched my jaw as my long-time friend struggled to stay upright. He lifted his chin, looking up at Pride with his demon-red eyes. Blood dripped from his mouth and into his beard. "So did I," Gluttony hissed.

"Did you? Did you, now?" Even with Gluttony bound and forced to sit on his knees, Pride barely stood him. The smaller Sin always used his power and position as means of intimidation; no one messed with Pride. They obeyed him.

Clapping his hand, Pride made sparks of fire erupt from his fingers. "No!" he shouted. "And you need to stop this! You were supposed to make sure he completed his task. Instead, you fought Wrath and Lust to keep him alive! He is not your son anymore, Gluttony!"

My heart stopped. Not his son? It sounded like nonsense, but there was a color shift in Gluttony's eyes. I saw the change in Pride's angry light. I couldn't lie; Gluttony always overprotected me, but was that reason enough to torture him like this? Rage slowly slid up from within my core as I watched blood drip from Gluttony's bottom lip.

Pride knelt in front of him. "All humanity ended when you brought him to us. That little care and devotion you thought he deserved ended when he accepted the Seven in his heart."

"There's room for more." Gluttony spat on the floor. "Everyone has room for more."

Standing, Pride pushed off his knees and huffed. His hands slid through his hair as he turned and focused on the ceiling. "Neither of you can let go of that horrid attachment—"

"Neither could you," Gluttony spat. "Your superiority is pointless when you, like us, fall for flesh."

Pride's eyes snapped open with red anger at Gluttony's words, but because he'd turned away from the larger Sin, his gaze fell on us. He arched back, head tilting, a mix of surprise and confusion sliding over his face.

"You," he said, but judging by his gaze, I couldn't tell if he looked at me, or next to me, at Gabriel. Regardless, it didn't matter. He saw us. We were here. And whatever he was doing to Gluttony needed to stop.

I raised my pistol, pointing at his head.

He snickered. "Resorting to human weapons to save Gluttony? Desperate, are we?"

"These aren't regular guns," I said.

At my sides, Priscilla and Gabriel raised theirs, too. "So, you should run," Gabriel said.

"I never run." Pride lifted his chin.

Of course, he didn't. Cocky bastard. "You should start," I said and pulled the trigger.