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We all stiffened in unison around the room, joining Gluttony as a complete circle of stony sins.

Gluttony stood, anger and disappointment on his face.

“Oh shit–” Greed launched out from his seat, pushing Envy to the side. Both of them nearly tripped on their faces in their efforts to get out of the way as fast as possible.

Sloth squeaked in protest, hands clenched around his precious book. The cup of tea clattered to the group, its dark liquid soaking into the rug below. “My tea!”

If I thought Gluttony was pissed before, his expression became downright thunderous at the dismayed look on Sloth’s face. He glared at Greed.

“Sorry! Here, let me!” Envy rushed to clean up the mess, Greed not bothering and hopping behind the couch, keeping something large between him and Gluttony. Everyone was so caught up in a pissed-off Gluttony that they missed Pride skedaddling out the door.

“Guys.Guys.” I waved my hands in the air, trying to gain everyone’s attention.

As one they all turned in time to see the French doors slam shut.

Gluttony growled and a pane of glass broke.

The sound of a book slamming shut made me flinch. Sloth stood and sighed dramatically. “Now you’ve made him pissy. Out.”

He made a shooing motion at us, as though we were annoying sycophants who had tired out their master, and not all Sins in our own standing!”

“We’ll just–” Greed began.

“See ourselves out!” Envy finished.

Greed and Envy couldn’t leave fast enough, yanking open the doors and fleeing down the hallway. Unfortunately, this left all the focus on me.

I cleared my throat. It sounded unnaturally loud in the sudden silence left behind.

“Sloth, what books have you been–”

“Not going to work today,” Sloth cut me off rudely, crossing his arms over his chest.

Fine, if he wanted to play dirty, so could I. “So I guess G’s still pretty mad about Clio–”

“OUT!” Gluttony roared, every piece of glass in the house breaking. Sloth shot me a terrified expression, and I immediately felt bad. I’d meant to keep Gluttony in a pissy mood for Sloth to deal with, not make him so angry he was terrified.

“I–”

SMACK.

Gluttony hit me so hard across the head I flewthroughthe French doors, down the hall, and my back hit the wall went through that as well. I stopped up against the original stone wall behind the facade, coughing up bits of plaster and probably asbestos.

I blinked, stunned, only for Greed and Envy’s faces to hover over me. Without a word from either, they each stuck a hand out. Groaning, I reached for both and they pulled me out of the wall.

“Always knew you were a masochist,” Greed grumbled.

Envy rolled his eyes. “You’re an idiot, Lust. He’s going to hold a grudge against you for a while.”

I winced, remembering the last time Gluttony had held a grudge against me. I couldn’t remember exactly what it had been about, but somehow it involved the beginning of prohibition.

Not that I’d take credit for that.

“Pride was uncomfortable. I was trying to deflect blame. He never gets as mad at me as he does you two and Pride. I’ll befine.” I tried to brush the dust off me, and stand as though my entire body didn’t feel like it had gotten hit by a semi.

Or a fucking wall.

“You don’t have to do that. We aren’t kids anymore,” Envy insisted, but his voice softened toward the end.