Page 116

“Of course you’re sorry,” I whispered to the empty forest. “But it’s too late for sorry, sweetheart. You chose me.”

The clearing was quiet, too quiet. Even the wind held its breath. My breath fogged in the air, though the night wasn’t cold. It was like the forest around me sensed the storm brewing beneath my skin and dared not come closer.

Then the earth pulsed beneath my knees.

And quite suddenly, I was surrounded.

“Finally!” Pride bit out, irritated.

Envy was panting, out of breath as he bent over, but not before slapping me hard on the back.

“Damn, she made you faster. So fucking fast. Not...fair.”

Sloth rolled his eyes. Wait, Sloth was out of the house?

“Stop being dramatic. We shifted most of the way here. You only ran about forty yards,” Greed chuckled.

Envy shot him a dark look.

“Lust, what are you doing?”

Unconsciously I turned to her voice, everything else narrowing until the only thing that mattered was her.

Wrath.

“I...don’t know,” I admitted.

Greed snorted. Envy elbowed him in the side and he crumpled, groaning in pain.

“Well, I think the bond is unconsciously affecting you. This is a hub I’ve been keeping an eye on for a few months. Your trackers could be here.”

I frowned. “You mean...the fae traffickers?”

Pride grinned. “Wrath is dead-set on using some of her new excess magick on them. Her wants must have unconsciously influenced you through the bond, because here you are.”

“And here we are,” Sloth added helpfully.

“Here we are, indeed,” I grumbled.

Not that I was mad.

The heat of Wrath's magick was like a compass in my chest, keeping me grounded and pointing the way forward. She was too powerful to hide, too raw to shield, and something had to be done with the excess magick.

Killing two birds with one stone, as the humans like to recite.

“They’re nearby, you say?” I asked.

Alone I’d never try something so foolhardy. We tried to stay out of fights as Sins. But this time? I could. I would.

No, we could. Together. All seven of us.

“Look.”

She pointed to the top of a hill in the distance, where a modest cabin stood.

“Let me do this alone.”

Greed made a sound of disbelief in the back of his throat but Envy put a hand out to his chest, stopping him.