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I turn fully, walking backward in front of him because, truly, he deserves to see my entire, chaotic, beautiful face when Isay this. “She’s bonded to me. She loves me. You love me. Which means I now have full authority to meddle, interfere, and orchestrate their downfall into sexual and emotional disaster.”

We step into the cathedral, shadows and light slanting across marble and stained glass, the others fanning out ahead, their voices echoing off stone. Luna is there, laughing softly at something Riven says.

Lucien is nowhere in sight. Perfect.

I nudge Elias with my elbow. “All I need is your help.”

“You’re not dragging me into this circus.”

“Oh, but you’re already in it,” I murmur, grinning like a wolf. “You just don’t know it yet.”

Because if Lucien thinks he’s going to keep pushing her away, and if Luna thinks she can stay angry forever—well, I’ve got other plans.

Plans involving closed doors, forced proximity, and maybe, if I’m feeling generous, a little push toward inevitable disaster. Because when it comes to the Seven Sins, nothing is ever clean or easy.

And I’ve never been one to resist a little chaos.

“You know,” I say casually, cutting my eyes to where Elias lingers a few feet away, his arms crossed like he’s the only one here with any actual dignity left. “I think we need to make a list.”

“A list?” He arches a brow, suspicious already. That’s fair. When I open my mouth, it usually ends in chaos.

“Yeah,” I grin, slow and dangerous. “Of all the things our fearless, brooding bastard can do. You know, in case Luna forgets howimpressivehe is.”

Elias snorts without looking at me, but the corner of his mouth twitches, and that’s how I know I’ve got him.

“Like what? He can make us kneel with that Dominion nonsense?” Elias’s voice drips with snark, but there’s something softer under it. He’s worried too. We all are.

I press a hand to my heart dramatically. “Oh yes, let’s not forget how sexy it is to have your free will ripped right out of your spine.”

“That’s hisbestquality,” Elias deadpans.

I lean in conspiratorially, voice low. “I mean, sure, he’s got the whole commanding, powerful, terrifying thing going on. But he’s also got zero social skills, a brooding complex, and a smile so sharp it could gut you.”

Elias’ snort turns into an actual laugh now, low and dark. “Don’t forget he glares at her like he wants to murder her and kiss her in the same breath.”

I hum, tapping my chin thoughtfully. “Oh, that’s his specialty. Emotional constipation. The classic Virelius charm.”

Elias finally glances at me, a flicker of something real in his eyes. “You know none of this is funny, right?”

I shrug because if I don’t make it funny, I’ll probably lose my mind. “I know. But if we don’t laugh, what’s left? We’re all spiraling. She’s not living with us. He’s brooding himself into oblivion. Caspian’s barely holding it together.” I jab a finger at Elias’ chest, Elias opens his mouth, probably to deny it, but then Luna’s laugh echoes faintly from inside the cathedral, and every inch of him softens.

Yeah. That’s what I thought.

I sigh, scrubbing a hand over my face. “We’re all wrecked over her.”

Elias’ jaw ticks. “Yeah. But none of us can fix this if he keeps making it worse.”

I glance toward the cathedral doors, my chest tightening in that dangerous way it always does when I think of her too long. “He’s trying. In his own, prideful, catastrophically bad way.”

Then I push off the wall, rolling my shoulders, and flash Elias a grin. “But you know what we should do?”

He lifts a brow, wary. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”

“We should make her a list anyway. ‘Lucien Virelius: A Guide to Loving the Least Lovable Man Alive.’”

The thing about Lucien—besides the fact that he looks like he eats souls for breakfast and scowls for fun—is that he doesn’t know how tobesoft. He doesn't know how totry. But maybe… maybe he doesn’t need to.

Maybe he just needs a stage.