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Greed grinned like Christmas had come early.

“No–” I began.

“She needs an outlet for the new magick,” Pride said succinctly. “Damon can’t take all of it. And who knows how long he’ll stick around.”

We all shot a look to the large shadowdemon cat, who was purring madly while rubbing himself up against Kiva and Wrath’s sides. The sobbing fae child reached out an arm and buried it into his fur.

“Questionable loyalties,” Lust huffed.

Diana clapped her hands.

“How wonderful! I’m sure Hades will return now. It’s been ages since all of the Sins have found each other. Perhaps a party–”

“I suppose you’ll be staying?” I cut off Diana, tone deliberately flat.

She startled slightly.

“Anywhere is fine,” she answered breezily. “Of course you’ll need help adjusting, all of you. Oh, look at you! Aren’t you a darling?” She floated over to the fae child, instantly taken by her.

I narrowed my eyes. People only acted that way when they were hiding something. Then again, Clio had been perfectly agreeable as well. At first.

“Fine,” I said. “You all have your normal wings. Juniper gets the central suite.”

Pride bristled. Lust raised an eyebrow. Juniper said nothing, just gripped her bag tighter.

I waited for someone to complain, but no one did. I didn’t care who was canoodling with who; their assignments were nothing more than a strategic placement. None of them would admit it, but even they recognized the sense. Keep them separated or we’d have another east wing incident on our hands—and this time there wasn’t a spare wing left to lose.

Wrath’s magick continued to burn.

“Let’s get her food,” she said–no, commanded–us.

“Can we eat outside?” Kiva asked tentatively.

Diana stroked Kiva’s purple-tinged hair out of her eyes. “Of course, darling.”

She snapped her fingers at us. Atus. Greed and Envy grumbled, Pride huffed, but they stood and got to it.

Goddesses trumped sins, after all.

“If you need anything…” Pride said to her with that infuriating softness in his voice. The kind that made people mistake him for compassionate.

Idiot.

“I will contact the council. They can get in touch with the fae,” Sloth said.

I crossed my arms, forced to follow Wrath, Diana, and Kiva out to the backyard patio.

“Play with me!”

Wrath and Kiva ran out into the grass barefoot, both wild with hair and magick streaming behind them.

“It’ll help redirect and burn off steam for both of them,” Diana said to me, under her breath.

“Wine?” I asked, drifting to the outdoor pantry tucked away against the stone wall of the house. I poured myself something of a darker vintage; a famous historian from the 19th century. Bitter, but filling. She didn’t flinch at my choices; she never did. Not even when I made them obvious.

“You want to tell me why you’re here, breathing my air?” I asked. “Or are we still dancing around the truth with poetic riddles and sidelong glances?”

She studied me in that irritating way of hers, where her eyes peeled away layers of thought you didn’t remember exposing. I was simply wary of a goddess’s constant attention. I wasn’t used to it.