Greed's Charity (Seven Deadly Sins Book 1)

by R. A. Pollard

  “Do you come with a dimmer switch?” Isabelle tried to open her eyes again, blinking against the black spots swimming in her vision.

  “Bit too bright? Clearly.” The light eased around him, and he leaned back against the stone coffin.

  The pain receded. Isabelle had to blink a few times until she could see more than just a bright outline. Finally, he came into focus, her eyes locking on a tall male who was watching her with clear interest. His eyes were a bright sky blue, a mass of youthful, curly blond hair hanging loose around his eyes. He looked like some kind of surfer dude, his tanned skin hidden under a tight shirt and very form-fitting jeans. Moving to her feet, she brushed the damp dirt from her knees.

  “Who are you? Are you with that angel?”

  “Uriel? By Zeus no, he is one arrogant Malakhim. I stay far away from them and their little brotherhood. As for who I am… Apollo at your assistance, sweet lady. I can be of any service you might desire.” His voice was like a siren's song, calling to the places deep inside her, trying to ensnare her will. She gave him an appreciative over-once and decided he was hotter than hot, but she still preferred the demon.

  “So how did you know I was here?”

  “Lucifer. He now owes me one. He asked me to come find you. Unlike demons, gods have a unique ability to sense the power of the Seers. Once they have fully come into their power. So I left a very willing female in a club to save you, beautiful.” He tilted his blond head to the side and flexed his muscles. “You know, most women would be drooling over me by now. I feel rather inadequate.” Was he pouting?

  “Sorry, God Man, but only one male has my attention.”

  “Good to know. You do seem to be taking this whole god thing in stride. I have to admit it is rather refreshing.”

  Isabelle gave him a droll stare, and his grin literally brightened the tomb.

  “I see. Nice talent, that. Accepting the truth without fighting. Such a rare strength in a mortal, but you’re not just a mortal, are you, Isabelle?”

  “You tell me Nightlight. You seem to know all the answers.” Okay, so irritating the god was probably not the best idea in the world. But frankly she was tired of being in the same damn dress, in a cold tomb, with angels and who knew what else after her. All because she was some sort of mythical Seer.

  “I like you, mortal. You have spunk. Come, let us leave this dank place. I do believe you require a change of clothes and a hot meal.” His smile made his face even more handsome. The god offered his hand. His eyes locked on hers, almost daring her to take it.

  Her only options were to remain here for Uriel to return, leaving her to go crazy in the darkness. Or accept the offered hand and be taken to god knows where. Sometimes the only choices were bad ones, still a choice had to be made. Reaching out, she slid her hand into his. Heat rushed through her body, chasing away the damp chill from her bones. A flash of light blinded her vision for a second as they vanished from the tomb. Uriel, the bastard, was in for a shock when he returned.

  So god knows where happened to be a penthouse apartment on the edge of a city, but this wasn’t New Jersey. In the distance she could see the rising sun peeking out over a sprawling ocean vista and beaches glittering in the distance. Apollo had been rambling on about needing to be near the sea where people worshipped the sun. From the view and his words she figured East coast somewhere, maybe California. Clearly he looked like he spent every waking hour lying on a beach half in his cups with rum.

  Now he wasn’t glowing so brightly she saw spots, she got a good look at the god. He was tall, hard built, and looked like a surfer dude, if she was honest. Slightly dreadlocked sunlit blond hair, his eyes were the sky on a cloudless day, so bright they caught your attention and held you.

  He had provided her with a long, flowing gown of shimmering white cloth that nearly touched her toes and exposed her arms and neck. It was beautiful, still she wished he had just given her a pair of jeans and a sweater. Isabelle walked to the huge windows and looked out over view, the sun catching on the millions on windows making the city glitter in the morning light.

  Uriel said the apocalypse was coming, and he and his brothers were going to be the cause of it. Pressing her forehead to the glass, she closed her eyes. How was she supposed to stop this? Hell, she was supposed be one of those oblivious humans walking down the street. How was one human supposed to avert the genocide of her race?

