Envy's Kindness (Seven Deadly Sins Book 2)

by R. A. Pollard

  Ze ran his hands up and down her back. It was evident she hadn’t truly dealt with the pain from the last time she’d helped the authorities. So he had let her cry, let her use him, vent and rage at him. He could take it. He would take it. She should never have had to endure such turmoil. His heart broke with her tears, determination building inside him. He wouldn’t leave her alone to deal with this ‘gift.' If somehow they managed to get their own gifts back, he would never allow her to feel this way again. Gods, how could she have become so important in such a short space of time?

  Arms around her, he willed his body heat to keep her warm. He looked up as his brother Belor, the Sin of Gluttony, came over to offer him a cold burger. His stomach reminded him it had been hours since he last ate, and he took the food, placing it beside him on the grass.

  “Didn’t wish to wake her. I had to go two towns over to a place that was open all night.” Ze nodded as his brother joined him on the grass, leaning back against the same tree.

  “Lucifer was telling me you’ve had an exciting time. Guns and overprotective old folk. I missed all the fun.”

  “I’m not sure exciting is the word I would choose to describe it.” Ze sighed. His legs were starting to cramp, but the world could shatter around him, and he still wouldn’t move an inch. Not with Sera curled up on him like a sexy red-haired kitten.

  “She looks exhausted.” Belor tilted his head to the side, looking her over before giving Ze a sideways smile.

  “She is. I would like to pretend that if I hadn’t been here, none of this would have happened. But I know that to be false. If I hadn’t found her, Jophiel would have. Damn, brother, you should have seen her. She picked up that angel blade and just laid into the bastard. She has a spine of solid steel.” He frowned at the funny look his wayward brother gave him.

  Belor regarded the little female in silence. He had never seen Ze so smitten with a human. His laidback attitude notwithstanding, he had always been adamant that women were for one thing: have your fun and get it done. Yet he cradled this female as if she were the most precious thing in his world.

  “Luci is trying to figure out how long rebuilding her home is going to take. We can’t just stay out here on the lawn.” Belor rubbed his jaw in contemplation.

  He could mention he had been hanging around in the underground bars of New York. Could he leave out the reason he had been there? He watched as Ze stroked the little female’s hair and felt a stab of jealousy. Sera stirred in her sleep, and Ze murmured soothingly to her, then turned his attention to Belor. There was a flare of silver from under his eyelids.

  “We will find you someone, brother, but this one’s mine. Go find your own Seer.” There was the hint of a growl in his brother’s tone.

  Belor turned away, swearing under his breath. He had no right to be jealous of his brother and the little Seer. He had his own difficulties to contend with. Besides, being jealous of anything or anyone that Ze possessed could be hazardous to one’s health. Envy was almost as bad, if not worse, than Greed when it came to being possessive over things—or women—he considered his.

  Belor shrugged, trying to brush it off, but sometimes he wanted to roar his frustration at his brothers. Eternal hunger sucked. He always felt empty, always felt crippling pain. He desperately wanted to eat the food he had procured for his brothers, but he knew it would be a waste. His body would gain no sustenance, and it would taste like ash in his mouth. Fuck that. If he were honest with himself, it would taste like week-old vomit and dog shit. The food wouldn’t even give him a moment’s pleasure. If he made the mistake of swallowing it, it would wrack his body with so much pain, he would wish for death. That was why he’d started hanging around Club Hex.

  The club was a haven for demons, fallen angels, vampires, and all the creatures of the darkness. It was a place they could be themselves, keep hidden from the world, and indulge in their darker desires. And Belor had some very dark desires. Energy, life force if you will, was the only thing that could give him the feeling of being fulfilled. The club was a melting pot of so many different energies, all of them for sale if one paid the right price. Curse him to hell, he was starting to get hungry again. If he thought about it too much, he felt the craving scraping at his insides. He breathed through the burn, licking his lips and glancing at Ze once more.

