Envy's Kindness (Seven Deadly Sins Book 2)

by R. A. Pollard

  Gently he touched his fingers to her cheek, her whole body convulsing in his arms. She arched her back, collapsing in his grip, taking them both to the floor. Ze felt himself being sucked into the storm within her mind. Keeping his grip on her, he let the power pull him into the swirling waters of memory that held her.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Blood, blood was everywhere. So many people, so much death. Sera could feel herself drowning in it—it sucked her down like quicksand, covering her face and eyes, and turning from red to black with sickness. The evil from all the murderers she had hunted spreading like gnarled fingers over her flesh. She was screaming, but when she opened her mouth, the blood and evil threatened to drown her, filling her lungs, pulling her down into the darkness.

  So many people she’d failed to save. If she had only tried harder, if she had let the darkness in. Maybe, maybe she could’ve found those evil souls quicker, saved more lives. If she had just accepted that darkness, things might have been different.

  “NO! Don’t ever think that, Sera.” A deep voice broke through her haze. The momentary clarity forced her head above the swamping blood.

  Who was that? No one could be in her mind, she couldn’t be with anyone; no one could help her. She kicked desperately against the thick torrent dragging her down into oblivion, a sob ripping from her chest. It was too late for her. She had been holding back the black inside her heart, and now it was free, the blood cascading over the dam. She felt herself go under again, thick darkness rushing into her mouth.

  As she sank down into the depths, a stray thought reached her. She didn’t get to see if his hair was soft. Suddenly a rumbling chuckle breached the black, and a hand snatched her from the brink of the abyss. His touch drove off the pain and suffering, forcing it back with his presence.

  “I promise you, Sera, you’ll be able to find out for yourself. But first, time to return to me. You’re stronger than this. It’s nothing but shadows and dust, memories and echoes. Hold on to the physical, hold on to me.” That voice was compelling, commanding her to obey him. She found she wanted to, she wanted to come back. He was the light that was driving the darkness away.

  Sera sucked in a huge breath of blessed air, the vision receding from her mind. Her eyes focused on the form of the man that pulled her up from the void and into the light.

  “Easy now, easy, Sera.” He released his hold on her body as she shot forward, sucking in air, coughing up a lung while she was at it. He kept his hands up as she scrambled across the wooden floor to the opposite wall and turned to face him, wide-eyed. “Welcome back. Please don’t shoot me.”

  Sera blinked, looking from him to the floor. The shotgun lay discarded in the splintered remnants of the banister. Had he been pointing a gun at her? She turned her gaze to him. He just gave her a smile, making no move from where he sat against the opposite wall, watching her intently.

  “Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my house?” She was pretty sure she had asked that before. Wait, no she hadn’t. She had threatened to blow his head off—that much she did remember.

  “Okay, we clearly got off on the wrong foot. Let’s try this again. No guns this time?” He leaned forward a little, and she recoiled. She couldn’t have him getting closer. Had he been touching her? No, he couldn’t have been, it was impossible. Wait, what gun? Her eyes dropped to the shotgun again, her stomach dropping. Oh yeah, that gun.

  Sera blushed bright red at the mention of the shotgun and clasped her hands in her lap. What had she been thinking? Picking up that accursed weapon. She knew violence solved nothing. All it accomplished was to summon the darkness that dwelled in her soul and tried to take over.

  “My name is Ze. I was sent here to find you, to help you. About a month ago you might have felt a presence. Someone who was reaching for you from a great distance away. Her name is Isabelle. I’m soon to be her brother-in-law.” He kept his silver eyes trained on her. She didn’t look away, but she wished he would. Those eyes of his were too damn intense. He kept speaking to her in that low, rumbling tone that made her body tingle. He needed to shut up and leave. And then his words suddenly came together in her head.

  A month ago? Sera gasped, covering her mouth. No, it wasn’t possible that the voice in her screwed-up head told her they would find her and now someone was here claiming to be said help. It couldn’t be real. She was delusional. But given the fact that he was bleeding all over his jacket and she had been the one to give him the wounds, this couldn’t be some happy fantasy. Hell, it would make sick sense, though. Even in dreams, she harmed the person sent to help her.

