Envy's Kindness (Seven Deadly Sins Book 2)

by R. A. Pollard

  Sera could sense a power growing within her, and not just the power Ze had inspired. This was something more, the deeply profound knowledge of her own aura as a Seer.

  “I’ll let you in on a little secret, angel. You reek of envy. I can see it pouring from you in waves. Your depth of hatred for the human race is suffocating, but we have something you can never attain. We feel and we sin, and we die, but for every second of our short lives, we live! Maybe not as fully as we should, but we live. And you? You just sit on the sidelines and watch.” He lowered his gaze from her face. “What’s wrong, Gabriel? Can’t face the truth?” Her voice rose in direct correlation to her rage. She felt Ze’s hands on her shoulders, and the angel turned away from her. He stood in silence, watching the sunlight streaming through the glass doors.

  “You are right, Seer. Sitting by and watching what your race does to the gift you have been given maddens me. But I do not wish to see the innocent harmed.” His eyes returned to the demon. “Michael took the children. I know you figured that out. But I know why. He plans to take their souls and trap them in weapons. He is going to create angelic tools that he will use against you.” Sera covered her mouth with her hand before burying her face against Ze’s chest. His rage beat at her skin.

  “And you’re here because you don’t agree with him, I take it?” Ze was keeping his voice level, but Sera could tell by the shaking in his body he was furious.

  “I can’t allow him to harm those children.” Gabriel’s voice was tense. You didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that he didn’t want to be here.

  Sera shook her head and closed her eyes. “Then help us find them. We’re coming up blank on every avenue we’ve tried. Please, Gabriel. We need your help.”

  “I–” Gabriel began to pace, running his fingers through his hair.

  “Do you want those kids to die or not, Gabriel? It is a simple question, Malakhim.” Ze snapped.

  “Michael is my brother!” His roar shook the glass in the doors.

  “Michael is out of his mind! Jophiel said as much.” Sera stepped forward, wringing her hands.

  The angel paused. “He said that? When?”

  Sera looked to Ze for assurance, and he nodded, sliding his hand around the back of her neck, kneading the tight muscles. Anything to help her.

  “After…after he died. He came to me in a dream. He told me Michael was sick. He also asked me to give you a message. He said to tell you he’s sorry he didn’t listen. That he felt like something was controlling him and we set him free.”

  Gabriel remained silent, covering his eyes with his hand. He appeared so lost in that second that Sera couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. She stole another glance at Ze, and he curled his lip but let her go. She went to stand beside Gabriel and laid her hand against his cheek. Startled, he lifted his head quickly, obviously shocked. Hesitant, he covered her hand with his and nodded.

  “Thank you, Seer. It means a lot knowing he’s now free of whatever was influencing him. I’m sorry. I wish I could do more, but I can’t betray Michael any more than I already have. If he discovers that I’ve been here, his rage will be unstoppable. There are things I care about as well, as hard as you may find that to believe. I have someone I need to keep safe.”

  “You’re already betraying him, Gabriel. Help us find those kids. He is here because of what we did to Jophiel. He is going to kill four innocent children to punish us.”

  “I know, demon!” The angel swore, unfurling his wings in frustration.

  “I understand. It’s okay. Knowing what he plans is more than we knew before. Thank you,” Sera murmured.

  He frowned, viewing her with a totally lost expression. “Seer, when I look at you, I see the possible future of your race. I think you might be right. Maybe there is a chance that humans can evolve past this illness that plagues them.”

  She blushed. He thought she was something special, but half the time she was struggling not to have a nervous breakdown. At least she had been before Ze came into her life.

  “I don’t think I’m that special. You didn’t see me before Ze appeared. I wasn’t much more than a shell.” She could have sworn she just saw Ze’s face reddening out the corner of her eye. He was definitely rubbing the back of his neck, trying not to look at her right now.

  “I don’t believe that. It would take more than a shell to tempt the Sin of Envy.” She heard the angel sigh deeply. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Betray his brother and save four innocent lives and maybe lose the person he said he was protecting, or decide not to help them and let the children die.