  “Either way, brother, it will be weeks, if not months before her home is rebuilt. Even if we elicited help from other supernaturals, no guarantee we could get it done. But I know a few people.” Belor kept his eyes down as he spoke. He didn’t want Ze looking too deeply into what he said. If any of his brothers found out he was hanging out at one of those spirit energy clubs, they would have puppies.

  “Since when do you know people? When did you get friends?” Ze raised his eyebrows in question, but Belor merely offered him a half-smile in return.

  “Screw you. I have friends.”

  “Imaginary ones don’t count, you know.”

  “Ha, ha. Does she know you think you’re a comedian? I think I’ll have to enlighten her on your flaws. Like your phobia of onions.”

  “I do not have an onion phobia. Onions are evil. Father must have created them just to torture me. I think I saw it written somewhere. I mean, who likes onions? Seriously, what good are they? All they do is make your damn eyes burn and your breath stink.”

  “You’re paranoid.” It had been a while since Belor had spent any time just joking and bickering with his brother.

  “You call it paranoia, I call it payback for the Cerberus rumor.”

  Belor chuckled. No one could forget that it was thanks to Ze that the Cerberus triplets were depicted as a three-headed dog in popular myth. They had certainly never forgiven him for it. A much easier time back then, when human energy had been enough to sate his appetite. That time seemed like a fuckin’ dream now.

  Belor got to his feet. He was getting itchy, his skin crawling. He needed to get back to the club and feed his hunger. He licked his lips at the idea. It would only take him an hour, two at most, and he would be back before dawn.

  “Let me go speak to some people. Maybe I can pull some strings, get some help up here.” That would work. He would ask around, see if any of the other supernaturals had construction experience. Those that lived in the Otherworld, beyond human eyes, were always willing to help each other. That was one thing you could rely on.

  “Yeah, yeah, you go spend some time with your imaginary friends. Say hi from me.” Ze made a kissy face as Belor flipped him the bird.

  “Bite my ass, Ze.” The smile on Belor’s lips vanished as he headed toward the rented truck. He rubbed his fingers back and forth against his thumbs. The crawling sensation had grown worse. Just a quick energy feed and he would be good to go.

  Ze watched his brother go. Belor seemed on edge, but hell, they all were. Angels hunting down Seers, one of their brothers missing for a month. Shit, only six weeks ago they were going about their normal lives. Now, their father was hanging onto life after the attack in Tartarus. Even Apollo didn’t know how to heal the wound from Michael’s angelic blade. Slowly but surely Hades was passing into darkness, and it was devastating to see Persephone trying to remain strong when she was ready to break down and give up.

  Sinking his fingers into the pixie’s flame hair, he closed his eyes. Now he was in hot water, but not because of the angels, or even the fact that his father was dying. It was all due to one feisty female who had attempted to shoot him. A woman who had lived locked away in her own prison to protect herself from the world. He fully understood now and respected the living hell out of her. He wanted to keep her safe, wanted to keep the world from her door. Gods, what was happening? He had never been the Suzy Homemaker type. He didn’t do ‘settle down and play house.’ He had always used sex as an outlet when the jealous rage ate away at him. He found a willing woman, or four, and made sure he burned off that jealousy by doing something more constructive. But now he couldn’t imagine the idea of touching another woman. He coul
d only see Sera.

  The need to keep her safe and protected was a living, growing entity in his chest. Hell, he just wanted to keep her. He opened his eyes and looked down at her sleeping face. Realization spread through him. He wanted to keep her, he wanted that flame and spark in his life. He had never experienced anything like this before—wanting something and not having that desire clouded by envy. Something that was truly his, not something he craved because it belonged to someone else.

  This red-haired little pixie of a woman had crawled into a hole in his heart he never knew he had and filled it, and damn him if he didn’t feel himself smiling like a kid at Christmas. He only hoped she wouldn’t run. Everything that had happened would’ve been enough for anyone to have a mental break. But she was holding fast—exhausted, but managing everything. She was something special, and not just because she was a Seer, but because she was no doubt the strongest person he had ever met.

