“Good. Then all may not be lost. You must return Beelzebub. Sorry—Ze. I can hear Sera trying to wake you. She is getting quite frantic. I will summon you here again when I have more information. I have an idea how to fix you both, but I don’t know if it will be enough.”
Ze nodded to the Oracle and stood, giving her a bow.
“Even though it was through unconventional means, I am pleased that I got to meet you, Oracle Ilianna.”
“And I you, demon, but I suspect we may see more of each other. Off with you now.” She waved her hand at him, and Ze felt his body float apart.
The world around him faded into memory as the darkness swept over his vision. He could hear voices shouting his name, male and female. A bite of pain washed over him, his face beginning to sting. Ze was pretty damn sure someone just slapped him across the face.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“He’s not waking up! What do we do?” Sera knelt beside the sleeping demon, her hands on his chest. Her jade eyes looked up imploringly at the brothers. They all looked at each other and then back to their prone sibling.
Abbadon moved to kneel beside Ze. He appeared thoughtful for a moment, then proceeded to slap his face. The other brothers grinned, and Sera’s jaw dropped open.
“He is definitely out cold. I have no idea what to do.” He stood and shrugged.
Sera got to her feet, peering down at the sleeping demon, hands on her hips. She glared at the brothers, annoyance rushing through her veins. Some family they were, or was this how siblings acted? She was an only child, so this was a whole new experience for her. None of them seemed overly worried that their brother was out cold on the ground and had been for the last hour. Speak of the devil, a low groan came from him, his eyes opening and locking on Sera with a smile. Then he rubbed his cheek.
Frowning, he turned his head to his brothers. “Which one of you just slapped me?” His voice was groggy, and his eyes narrowed at each of them. The demons all managed to feign innocence.
“It wasn’t a slap, it was a soft tap of worry is all.” Abaddon had no shame. He grinned, and Ze slowly rolled to his feet. Sera wasted no time; she slid her arms around his waist, bringing his starlight gaze to hers. Was he really okay?
With a smile, he leaned down and covered her lips with his. The kiss was quick, far too quick for what she wanted. He was still a little unsteady on his feet, but it would do for now. The low rumble in his chest told her he was more than happy to be awake. The mixed groans from his brothers made her smile, but he just ignored them, so she would, too.
He pulled back, brushing his thumb across her cheek. “I'm all right, Pixie. Other than grievous bodily harm from my brothers, I mean.”
His words did assuage her fears somewhat, and she grinned and shook her head. It was evident by their actions that the brothers cared for one another, Abbadon appearing to be the most jovial of the group. Even so, there was an undercurrent of sorrow. Ze had mentioned that one of his brothers, Tanus the Sin of Wrath, was missing and had been for over a month. She could see it weighing on all of them as they played at having a light moment.
“Oh suck it up, Twinkle Toes. I barely touch…I mean, Lucifer barely touched you.” This drew a glare from their illustrious leader.
Lucifer snorted, glaring at Abbadon, his ruby eyes flashing. “Don’t you drag me into this, you lech. Unlike you, I’m not into the spanking thing.”
“Spanking? Au contraire, dear brother. There is an art to said spanking. I have a few books on the subject if you’re interested.” Abbadon wiggled his eyebrows at Sera.
She couldn’t help but laugh along at their banter. She had never been around people like this before. Is this what having a real family was like? Well, maybe with less of the slapping. Still, she felt like a weight had been lifted from her soul.
“I don’t want to see your dirty magazines with the pages stuck together, thank you very much.” Lucifer shuddered, curling his lip.
“Hey, I enjoy reading the articles!”
Lucifer shook his head and strode away, followed closely by Abbadon, who was attempting, and failing, to defend his choice in reading material.
One of the demons walked up and thumped Ze on the shoulder. Sera recognized him as Asmodeus, the Sin of Lust. Ze had explained that the form he held now was not his true form—he had lost that long ago. So she shouldn’t be worried if he looked different each time she saw him. Right now, his golden eyes glittered with worry.