  She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again, swallowing down the lump in her throat as the ugly bubble of hope reappeared.

  “I’m sorry I shot you.” What else was she going to say to the poor man? She could have killed him in her stupidity!

  “In your defense, you shot the banister. I was collateral damage. No harm done. But I think you need a new staircase.” Ze gestured to the holes that now riddled the once beautiful hardwood steps. Sera turned her head and winced, hysterical laughter rising in her chest. She let it out.

  “I shouldn’t be laughing. I almost killed you.”

  “Nah, not even close. Trust me.” Ze reached up and wiped his face. Small splinters fell from his skin as he healed. “See? Healing already.”

  Sera shook her head, covering her face with her hands. This was stupid, this whole thing. She had almost killed someone in her own home. She had broken her promise to herself by picking up that weapon of destruction. She looked at her hands. No blood. She could have sworn she would see blood. What had this man done to push back those visions that so haunted her days?

  He sat across from her, his long legs sticking out. His silver eyes watched her carefully, and she felt heat rush over her skin. Damn it, she was getting sick of that happening every time he gave that infuriating half smile. It was like he knew exactly what he was doing to her.

  “Stop looking at me like that!” Sera couldn’t meet his gaze.

  The maddening man just chuckled and ran his hand through his hair. “Sorry. You fascinate me. I can’t help but look. I have only ever met one other person with the same radiating aura as you, and she is about to marry my idiot brother.” He had the good sense to look contrite, but his gaze never wavered. He had it locked on her, the swirling depths capturing her again.

  “Someone like me? This Isabelle woman?” Sera had never met anyone like herself. It hadn’t been for lack of trying. Hell, it had been the drive of her early teen years, hoping to find people like her—people with powers.

  So many hundreds claimed to have magic or psychic power. There was no lack of reports on such people. But she had only to touch something they owned to know they lied. Over and over she found frauds and liars who did nothing but take money from those desperate for help.

  She had started to believe she was alone in this world, one person with a unique power in a sea of normality. Now she knew she wasn’t. This other woman existed. It was incredible how much weight suddenly lifted from her shoulders.

  “Isabelle is a wonder. She saved my brother from his darkness. She gave us all hope. Please, let’s get off this hard floor. I’ll explain everything.” He got to his feet and offered his hand to her.

  Sera looked at his gloved hand, licking her dry lips. It was gloved, it should be okay. She slid her hand into his, and he pulled her up, his strength plainly apparent. His hand went to her shoulder to steady her. Sera backed up quickly, still blushing furiously. Even through her clothing, she felt the heat of his touch. Her skin tingled, the sensation spreading down her arm. She looked at him, her eyes wide. He looked a little confused but didn’t push her. He just smiled and stepped back. She felt pathetic right then. All he had done was stop her from falling, and she had pulled away from him like he’d burned her.

  “Sorry, I’m not used to being touched. It’s unnerving for me. Please come in. Could you perhaps keep your gloves on? Humans leave behi
nd echoes on the objects they touch. I feel those echoes. This place is my protection from the world outside.” Sera wrapped her arms around herself and walked with him into the kitchen. Why was her skin still tingling?

  She watched his sparkling gaze as he surveyed the room in silence. The sound of his leathers creaking was all she could hear. Well, that and her thundering heartbeat. Hell, he seemed to take up the whole room with his presence, not just because he was huge and built like a damn mountain. Energy seemed to radiate from him, a warming energy that reached for her. Sera shored up her barriers against him, purposefully moving to the other side of the room, keeping a distance between them. Not that it kept her from feeling like she was being undressed by his silver gaze.

