Page 28 of Daman

“I noticed the cuts in my shoulder blades but never understood why they were there. I thought they were scars. They hadn’t fully grown either, so the marks were flat. Lazarus said I was a late bloomer.” Daman released a light laugh. “Which didn’t help Envy any. It pissed me off that Galen and the others had more experience than me. They knew how to fly while I could barely hover a foot above the ground without falling on my ass.”

“But you learned.”

“I did.” Daman rested his head on the back of the chair and regarded me with thoughtful eyes. “You’re not what I expected.”

My face heated again. “How did you expect me to be?”

“Cold. Stern. And I guess you are those things, at least a little bit, but you’re also kind. The more I’m around you, the stranger it gets.”

“What’s strange?”

His forehead scrunched. “Everyone has a jealous streak, a bitterness that rises inside of them. Some are worse than others, but even good people can be covetous. Someone is prettier than them or has more money. It’s a passing thought for some people, an obsession for others. The desire to be better than someone else, to have more. I sense it in every person I meet. But not with you.”

“And this is strange?”

“Very.” Daman’s frown deepened. “You’re content with what you have and place the desires of other people above your own. Such selflessness is incredibly rare.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. “It’s refreshing. My mind is so quiet around you.”

That weird fluttering returned to my stomach.

“What are you drawing?” I asked, needing a distraction from whatever these new feelings were inside of me.

Daman brought the tablet to his chest, covering the screen. “It’s a secret.”

“Oh. I see.”

He chuckled. “Do you always give up so easily?”

I liked the sound of his laugh and found myself smiling. Not knowing what to say, I pressed my thumb into the center of my palm again.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, by the way,” Daman said, drawing my attention back to his face. “Me being quiet lately is because of my own shit.” His eyes unfocused for a moment, as if he were listening to something I couldn’t hear. He then sighed and stood up. “Alastair is bitching at me. We should get downstairs.”

I followed him out of the room and walked beside him down the corridor.

“Alastair’s your leader, yes? You obey his orders?”

“I have no choice. He’s more than our leader. If he gives us a direct order, we’re powerless to refuse him. It physically hurts if we try, like our insides are being yanked out.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s the avatar of Pride.” Daman stopped at the top of the staircase and peered out the window, touching the glass as a snowflake stuck to it. “And Pride is the deadliest of the sins.”

“Why?”

“Lucifer’s Pride is what led to the Fall, and all other sins were born from it. Alastair’s father was Lucifer’s closest companion and helped lead the rebellion in the celestial realm. Probably why Alastair was chosen to be the holder of the sin.” Daman looked at me over his shoulder. “My brothers and I are bonded together. By our angelic blood. By spirit. We’re connected by invisible threads and can feel each other’s strong emotions. We can also feel if one of us gets hurt. Alastair holds all of our threads. Disobeying him is a rebellion against our very natures, and our blood cries out in protest if we do.”

I didn’t know Alastair that well, but he didn’t come across as someone who would intentionally hurt others. At least not his family.

“Does Alastair give you these types of orders often?”

“No. He asks things of us but has only given direct orders a few times. But anyway.” Daman turned from the window and began to descend the stairs. “Best not keep them waiting.”

***

Smoke wafted in the air as Nikolai lit a cigar and took a puff. He handed the box to Alastair, who accepted one and did the same. Gray shook his head when it was offered to him, but Bellamy and Castor each took one.

Drinks in the parlor had turned into an evening of Russian Poker—Castor’s idea—and hours of conversation. It was nice. More enjoyable than I’d anticipated. It had been a while since my brother and I had spent that kind of time together.

“I can’t believe you guys aren’t having a bachelor party,” Bellamy said before exhaling a cloud of smoke. He spread his cards on the table as the round ended. “This is your last night of being single.”