  Sera pressed her forehead against Ze. “We won’t force you, Gabriel. She’s right, you have given us more than we knew.” Ze’s voice rumbled in his chest. Sera closed her eyes, listening to it. The angel swore and began to pace again. She did not envy him his difficult decision.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “I will help you find the children, but that will be the end of it. If Michael finds out I have even spoken to you, he will cut my wings from me.” Gabriel faced the pair. He must be out of his mind doing this. He had stopped short of telling them that his brother would take it out on the only person Gabriel cared about more than his own life, his daughter. He would not subject Aria to Michael’s insanity. In his current frame of mind, if Michael ever found out he had a half-human daughter, he would hunt her down. Gabriel didn’t want to think about what he would do if he found her.

  With a wave of his hand, the very air seemed to change around them, and suddenly voices could be heard. The doors to the church nave opened, people spilling out into the main entry hall. None of them seemed to notice Gabriel standing near the door. They just passed around him as they exited the building. The only ones who stopped dead were the demons and Odin. The old god looked around at the people and back to Gabriel. The tension was starting to rise, demon energy rippling out from the Sins in waves. This kind of power could do real damage. He had to diffuse this and quickly.

  “Might I suggest we find somewhere else to talk?” Gabriel eyed the demons, his gaze pausing on the old man for a second.

  The humans slowly filtered out, a few stragglers hanging around to speak to the preacher. Odin tried to usher the people out as politely as he could. Lucifer moved to stand beside Ze, quickly followed by Asmodeus and Abbadon. Gabriel could not blame them. The last time they had all met, he had been attacking them, and Michael had run their father through with an angelic weapon. He would have been on edge as well.

  “What’s he doing here?” Lucifer kept his voice low as the humans finally left the building.

  Gabriel waited until Odin ushered the preacher out before speaking. “He is offering to help us find the children.” With the Seer’s assistance, Envy seemed to have grudgingly accepted his help. He didn’t know, however, if the other Sins would take it.

  “Feeling guilty, are we, angel?” Abbadon crossed his arms over his chest, staring daggers his way.

  “Believe what you need to, Sin of Sloth. I have my own reasons for being here. If you think you can find the children alone, I will take my leave.” Gabriel wanted to rage, give into the emotions he so rarely allowed in his soul. He had believed in Michael, believed so strongly in the course they were to take that the sudden loss of direction was disorientating to him, to everything he believed in. The angel opened his wings, the magnificent feathered appendages blocking the sunlight from the glass doors.

  He felt a hand on his chest and made a move to slap it away, coming up short when he met the jade eyes of the Seer. He felt her energy tingle into him, spreading through him like cooling water. His mind cleared, and he let out a breath. No wonder Michael wanted these women. They were more than special—they were powerful, not just mystical energy. Their souls were pure, and that kind of purity held more power than anything.

  “No, please. We need your help. These children don’t deserve to die for Michael’s revenge against me.” Her jade eyes implored him. He swore, closing his wings again
st his back. He found he couldn’t say no to her. He lifted his hand to the place on his jaw where she slapped him earlier. How strange that she affected him in such a powerful way.

  “Sera is right. The children come first. Your issues with one another can wait.” Odin had returned to the room.

  The demons didn’t seem happy with the decision, but none of them said anything. Odin nodded at Gabriel. He tilted his head to the side, regarding the old god, bowing his head as Odin approached. “My Lord Odin.”

  “I see you at least remember me. These four must have been living under a rock.” Odin gestured to the demons.

  “Hardly, you old coot. We just didn’t recognize you in a plaid shirt and jeans.” Ze snorted.

  Gabriel expected the demon to be struck down where he stood. Instead, the god of Norse mythology just laughed.

  “Yeah, I suppose I could have gone with the middle-aged, mid-life crisis biker look.”