  Sera felt her throat go dry every time he smiled at her. That smile was devastating to a woman’s constitution. My God, how could a man look like him and have a smile that turned you to putty? It was highly unfair. Even worse for her, he seemed totally unaware of her attraction to his very presence. Shaking her head, she mumbled as she busied herself at the sink. Anything to get her mind from the walking god behind her and the fact he was in her home.

  Ze didn’t mention her odd request, but given what Isabelle had told him, he understood. If she saw the past when she touched objects, he would do his best not to touch anything in her home. Other than the front door. He had to fix that, and the wall…and the stairs. Lifting his hand, he rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a smile.

  Gods, she was a skittish little thing, although he had to admit she was one hell of a firebrand. That red hair just begged to be messed up after a night of loving. Those lips seemed to have half-spoken words upon them. They needed to be thoroughly kissed, and Goddamn, her eyes looked into his soul, branding him. She seemed totally oblivious to the fact she was a small package of perfection, and by Hades, he was just a man for God’s sake.

  How was he supposed to be around a woman he couldn’t touch? His hands itched to feel her skin, a desire that was strengthening every second he was in her presence. Clearing his throat, he looked at the mess in the hallway. He had to find some way to alleviate the tension that was building in the room, anything to stop himself from trying to touch her. He tilted his head a little, immensely pleased at the shiver that rushed over her skin as he began to talk.

  “Let me see what I can salvage from the groceries outside. It’s my fault you dropped them in the first place. Forgive me for that, Sera?” He left the kitchen and heard her let out a breath. He grinned like a school boy. Well, this was going to be fun.

  Sera watched the infuriating male leave, that perfect body moving through the door. But hell, he took the very air from the room with him, leaving behind the most sensual scent of the open road and leather in his wake. Wasn’t he aware of the reaction he was causing in her? The way he said her name? She was going to have to put a stop to that. She leaned over the sink and covered her throat with her hand, drawing in a deep breath. What in the hell was wrong with her? She had been around men before. Okay, she had never let one touch her even through her clothes, but it shouldn’t matter. Five minutes in his presence and she felt herself craving things she hadn’t thought about since she was nineteen.

  Damn him for coming into her life like this. She had accepted that a normal life wasn’t in the cards for her and had pushed those desires away long ago. Now with his maddening silver eyes and his starlit hair, she felt that longing again. She wanted things she knew she couldn’t have. It was foolish—stupid little womanly dreams poking their heads up, reminding her she had hormones. She just wanted to get a stick and beat the little bastards into submission, remind them why she couldn’t have the Biker Angel. Damn it all to hell, the slap of cold truth felt like a hand tightening around her heart.

  Sera decided she was going to hear him out, then send him packing. It was great to know she wasn’t alone, but he couldn’t remain here. Not with her body waking up in ways she had long believed dead and buried, along with her eighties’ boy band posters and Easy-Bake Oven.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Ze tried to save a few of the unbroken eggs, but just ended up making a mess of his gloves. Swearing low under his breath, he gathered up the strewn fruit, dropping the damned oranges more times than he managed to pick them up. Buzzing in his pocket brought a growl from his lips. He dumped the fruit into the driver’s seat of the truck and pulled out his phone. Rus, of the brothers Cerberus, had sent him a few messages, and now he was ringing. Great. The hellhound was going to get a broken nose if he wasn’t careful.

  “What’s up, mutt?” Ze continued his task of cleaning up the strewn food, the hound on the other end of the phone snorting loudly.

  “I’m not the one fetching oranges. Need some help? You look like you’ve forgotten how to use your hands. You know broken eggs can’t go back in the shells, right?”

  “Shut it, fleabag. I don’t need your help. I told you to wait down by the main road.”

  The hound chuckled, “I heard a few gunshots. Wanted to make sure she hadn’t blown you to hell, demon. But I see you’re still alive. Shame.”

  “It was a misunderstanding. Go find yourself a Milk Bone or something. Maybe she has a chew toy lying around,” Ze grumbled at the laughing hellhound, hanging up on the bastard. He was not explaining anything to that horn dog. He’d better keep away. It was bad enough he had yet to explain the whole end of the world, demon vs. angel thing. She didn’t need to know he had a hellhound following him around town.