  Footsteps brought his head up, and a blanket was dropped over the sleeping woman in his lap. Ze smiled at Lucifer. His eldest brother always seemed to take the weight of the world on his shoulders. The others might not notice, but Ze did. He was technically second in command. Though he would never mention it to his stubborn ass, Lucifer looked tired. Ze was worried about him, watching as Lucifer sat and leaned against the tree, his red gaze searching the dark branches. Lucifer stared at the sky in silence for the longest time, one knee drawn to his chest. Shit, this had to be the most relaxed he had ever seen the Sin of Pride. Finally, he spoke, his voice breaking the silence.

  “We buried the body. Can’t have an angel found dead on earth. It would create total panic. In the morning, we will rent one of those RV things. I hear they’re not bad to live in for short periods. Some humans even sell their homes to live in one. Sounds nice. Keep moving, stay ahead of the wave.”

  Ze frowned. As the Sin of Pride, Lucifer was driven to excel at everything he did. He couldn’t take losing at anything. It would slowly eat him alive if he lost a battle or an argument. Losing the fight for Pandora’s Box down in Tartarus had done a number on him, though he hid it well behind his stone façade. Ze could see the strain around the edges of his eyes, the way he remained silent for longer and longer periods.

  “Lucifer…” Ze stopped talking as Sera groaned, a frown forming between her eyes. She struggled a little in her sleep, and Ze comforted her. When he looked back, Lucifer was already walking away.

  Focusing his attention on the small woman in his lap, he stroked her back. He pressed his lips to her temple as she mumbled about blood and evil in her slumber.

  “Shhh, little pixie. You’re safe.” Sera stopped moving, and her breathing evened out. She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, trying to burrow as close to him as she could. Ze grinned. The small woman had already accomplished that feat.

  Sera was dreaming. Over and over she could see the angel dying before her, his life leaving his body in a glowing light that spread, enveloping her before seeping into her flesh. She tried to fight against it, attempting to prevent whatever the angel was trying to do to her. Then the scene would play out again in her mind. She kept repeating apologies for hurting him. Tears burning her eyes as the scene started again.

  “Please stop, I didn’t mean to. I’m so sorry.” Sera fell to her knees, dropping the angelic blade that had scorched her skin, covering her eyes with her hands. Even if the angel had been trying to kill her, she had never taken a life. She had seen countless lives lost when she aided authorities but never had she been the one holding the weapon. She felt dirty, like she’d become one of those people she once hunted.

  “Seer.” Sera looked up quickly at an outline glowing before her. She sucked in a sharp breath, expecting retribution from the spirit.

  “Do not fear. You have no need to apologize for the consequences of my own actions.” Though she couldn’t see his full form, his voice matched the angel that had been sent to kidnap her. Yet now it was different—softer, calmer, devoid of that insane rage and hate.

  “I do not have long. There remains very little of my grace within you. Enough that I might beg your forgiveness for my actions. There is no excuse for what I did, other than I was not in full control of myself. There is a sickness within the Malakhim, dark and powerful. I felt control return to me as you pierced my heart with the blade. For that, I thank you.”

  Sera’s hand went to her throat, feeling the rushing of her pulse against her fingertips. If what he said was true, then the Malakhim might not be their only enemy in this battle for humanity.

  “Reach out to Gabriel. He alone appears immune to the sickness that even now eats away at the sanity of those who follow Michael. Please give him a message for me? Tell him…tell him I’m sorry. I’m sorry I did not listen to him sooner. If I had done, maybe I would not have fallen so deeply under the spell woven by Michael.”

  Sera felt her heart break for the angelic being before her. Even though he was just a fuzzy outline wreathed in light, she could feel how sorry he was. His guilt was palpable in the air. She lifted her hand and reached toward the light, the glow making her fingers tingle as she touched his hazy form.

  “I will tell him, Jophiel. I forgive you. It’s strange. If not for you, I may never have allowed Ze to touch me. I might have run away and hidden. You forced me to break my chains. In an odd way, you freed me. Thank you.”