“Don’t scare us like that again, you ass. I think Luci was about to break down. I’m serious, there were tears.”
“I heard that!” Lucifer’s voice carried through the darkness. Sera couldn’t help but laugh at the brothers. They were all so close and clearly loved one another.
“I swear that guy has ears like a bat. Do you have any idea how hard it is to pull a practical joke on that man? He can hear you coming a mile away.” Asmodeus headed off in the direction of the others, mumbling about the freaky abilities of his leader.
Sera couldn’t stop smiling. She turned her eyes to Ze, her skin tingling as he ran his hands down her arms. Biting on her lower lip, she dropped her gaze, trying to hide the blush that crept up her cheeks. “I was worried about you. One minute you were awake, and the next you just passed out, lights off.”
Ze tilted her chin up so he could see her eyes and smiled. “I met one of your ancestors. Ilianna the Oracle. She was the first in a great Seer line. She had been expecting you, though. Not me. Seems our little power-swapping trick should be impossible. But she has a theory.”
Sera swallowed the sudden urge to run away. She should have been scrambling to get her powers back but she didn’t want them. Didn’t want the burden of pain, of having to see so much evil. Now, though, she had somehow cursed him into taking her power, and as a result, he was now plagued with the same pain she had once suffered. Guilt burned at her as she turned her back to him and wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m sorry this happened to you. No one should have to live with my curse.”
She felt warm hands run over her shoulders. Damn, this male had a thing about touching her—not that she minded. Her body seemed to be at an ever-present aroused state, thanks to him.
“Sera, you’re not cursed, and this gift, although difficult, is not a burden. You were never taught how to shield yourself from the residual energy, but considering that, you’ve done amazingly well by yourself.”
She scowled at him. “I managed—I didn’t live. You don’t appear to be having any trouble with it at all.” She was almost jealous of that. No, strike that. She was jealous, no almost about it. She could feel it biting at her, a burning sensation in her gut, spreading up toward her heart. It felt good. The warmth spreading through her limbs made her feel powerful, justified in her jealousy.
Why did he get to ease into her gift as if he were made for it? Why not she? She was born with it. It was hers, yet he used it better. She gritted her teeth, wanting to hurt him, hurt him because he was so good at something she’d failed. It wasn’t fair; it wasn’t right. How dare he be better at controlling what was hers!
Ze frowned, watching her jade eyes begin to glow. He might not feel the drive to eat the sin of envy right now, but he could still feel the building of his power within her body. He still felt the prickling against his skin that told him she was envious of him, of his ability to control her power. He needed to distract her mind before she let it swamp her and she did something she would regret.
Cupping her face, he quickly lowered his head, covering her lips with his own. Her gasp of outrage was silenced as he took the opportunity to sweep his tongue between her lips. Sera struggled against him, unable to shake loose from that burning envy that held her. Her fists beat at him, and she tried to pull away. She wanted to hurt him. He knew it. He could feel it as the black tendrils of envy seeped from her into him. He took them in, accepting them as he had always done, kissing her through the blinding bitterness brought on by rage. She softened against him, a soft moan leavi
ng her throat. Her hands flattening against his chest, then she was pawing at him, needing to be closer.
He loved that dazed expression on her face as she reeled from his kiss. With a smile, he kissed her forehead, and she gasped and pressed her face against his chest.
“I’m so sorry, I felt…it was so strong. I hated you. For a moment I really hated you. I have never felt that before.” She was starting to shake in his arms.
Ze breathed in her clean scent, pulling back so he could see her eyes. She was falling into panic, her mind trying to make sense of why she had just felt a jealous rage rush through her like a drug. Everything she was feeling, he had felt many times before. He cupped her face, forcing her to look at him.
“That is my sin, Envy. It consumes everything, regardless of your feelings for the person. Jealousy eats you alive from the inside. It is one of the worst sins. People can hide it behind fake smiles and perfumed words. But it spreads, taking over your whole being. Before you know it, you hate that person, even if it only started out as being jealous that their hair was better than yours.”