  “With help of course.” Apollo’s voice of rich chocolate filled the room. Isabelle turned and pinned the god with a stare.

  “Get out of my head…please.” Isabelle so didn’t like the idea of someone being able to read her inner thoughts. It was bad enough every other thought was about Greed and whether or not he was okay. Apollo smiled as he approached her.

  “My apologies. I don’t usually entertain mortal guests for long, and none with a brain in their head. I have contacted Lucifer, told him you’re safe. I gathered by the animalistic sounds of fighting in the background your demon is eager to see you.”

  “Mammon? I have barely spent more than a day in his company. The time wasn’t exactly spent talking.” A blush crept up her cheeks and Apollo just chuckled.

  “You study our ancient world. You know about destiny and fate. Our history is filled with great tales of Jason and Hercules. Fate set them on their path, as it has done with you. Fate has a direction for us all, but we have the power to take a different course if we wish it.”

  “That’s the point. If this is fate, me being a Seer, stopping the angels from destroying mankind—where does the demon fit into it?” She desperately wanted to see the woman Ilianna again. She had so many questions now the whole picture was being revealed to her.

  “Because, no one should face this future alone. Those brothers, technically the Sins, are Hades’ sons. Hades is my father’s brother, so that makes them my cousins, maybe. I never quite wrapped my head around my family tree. Father wasn’t what one would call monogamous. Putting that aside, what you and Mammon have has been destined for hundreds of years.”

  “You’re talking about soulmates?” Isabelle took in a slow breath, rubbing the spot over her heart. She had read in many Greek texts about the binding of two souls before birth. Each soul is destined to hunt the other through time, until they could become one. Even if it took hundreds of years.

  “Precisely. It is so nice to meet someone who knows my people's history. Modern movies do nothing for our image.” He was pouting again.

  Turning her back to him, she wrapped her arms around her stomach. Her brain was about to short out. She felt warm hands on her shoulders, and the confusion and panic receded.

  “Of course, god of healing, plagues, and the sun.”

  He gave her a wide smile. “That’s me little lady, though less of the plague stuff now. I don’t like to dwell on those times. Teen angst you understand.”

  That pulled a small laugh from her. It was unbelievable that she stood in the penthouse of the god, Apollo. He was, well, a normal guy. Insanely powerful and awe inspiring and could kill you with his pinky finger, but still a normal guy.

  “Why can’t I feel you?” Isabelle faced him. If she was going to embrace this fate of hers, she needed to delve into the ability she had been fighting against her whole life.

  “Feel me? Oh, your Seer gift! I’m a god. I can shield exceptionally well. You have Empathy yes?”

  “Empathy, it has a name. I guess I didn’t want to give it a name. Made it too real, not just something in my head.”

  “Empathy is the capacity to understand and feel what another person is experiencing from within.”

  “You make it sound almost romantic. I assure you, it is anything but. I feel like an exposed nerve. Until recently, being around anyone felt like shards of glass slicing into my brain. It was horrible growing up and knowing when someone hated you, when someone meant to do harm to another, or when suicide is the only thing a person could think about. I couldn’t understand what was happening to me, and no one could tell me
.” She focused on the distance, almost hugging herself as she spoke. “I started to hide it, keep it hidden, made sure no one knew, or they would look at me like I was some kind of freak. After a while, I managed to build walls to protect myself from the worst of it. It allowed me to have some semblance of a life outside of a padded room.” Her eyes drifted to the rolling sea, sparkling against the sand.

  “Since Mammon came into my life, it is changing. Being in a building like this would have been torture for me a week ago. All the people, the emotions would have swamped me. Now it’s like background noise. I can filter it out.”

  The god smiled brightly and nodded. “The Awakening, when the blood of the Seer stirs within you. The natural protection that once belonged to those unique women was activated in you. It appears meeting the demon was the catalyst your blood needed to activate.” She knew he didn’t truly understand. He had never been mortal, never had to learn to shield or hide his gifts. He just was.