  He smiled. Oh, she couldn’t see it, but she felt it. Warmth spread down her arm, lightening her heart. His form began to lose its shape, slowly starting to dissipate as he vanished from the dream. His voice sounded as if it were coming from further away when he spoke.

  “Envy will keep you safe, Seer. He is yours, and you are his. Together you are stronger. I have one last message. I hope this will assuage some of my crimes. Tell the Sins their brother lives. He is not in human form, however. Michael turned him into a beast, a beast of rage…”

  The voice faded, and Sera felt a tear roll down her cheek. Looking at the hand that had touched the light, she could see the soft glow sinking into her skin before it vanished fully. She took in a deep breath, the guilt she had felt at his death lifting from her. If he spoke true, this revelation could change everything about their coming battles.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Sera was unwilling to move from her little cocoon of blanket and seriously hot male. Snuggling closer to his body, she felt his hands tighten around her, and she smiled against his chest. This was the first time she had ever woken up with, well, anyone, let alone a male. Okay, so it was on the cold ground. No doubt he had probably lost the feeling in his legs hours ago, and there was no bed, and no way to make breakfast, but still, this was a wonderful first.

  The sun was just peeking over the horizon, painting the earth in bright orange and yellow hues. The air still held the chill of the morning. If she ignored the smell of burnt wood and lingering smoke, she could believe this was some kind of camping trip for a moment longer. It helped that she had a very hard, very hot male as her bed. That made it even better. She wiggled a bit, her brain playing over all the silly girly things she wished she could do right now—serving him breakfast in bed, brewing him a cup of coffee. Damn, it looked like she was going to be one of those domestic women who liked to spoil her man.

  Wait, hers? Biting her bottom lip, she smiled. Yes, how could she let this foolish, charming giant of a man leave her now? Having experienced the sensation of a kiss, of his touch on her skin, she didn’t know if she could go back to being alone. She felt a tightness in her chest if she thought too long about him leaving her. Crap, her brain needed to figure this out. What if he didn’t want to stay? She wiggled again, unease rolling through her. A low groan rumbled through his chest, and his arms tightened around her again.

  “Woman, if you don’t quit moving, I’m going to show you just what happens to a sexy pixie in the morning when she’s squirming around on a horny demon’s lap. Out here for all and sundry to see.”

  Sera blushed, pushing back so she could see hi
s face. She knew she must look like hell, and soon she would need to use the bathroom and find a hairbrush. The demon’s silver eyes swirled as he gave her a grin.

  “I’m sorry I used you as a pillow last night. I couldn’t keep my eyes open.” She felt the blush covering her cheeks.

  “Hmm, not to worry, Sera. I have never enjoyed being used so much.” His deep voice made her tummy flutter. Swallowing against her suddenly dry throat, she knew what he was getting at.

  She was a recluse, not dead. She could feel his erection pressing hard against her hip. Sinful little thoughts popped into her brain, and she turned to straddle him. Bottom lip between her teeth, she stroked his silver hair, eliciting what sounded like a purr.

  “I’m going to run out of clean jeans if you keep that up! I had to borrow this pair off Lucifer you realize? He was immensely entertained. I am going to repay you for that one Pixie.” Sera chuckled wickedly. She let her dark little thoughts play out and wiggled on him some more. “I’m trying to be a gentleman here, you know? You are making it very hard.” His groan shot right into her womb, making her heat up. His hands grabbed her hips, tightening on them in clear desperation.

  “I can see that.” Where had this sultry version of her come from? She didn’t tease people. She didn’t wake up and set out to drive them nuts. Until him. He had given her the chance to be normal, if only for a moment. Without her ‘gift,’ she could do anything, including cock tease a demon.

  She longed to know what he was thinking as he lounged against the tree with his eyes closed. This was a whole new world to her, with new experiences and challenges. She had no doubt he was way more knowledgeable than she in matters of physical intimacy. Oh, but she was eager to learn! He was mumbling to himself, his hands kneading her hips. Did she really drive him to distraction this much? The idea that she did sent a thrill through her, spurring her on.