  Ze just grinned at the obvious criticism, and Gabriel shook his head. He must have entered the twilight zone. Demons, gods, and angels working together, being friendly with one another. He had always believed that the species tended to avoid one another, yet it was clear this was no longer the case. Looked like he had been out of the world far too long. So many things had changed.

  Odin pushed open the door to his apartment situated above his store and listened for his wife. He beckoned for the group to follow him in and closed the door behind them. His small apartment was swamped by the huge males and two hellhounds who were unwilling to turn into their human forms. They all watched the angel as if he were an appetizer, none of them willing to put their backs to him. Gabriel seemed too damned big for the room. His wings blocked out the light from the window, and he looked as uncomfortable being here as the demons were at having him here.

  Sera kept close to Ze’s side. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife, and it was clear she was being affected by it. Her jade eyes skimmed the room with nervous energy, her teeth worrying her bottom lip as always when something was on her mind. Odin made a point to clear his throat as loudly as he could, and all eyes focused on him.

  “If you could all stop the dark looks at one another, maybe we could actually make some headway here.” He couldn’t blame the demons for their distrust, and neither could he fault Gabriel for his wariness.

  “Gabriel, why don’t you get started? I’ll get us some drinks.” Odin nodded for Sera to follow him.

  Sliding from Ze’s lap, she headed into the kitchen. The warm voice of the angel began his tale again. Odin leaned against the sink, his eyes on the street below, fingers tapping mindlessly.

  “I’m sorry I brought this on you and the town.” Sera pulled at the hem of her t-shirt.

  Odin scoffed. “You did nothing, Sera. I blame no one but Michael for this. To think he has sunk so low as to take children. I don’t need to hear what the angel has to say. I already know why he would take innocent souls.” His hands tightened their grip on the sink. “Once, long ago, when my powers were unrivaled, I had many weapons that contained souls. All were willing sacrifices to my people. I’ll admit that back then I didn’t much care where they came from or who they were. They became tools, tools I used without regard for the soul trapped within. Those weapons were extensions of our will, our powers for all the gods. As sacrifices began to wane, so, too, did the number of weapons. Eventually, only a handful remained. Most were hunted down and claimed by the Malakhim centuries ago, ostensibly to be used to protect this world. The knowledge that he is trying to forge new weapons weakens this old heart.” He was getting too old for this shit. The world had been getting along fine without him, now this. But he couldn’t sit by and let Michael kill innocent children. So he would dig deep into the small reserves of power he had left. If he died, then so be it. At least he would die fighting, as a warrior should.

  “We’re going to stop him. There’s no other outcome that I can accept. I have spent my life hunting down the evil people in this world. Those who would harm others. I won’t sit by while a supposedly angelic being takes the lives of innocent children for his own insane plans.” Sera touched his wrinkled hand, and he offered her a weak smile.

  “Angelic? Absolute rubbish. Michael, Gabriel, Jophiel—those are just the names they have taken in modern times. They were once warriors, older than any religion that exists today. When the One-God believers spread, the warriors followed and took names that would allow them to remain soldiers for light. Corruption, however, will find even the brightest of souls it seems. All but yours, Seer.” Odin reached up and touched her chin with a smile.

  “I’m not innocent. My soul is hardly all sparkly fairy lights and music.”

  Odin scoffed once more, and the mock scowl she gave him made him smile. “Sera, my dear, you shine with a light brighter than any I have seen since the first Seer. The darkness you think stains your soul is nothing more than scars of battles fought and won. Believe me, those scars are medals of strength and purity. Anyone with eyes could see it.” Tears glistened in Sera’s eyes. She sniffed and turned her back on him to rub her face. He smiled and turned her around, lifting her head. “I have seen men collapse at the smallest hurdle. But you—you have faced a thousand enemies and come out of each battle-scarred but stronger. Believe in that, believe in your own strength. You have far more of it than you realize. And when you finally do, gods save anyone who attracts your anger.”