  “What am I supposed to do? I can feel if someone has negative emotions. How is that going to stop the genocide planned by Uriel and his cronies?”

  “Michael, you mean. Uriel is one of his ‘brothers.’ Once, long ago, they went by different names. They were warriors of the gods, but have since taken on the assumed names given to them by the Christian bible: Michael, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, Zadkiel, Jophiel, and Chamuel. The angels of heaven, or some bullshit like that, anyway. They call themselves the Malakhim. Just a fancy way of saying angel.”

  “They can call themselves what they like. They are still planning the annihilation of my species.” She was surprised at the flare of anger that coursed through her.

  When had she grown a backbone? Sometime in the last two days while her world was being turned upside down and everything she knew was being rewritten. Her soul had steeled itself to the truth. There would be no way out of this. No going back to her normal life at university. This game the Malakhim were playing was designed to hurt.

  “Humans amaze me. Millions of people in your race would be having a breakdown. Crying, praying to whatever god they worship. But one little soul can stand up, accepting the inevitable and refuse to back down. They say one person can change the world, you know.”

  Isabelle didn’t know how to process his conviction she could change the world. Yet she felt the warmth of his words shoring up her strength. No wonder he was worshipped as a god of healing and the sun. He exuded power and truth in his words.

  Isabelle watched as his golden skin lost some of its radiance. Apollo glanced over his shoulder to the closed door, his unique eyes narrowing. For just a split second something dark passed over his features, and he didn’t seem like the carefree god he portrayed. Then it vanished. She knew instantly something was wrong—his smile had dropped. The power emanating from him tickled over her flesh. In that moment, she could feel his aura, one of an ancient god who had once been worshipped and feared.

  “Why is he here?” His words were absently spoken. Apollo moved towards the door, pausing to look back at her, his eyes serious. All the glittering joy of the sun god was gone. “Stay in this room, Isabelle. Understand me?”

  She nodded quickly, getting the impression he didn’t easily forgive someone breaking a rule.

  Apollo exited the room, his very body tense, readying for battle. Isabelle slowly moved towards the door, listening intently. She could hear his muffled chocolate voice conversing with another male voice. The second voice could have shattered rock with its depth. There was no warmth, just conviction, hard and sure. Pressing her ear to the wood, she listened.

  “Hades, so nice to see you. What brings you to my humble abode? Run out of NCIS reruns to watch?” Apollo kept his voice light. The god of the Underworld didn’t need to know he was sheltering one of his sons’ intended females.

  “Don’t be a smart ass, Apollo. Where is the woman?” Apollo held back his grimace, Hades’ presence always seemed to suck the light from the room. His uncle held his arms behind his back, those liquid silver eyes locked him.

  Last time Apollo had seen Hades he had been dressed in his long black robes. They had been replaced by an impeccable charcoal suit. He now sported short-cropped black hair and a trim goatee. Well didn’t he look every inch the consummate business mogul, he just screamed power. He was one man you didn’t want to face in a boardroom or in a one-on-one fight.

  “Better than a dumbass, I assure you, and to which woman are you referring? I just sent a lovely little redhead home. I’m sure you could catch up with her. That is if Persephone doesn’t catch you first.” How did he know the Seer was here? His home was protected; he shouldn’t have been able to feel her at all.

  “I’m the god of the Underworld nephew. I see all.” Apollo forced himself to remain still, his face blank while Hades turned his gaze to assess the penthouse apartment.

  “Well, that’s fascinating, but I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Apollo shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. He would be no match for his uncle if things turned nasty.

  “You lie poorly, Apollo. I know the Seer is here.” Hades took one slow step toward him. “Greed is enraged beyond the norm, even for him. This could only have occurred if something precious to him had been taken. As I know you’re not stupid enough to steal from the Seven Sins, I can only assume someone else took her. Your assistance in her rescue, although warranted, is now a hindrance.”

  “Look, I’m sure if I felt the need, I might help those demons of yours. But frankly, they have nothing I want or need. They can’t make it worth my while. Helping them doesn’t help me.” The longer the Lord of the Underworld remained in his home, the weaker the barrier hiding the Seer.