“You live with this?” She pressed a hand to her chest. Ze brought her lips to his for a gentle kiss.
“Not at first. None of us did well when we were first born into this world. We were made to balance the sins of the world. Attracted to that which makes up our soul, we hunt and cleanse those who have become black with it.” Ze took her hand and led her over to a tree. Sinking to the ground, he gently pulled her down so that she was straddling his lap, her hands resting on his shoulders. “I remember just being suddenly acutely aware of what I was and what my purpose in life was to be. Hades, our father, stood before us in all his glory. Then most of the first three hundred years or so is a blur. Back then, our father was one scary sonofabitch. All darkness and moody angst. Pandora’s Box had been opened, and some of the sin that made us what we are had escaped into the human world, corrupting it. We knew our task—to hunt those infected by our sin and prevent it from spreading and causing a Blight.”
“A Blight?”
He moved his hands down to her thighs and settled back against the tree. “A Blight? Oh yes, sorry, got distracted.” He tapped his fingers on the inside of her legs, causing her to squirm on his lap.
“Stop changing the subject. I swear you have a one-track mind.”
“Only when it comes to red-headed pixies that have a mean aim. Yeah, easily distracted.” Ze squeezed her inner thigh, drawing a whimper from her.
“Behave yourself.” She sounded a little out of breath. He grinned, his fingers continuing to tap against her inner thighs.
“No fun in behaving. Trust me, I know.” He slid his hands higher, his thumbs brushing against the inseam of her jeans, along the juncture of her thighs. He loved the shiver that rushed over her skin, her body moving to his touch.
Sera suddenly grabbed his hands, placed them on her hips, and narrowed her gaze at him. “What’s a Blight? And don’t try to distract me. I want to know everything.” She was trying to look stern, and he found it utterly adorable. Best not tell her that, though. She might be inclined to hit him again, and then she would leave his lap. He was determined to keep her right where she was.
“Okay fine. Information now, exploration later.” His rumbled tone promised many good things. Hot sweaty things. Damn, he had almost gotten her to relent and let him have his way with her. But alas, she had a stubborn streak. Oh well. Putting his libido away, for now, Ze settled back against the tree once more.
“Blights. Have you ever seen a mob? It all starts with one person turning a peaceful march into something dark. One person throws a bottle. Then another, caught in the rage, throws a stone. And so on and so on, until the once-peaceful march is now a boiling pot of rage, jealousy, and greed.”
She nodded, and it was obvious she knew what he was talking about. He had done his research before coming here to look for her. All the work she had done for the police. Human nature could be bestial, and one person could easily turn the tide.
“People begin attacking other people, wanting what they have. They loot stores to take what they desire. They find women alone, believing they can have those women with no consequences. A Blight is an event that occurs due to the sin of one mortal infecting those around them like a virus. Even if those people in their darkest hearts would never do those things in the light of day. When caught in the effect of a Blighted person, even the most self-sacrificing human can turn dark. When the sin is allowed to grow too strong, it fills the mortal’s soul. Nothing else matters to them but satisfying the drive to fulfill it. An adulterer, for example, craves it, needs to feel that lust in his blood or he might die. He will do anything to get it, even kill. Once someone has sunk that far into their own darkness, nothing can bring them back.” He watched the shiver run over her body. He rubbed her arms, chasing away the chill from the night…or was it the chill from the truth of his words?
“My brothers and I, we hunt those souls, removing them from the world before they can infect others and create a Blight.” His eyes settled on Sera, who was quietly chewing on her bottom lip, deep in thought. It was a sweetly endearing move that made him want to kiss the look of sorrow from her eyes.
“There is no hope for them?” She rubbed her thumbs against the sides of his neck.