  She threw her arms around him, and a lightness came over him as she hugged him. If she could bring him such peace, he would do everything he could. He had not done enough to help her before. He chuckled softly and stroked her hair.

  Sera pulled back with a small smile. “What about your wife? Isn’t she going to have a heart attack if she finds demons in her living room?”

  Odin groaned a little. “Margery? Her actual name is Freya. She was the sister of my late wife, Frigg. When our powers left us centuries ago, we decided it was better to travel together, keeping each other company rather than living the last years of our long lives alone. My sons are long dead, except Thor, and I don’t know where he is anymore. She will be angry with me for getting involved again. That’s why she was so cruel to you. She believed I would be pulled back into the world we left a long time ago.”

  “And I was right, wasn’t I?” The shrill voice of Margery Dunham came from the doorway, and he flinched.

  Spiteful gray eyes narrowed on Sera, Odin could feel that ancient energy directed in anger at the Seer. Even the woman’s frizzy blonde hair sparked with energy. She looked every inch the goddess she’d once been, albeit a seventy-year-old version.

  “Freya, that’s enough. I have let you live under my roof, allowing you to get away with whatever scheme you needed to keep yourself amused and sane. But I will not have this discussion again.” Odin faced his sister-in-law down. Her anger made sparks flicker over the metal cooking utensils in the apartment. In the tiny kitchen, there was nowhere for Sera to hide from the scathing gaze of Freya or her cruel words.

  “You should have just remained in your hovel out in the country, away from this town and its people. These missing children are your fault! You and those filthy demons you have sitting in our living room. In my home, Odin! How could you?”

  “Freya!” The walls of the room shook, and the goddess clamped her mouth shut, her eyes widening in shock.

  “This is my home, and it is only by my grace that you’re allowed to remain! I’ll not sit idly by while Michael plans to execute the people of this world. Either stand with us or leave.”

  The goddess huffed and spluttered, then stormed from the apartment. The sound of rustling feather made both Sera and Odin turn. Gabriel tilted his head to the side before he spoke, flicking out his wings a little.

  “Freya has never been known for her calm demeanor. I have explained all I know to the Sins. I must return to Michael. If he suspects I have betrayed him…I will be lucky to escape with my life. Seer, I will see what I can glean from Michael in r
egards to the children. That is all I can promise.”

  Sera didn’t get a chance to thank him. The sound of wings beating and feathers rustling filled the room, and he disappeared as completely as if he’d never existed.

  Odin sighed. “I should go and speak with Freya before she does something foolish.” He pushed away from the sink and headed to the living room.

  Sera watched Odin leave. It was still difficult to tie the great All-Father with the kindly old man who had made living in this town bearable for the most part, even during her darkest hours. Harder to swallow was the fact that the woman who had been nit-picking at her for the last two years, who had done nothing but spread nasty rumors and gossip, was a goddess. Knowing that she was Freya explained a lot.

  Sera paused at the kitchen door. Leaning against the frame, she watched the demons within the room. Abbadon was pacing back and forth, phone to his ear. Asmodeus sat on the floor, one knee drawn to his chest. He appeared aloof. She didn’t doubt the news had been hard on them.

  Lucifer was also on his phone, talking quickly to someone on the other end, frustration clearly etched on his handsome face. Ze stood when he saw her enter, moving to her side and brushing his fingertips across her cheek with a small smile.

  “You okay? That goddess seemed mighty upset.” The concern in his silver eyes tightened her heart. She nodded, sliding her arms around his waist and resting her forehead against his chest.

  “It makes more sense now, her dislike of me. She must have known what I was and tried to keep her distance. Can’t say I blame her, to be honest. She was living a quiet life. Then I came to town and look what happened.”

  “None of this falls on you, Seer.” The flowing voice of Asmodeus reached her ears and sent shivers over her skin. It was like listening to a siren’s song. It made you want to listen, called you to submit. She shook her head to clear the odd sensation that had penetrated her brain and made her body tingle. She felt vibrations off to her side and realized Ze was growling.