  Hades kept his hands behind his back, looking down at his nephew. His eyes flicked to the closed door behind him. “I see. You won’t mind if I look around then?”

  It wasn’t a question or Apollo would have told him where he could stick it. Hades vanished, a knowing smile on his lips. The god of light swore low and barged into the sealed room. He knew exactly where his uncle had gone.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Isabelle had been intently listening to the conversation between two very powerful gods. One happened to be her current host and the other an all-powerful Lord of the Underworld, who seemed intent on finding her.

  “There you are, Seer.” Turning sharply, she came face to face with the god of Hell. Wait—no, it was Hades, right? Her first thought was holy crap! He was Christian Bale, American Psycho handsome. Add on the facial hair and no wonder Persephone married the man.

  She backed a few paces away from the door, which was a good thing, because a second later it was flung open. Apollo stood in the entryway, every inch the ancient god of Greece he had once been, now staring down his uncle. The very air burned with power.

  “Hades, you are no longer welcome in my home! She is under my protection until her male retrieves her. Leave.” Hell, if someone had spoken to her in such a commanding tone, she would do anything he said to avoid feeling his wrath. Hades, however, shrugged it off and waved his hand at Apollo as one would a bug. The god was literally thrown off his feet, hit by some unseen force which sent him hurtling back into his living room.

  “Impudent child. His father wasn’t big on manners, my dear. Do forgive him. Now, to the matter at hand…” A roar filled the penthouse. Then the pounding of feet on tile, and a blazing light that scorched flesh filled the room surrounding the great god Apollo, he charged towards Hades.

  Isabelle knelt on the floor, trying to shield herself from the barrage, and feeling her flesh redden from Apollo’s power. The light was so bright she couldn’t see the fight, but it was over in a second. Dots hovered in her vision, as if she had been looking at the sun, which she figured she kinda had. As the light diminished, she saw Hades holding Apollo by the throat, his feet dangling in the air. It was some mean feat, considering Apollo had to be close to two-hundred-sixty pounds of pure muscle and well over six feet tall.

&nbs
p; Wincing at the stinging pain on her exposed arms and face, she looked down at the small blisters that had formed under her skin. But the pain radiated deeper, like a bad sunburn, her skin a deep, angry red. The constant pulsing pain of the burn radiated from her arm, over her shoulder, to the right side of her face. This burn was from the glow from his skin? She hated to think what would happen in a true battle.

  “Stupid boy! You seek to fight me? Arrange a time and place away from a city. In your blind rage you burned the Seer, foolish child.” There was no anger or malice in Hades’ voice, he just stated fact.

  Apollo looked over at Isabelle, his eyes going wide. They turned from angry thunderstorm grey to beautiful sky blue in a second. Hades nodded and dropped him. The Lord of the Underworld straightened his suit jacket and rolled his shoulders, as if nothing at all had just happened. He, too, turned his gaze to Isabelle.

  “I’m so sorry, Isabelle. I didn’t think. Please, let me fix this.” Apollo knelt beside her, reaching for her burned arm. She winced as he took her wrist in his hand. “I forget myself sometimes. Hades has that effect on most of us.” Apollo began to emit a gentle glow his fingers soft on her burned skin.

  “Do not blame me for your mistake, Apollo. Take ownership of it and ensure it does not occur again. I expected better of you.” Hades chided the sun god.

  Isabelle was in awe as his warming glow seeped into her skin, spreading up her arm and over her face. The pain vanished as it spread through her body, the blisters healing, the skin turning pink, then white and finally returning to her soft tan. Apollo lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the palm, keeping his head down.

  “It is unforgivable to harm a Seer in anyway, even accidentally.” Such regret in his voice brought a small smile to her lips.

  “Not to worry, all fixed now. I guess the term hothead has new meaning in reference to you, Nightlight. I still think you need a dimmer switch.” He let out a soft chuckle and dropped his eyes to his task.