Chapter Three

A high-pitched ringing reverberates in my ears and my teeth ground at the auditory assault. I squint through the disorientation and my eyes almost bulged at the portal Wrath had shoved me through.

A dark hole seemed to warble in front of me and as I peer through I could make out the inside of Wrath's suite. With a flick of his wrist, the portal vanishes and I'm stuck frozen, my jaw aching from hanging open so long.

"How—? What—"

"It's a portal," He says in his usual bored drawl, it snaps out of my stupor.

"I got that. I mean how did one just appear in front of us."

Wrath rolls his eyes and walks on. I had to jog to catch up with his long strides. "I'm a demon, Dovey. If I have to say it a third time we're going to have a problem."

"We already had a problem when you kidnapped me," I bit out.

He eyed me from the corner of his eyes, his lips curling up in an amused smirk but he didn't say anything. Good. Because if he did, I was going to punch him in the throat. Demon or not.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that a giant hole opened up in the universe and I somehow ended up here.

I'm dreaming.

Yes, that's the only logical explanation I could come up with.

Please be that I'm dreaming and I haven't seriously been kidnapped and brought to hell.

But as I look around, the possibility becomes undeniable.

We were in a massive hall, the walls were made from glassed obsidian. Everything from the looming columns to the dark marble floors was black and shiny. I looked down and a yelp slipped from my tongue as I stumbled back almost bumping into Wrath. His hand curled around my waist to steady me. Below the glass floors, a raging fire burned underneath my feet. Wild and dangerous, threatening. The only thing that stopped me from being consumed by its hungry flames, was the glass floors underfoot. But still, with every step I took my stomach lurched with uneasiness.

"Where are we?"

"In the first circle, my brother's domain. As far as hell goes this one's the nicest."

I'm surprised he even answered me, considering I've been asking him dozens of questions and he's refused to answer any of them. Instead, he'd taken great pleasure in reminding me how annoying he thought I was and would've glamoured me to shut up if he didn't need my cooperation.

"How does this glamour thing work anyway."

"You need to give me your name."

I reeled back. "What? It's that simple?"

He nodded, "It's why it's so easy to trick you humans. You don't realize how important a name is, so you give it up so freely, unaware that your free will comes with it." He turns to me so fast and unexpectedly I nearly face-planted into his chest. I stumbled back putting some space between us too. "And while we're on the topic," he continued as if nothing happened. "Try not to get tricked. I would hate to fight some low-born demon over you. It's a waste of my time."

I give him a dull look. "I will try my very hardest."

"That's what I liked to hear," he said flicking my nose as if he didn't hear the utter sarcasm in my tone.

I roll my eyes, walking ahead of him so I won't see his stupid gorgeous face. Why are the pretty ones such assholes?

Anyway...

I had a new mission. Don't give anyone my name.

I hope it's just that simple. I would hate to be tied here longer than I need to.

Across the empty hall, double doors stood high and proud, made of brass that had intricate designs and carvings embedded into it; I saw a man and a woman in questionable positions, so raw I had to look away to stop the blush that was spreading all the way to the back of my neck. A great raven was in flight cawing down as some men burned in a fire. I saw majestic horses and men riding them, descending from the sky and in the chaos beneath their hooves. The carvings told a story; one I had no time to decipher because Wrath threw open the door and all the chatter behind it ceased.

"Honey, I'm home!" Wrath sang as he entered what appeared to be a dining room. His voice sounded cheery but his eyes held dark determination that left a haunting feeling along the nape of my neck. "Did you fuckers miss me? I sure didn't."

Silence.

Defeaning silence.

I realized three things as I crept behind him lamely.

One, everyone in the room were men.

Two, these were the most beautiful goddamn men I've ever laid eyes on. They looked like they stepped out of one of Picasso's paintings and even that doesn't do them justice.

And finally, three, though they were all wearing ranging expressions of shock, one man among them didn't seem surprised at all. In fact, his look was almost cold.

He was tall with broad shoulders that clung to the fabric of his expensive suit. I thought Wrath was the most beautiful man I've ever seen but he... This stranger made him look like a mere schoolboy.

He seems to absorb all the darkness in the room and extradite it in the form of pulsing power. The kind that promised to go deep within your mind and expel your darkest secrets. The same power that threatened to rip the skin off your bones if you get too close. And as I stare at him, all the breath leaves me.

There were five other people around the table but none of them called to me like the man lounging on his throne, a glass of wine in his hand. He hadn't looked at me once since we arrived and a small part of me ached for the attention while another part knew I couldn't take the weight of his gaze.

His eyes were dead set on Wrath, blank, almost bored. Wrath watched him with unmoving defiance that I mentally applauded him for. The stranger's presence was intimidating enough and Wrath was taking him head-on.

"For your sake," The stranger's voice is like silk, soft, deep, luring. "I hope this is some kind of mirage. If not, you have a bigger set of balls on you than I thought."

Wrath swiped a goblet from a red-haired man with an even deadlier scowl than Wrath. "Oh, don't be like that, brother. I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd check in with the family." He took a sip from the goblet. There's fake hurt on his face but mischief and joy in his eyes, he was enjoying this, maybe even getting off on it. "Why do I get the feeling you all don't want me here?"

"On the contrary," one of the five said, reaching nonchalantly over the table for a scone. "You know I like a show with my dessert."

Wrath's grin widen as he pointed an excited finger at him. "Exactly why you're my favourite, Gluttony."

Wrath... Gluttony?