  Grabbing what he could, he made his way back into the house, frowning at the mess he had made of the door. That was next on his list of things he owed her. Once in the kitchen, he set the fruit on the table, making a concerted effort not to drop any.

  “I think some of this may be salvageable. But I’m afraid the milk and eggs are a lost cause.” It wasn’t like he was being quiet, by any means, but the woman nearly jumped out of her skin.

  She whirled, hand over her heart. “Geez, I’m so not used to someone in my house. Thank you for getting the food. I’ll just have to go back into town tomorrow. I can get more milk and eggs. Really, it was my stupid fault for letting the panic swamp me like that.” The forlorn, lost expression in her eyes nearly broke him. Women were not supposed to have that look. He found it immensely upsetting that he had been the one to put it there.

  Ze was at a loss. How was he supposed to do this? He was the Sin of Envy, after all. He didn’t do well with fragile women who had mean streaks and poor aim. He took a seat at the table.

  “Sera, please relax. I promise I won’t do anything to put you at risk. If that means I have to wear four pairs of gloves, so be it. I have to explain a few things to you. You may or may not believe me, but I have to tell you anyway.” Ze waited, watching as she wiped her hands on a dish towel. She pulled out a chair and sat, keeping the distance between them.

  “Okay, so tell me what’s going on. I don’t need to be psychic to see this runs so much deeper than just little broken me.” Ze watched her as she crossed her arms. She seemed to be making an effort to refrain from touching him. Why on earth that made him want to grin like a fool, he didn’t want to think about. He ran a gloved hand through his hair, acutely aware that her eyes followed his movement. Score another one for him, and she liked his hair! He didn’t know how long that was going to last. He was about to tell her about the Malakhim and the demons—the whole end of the world thing. This might not go down well.

  “Okay, let me finish, and then you can ask me anything you like.” Ze took in a breath and began to speak. It was best to get it all out as quickly as possible. Then she could throw one of those oranges at him or something.

  It took him about twenty minutes to explain the major components of the situation. About who he was, about his father, Hades. About his brothers being the Seven Deadly Sins. He left out the whole cleansing souls bit, figuring that might be a bit much right now. He tried to talk as much about Isabelle as he could, hoping that would keep her from grabbing the nearest shar
p object and stabbing him with it. When he got to the angels and Pandora’s Box, her face had turned expressionless. Not a good sign. Damn it, why couldn’t Isabelle have come and done this?

  Finally, Ze stopped talking. She was mute, blinking at him. He couldn’t read her at all. She just sat in silence, her fingers drumming on her crossed arms. She had kept her word and not spoken at all while he explained the situation. Now he waited, his heart pounding hard in his chest.

  Finally, she leaned forward, pinning him with her jade gaze. “So, let me get this straight. You’re a demon? Not just any demon, but the Sin of Envy? Envy, as in the Seven Deadly Sins?”

  He nodded, his shimmering gaze locked on her.

  “And not only are you a demon, but you’re fighting against the seven angels of heaven to prevent the destruction of the world because they have Pandora’s Box and need someone like me to open it?”

  He nodded again, looking a little more worried.

  “And the reason they’re after me is that I’m a Seer, a woman with powers like those of the ancient coveted women of Greece? The woman I felt reaching for me a month ago is also one of these Seers, and we are not alone? There are seven of us? Do I have this about right?”

  Ze was entirely lost. Either she was taking this really well, or she was going to shoot him again. He was not looking forward to the latter. “Yeah those are the facts, I thought it best to keep it concise.”

  Sera raised her eyebrow and felt like crying. The first man she had felt any desire for and he was a certified nutcase. Wonderful.

  She sighed, “Yeah, it wouldn’t do to confuse anyone or make them think you’re crazy or anything. Well, Ze, or Envy, or whatever you like to be called, it was lovely to meet you. Sorry again for shooting you, but please leave my house and never come back.”