“If there is a chance they can come back, we don’t take the soul. But we know when they have gone past the point of no return. We eat that sin, taking that darkness into ourselves where the soul is purified and passed on to Hades. He will judge them and determine if the spirit will roam the shores of the River Acheron or reincarnate and come back to Earth. Or he did, until…” He paused and hung his head for a moment. He didn’t want to dwell on Hades right now. It was bad enough that Tanus was missing, lost somewhere alone in the wilderness. To lose both his father and brother was too much. Pushing away the weight on his chest, he brushed an errant flame curl behind her ear. “He did judge them, and he will again. When he is feeling better.”
Sera rubbed her hand along his shoulder trying to make some sense of all this. He was talking about Hades as a real person, his father. She guessed if he were a demon, someone had to make him, and that meant if gods like Hades were real, then other gods must be real, too. Her mind was definitely being opened up to the real world tonight.
She lay her head against his chest. His worry over his father’s condition was painfully apparent in the way he spoke about him. Encouraging him to continue explaining and not dwell on his father’s ill health seemed to be the best option.
“So, the river is a punishment?”
“Of sorts. Think misty shoreline with no end in sight, and nothing to guide you but your past indiscretions. One of the many levels of Hades.”
“So you kill people?” Her voice was light as she asked, her hesitancy clear. She turned her eyes to his, and he dropped his gaze, his hand tightening on her hips.
“Yes, I suppose we do. If we allow them to continue on the earth, then a Blight becomes a certainty. The fall of Rome, the world wars, War of the Roses. All of these events in human history occurred because we couldn’t stop the sin from spreading. The infection became too much.”
Sera nodded. He was being honest with her, brutally so. He made his job clear. He killed people, but they were not innocent people who had done no wrong. These were people who, if left alive, would cause more suffering, more death. Did that make it right? Hell, she didn’t know. She leaned forward, resting her head on his shoulder. She could feel his heart thundering in his chest. It was clear he was nervous about her reaction to his confession. She took a breath and then began to speak, needing to voice her own pain, needing him to understand.
“My last case, it was—it was a bad one. Child molester, murderer. He took small children from restaurant play houses and then abused them in his cabin. After he had defiled them, he needed to make them innocent again. So in his sick mind, that innocence came from making them angels. Then he would need another one to satisfy
his lust.” She pulled at Ze’s t-shirt with her fingertips. She hadn’t spoken of this to anyone, not since she had fled Indianapolis two years ago.
“He was a police officer, someone people trusted. You’re supposed to be able to trust guys like him. He took those little girls. They trusted him, and he raped them, not once, but many times. He took from them so much, caused them to feel so much pain, then slit their throats and called it mercy.” Tears began to spill from her eyes, shaking as a sob was ripped from her. “I touched him. At the police station; it was an accident. He grabbed me, and I felt him, felt his evil, his sickness. It rolled over me like blood, drowning me in his madness. Oh God, he justified his crimes. In his mind, he was doing them a favor. I saw it all, felt what he felt. I could feel how much he enjoyed it. I experienced it as if it were me. I felt so dirty, so fucking vile that his sickness had seeped into my mind, that I had felt his joy. Jesus, I will never be free of him.” Sera talked, the disgust in her voice at her own inability to protect her soul from this evil echoed from her. For the first time, she was putting into words how she felt after she touched that man.
“I should have found him sooner. If I had just tried harder, pushed myself more, I might have been able to prevent—” Sera found her lips covered by a warm mouth, the salty taste of her tears mingling into the kiss. She sobbed, allowing him to chase away the pain with his brand.
Sera held onto him for dear life. Everything had come apart, and in the space of a day, this man had given her more strength than she had ever found alone. He demanded nothing of her, he just accepted what she gave him, giving back in return. He humbled her with his presence. How was she ever going to let him go?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ze held Sera until sleep and emotional exhaustion finally claimed her. She seemed so small and fragile in his arms, her face against his shoulder, a soft pink tint to her cheeks. The temperature was starting to drop, and now that all the adrenaline was gone, her body was starting to chill. She needed to be inside where it was warm. But her home was a pile of smoldering ash, and it was ten plus miles back into town.
Envy's Kindness (Seven Deadly Sins Book 2) Page 10