Don't tell me... The seven. Deadly. Motherfucking sins?

Why didn't I put two and two together?

It makes perfect sense now. Why does he exude so much power... he is a prince of hell. They all are.

Besides Wrath and the Deadly Prince at the head of the table, five other princes lounged around the table, and by their intimidating yet palpable aura, it wasn't difficult to distinguish which sin was who.

He had hair the color of dry wheat. Thick, flat brows now arching downwards as if he was in deep concentration, or he was somewhere in his own mind, lost under the throes of memories. His aura was calmer. Where the others were like a storm, violent and raging. He brought a sense of serenity to the room. For a moment I forgot where I was, and who I was with, the only feeling tugging at my muscles was to curl up somewhere and just rest. Be at peace.

He must be Sloth. The sin of laziness and procrastination.

Shaking off the feeling before it could envelop me, I focus my attention on the others. More specifically, Greed. I'd know him anywhere. He had a cuff of gold all over his fingers, heavy chains made up of precious rocks danging from his thick neck and coating the edges of his ear. While the other's clothes were simple shirts and trousers. His clothes were embroidered with what I know for a fact is gold thread and studded rubies glinting under the light of the chandelier.

He was a handsome man, with striking features but his aura... his essence was something dark, something that made my fingers itch to rip those jewels from his body to possess them myself. I wanted them, yearned for all the metals decorating the dinner table in the form of magnificent goblets and utensils... and when the feeling got too intense, I shrunk back behind Wrath some more if only to hide from his searching power.

Envy's eyes were like mine. A gold so intense, it drew you in with one look. He wore a bored look, much like Gluttony who was lathering butter onto some toast as his eyes whipped between Wrath and the Mystery Man.

Envy's aura was a bit more subtle than the others. His influence was there but not as strong. Maybe he was reeling it in, controlling the intensity of it.

The same didn't go for Gluttony, however, his influence was persistent. My mouth watered at the array of cakes, and sweets decorating their table. Fuck. I dug my nails into my palms but it didn't stop, I could hear my stomach in my ears even though I'd eaten back at Wrath's suite.

An unexpected warmth rushed over me then. Something that sent a river of heat straight to my core, tightening my muscles and making my nipples perk up to say hello. I squeeze my thighs together, my eyes closing in bliss, almost moaning as the invisible hands caressed my skin. Roaming down past my belly button to my damp mound.

With a hiss, I snap my eyes open to find the cause of this feeling. There he sat, I know he was Lust, by the way his eyes locked on mine even when everyone else's was dead set on Wrath and the growing tension between him and Mystery Man. His purple eyes glinted as he cocked his head to the side, eyeing me like a predator does his prey, like a greedy king to a mountain of gold. With curiosity and something hot.

I look away, but the feeling didn't stray. The invisible fingers continued to play me like a strung guitar, slipping over my nipples, caressing my collarbone, and even playing with my hair. His energy was relentless and I had enough.

I glared at him.

Stop it, my eyes said.

A smirk danced on the corners of his lips, make me.

The mystery man speaking once more drew me back to the confrontation and I eagerly focused on it in hope of drowning out this consuming ache to be touched in my most sensitive spot.

Wrath was grinning, while the man at the head of the table looked stoic. I wonder what sin he's supposed to embody? Probably something strong... his own power dominated the entire room. "What are you doing here, Wrath? Besides wanting to die."

"Why must all of our conversations be about death, huh? Why don't we ever talk about... unicorns? I love unicorns. They're pretty and they don't die—"

Before I could blink. The man was out of his seat and in front of Wrath, his hand curling around his neck in a vice-like grip and slamming him hard on the table. "I am not in the mood for your games, Wrath," The man sneered. "You know the terms of your banishment. You step foot back here, you forfeit your life."

He squeezed until his knuckles turned white. Wrath's face went a startling blue as he writhed and twitched in his hold.

He was going to kill him!

"Stop!" I blurted out and took a step back as six pairs of eyes snapped to me simultaneously. He dropped Wrath as I held all of his attention and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Wrath's hand was on his knees as he sucked in a haggard breath. "Oh, yeah... I brought a friend," he wheezed out.

They all stared at me like some kind of freak attraction. My eyes connected with the dark man and a lick of electricity sizzled over my skin as he shamelessly took me in. From my toes, lingering a bit at the exposed skin along my thigh and chest, and then settling on my eyes. My gold eyes that I had a hard time convincing people was honey brown. Eyes that scared many of my friends away growing up. People didn't like things they didn't understand, and I was just that, an oddity.

As our eyes connected I realise with a jolt, there's something there...something between us... A familiarity I can't place.

A nudge of remembrance claws at the inside of my heart. I gasp lowly as an invisible tendril snaps taut between us two. I see something spark in his black eyes and I know he felt it too.

I know you. I know you... At least I think I do.

I couldn't drag my attention from him, worried he was either a figment of my imagination... or real. I didn't think I could handle either.

He comes closer. Arrogance dripping with every step until he's leering over me and I could feel his vast, ancient power in high definition.

He cocked his head to the side and I had to force myself not to take a step away from him out of fear.

His eyes fall to my birthmark and he stiffened.

I stopped breathing too for a second. My birthmark has never brought this kind of reaction before.

"What is this, Wrath?"

"That, my dear Prince, is my ticket out of banishment."

Wrath grinned devilishly and came over to me, slinging an arm around my shoulder. "I'd like you to meet my new friend, Dove Carlisle. But you dear, Pride may refer to her as your mate."