The Sin's Virtue

I don’t talk without base. I never do that. If I am not sure, I will remain silent. This gives me an upper hand in most of the situations. This way, I can put forward my thoughts in a better way. And it allows me to be polite all along.

But as I remained sitting in my place without looking away from the Sin of Gluttony, I realised that sometimes, whether you are right or not, it just doesn’t matter.

I know my retort was offensive and it was very much out of my character but well he deserved it.

“I would keep my mouth shut, if I were you.” Gluttony said glaring at me.

“Shame. You aren’t.” I muttered under my breath. His eyes frosted in response.

“Quit it Dinone.” Pride said. “There are more pressing issues to handle.”

“And what? Fraternise with her?” Gluttony said giving me a disgusted look. I rolled my eyes.

Trust me, I don’t want to see your face either.

“She isn’t that bad.” It was Lust. I looked at him confused. He gave me one of his mischievous smile. I frowned.

Why was he giving me a look that said he knew something?

He continued to smile though and eventually I returned it will a small one of mine.

“WILL YOU ALL SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LET KIAN CONTINUE?!” I swear, not just my heart but all the organs lurched in my throat out of fear when Wrath burst out all of a sudden. I clutched the side of plush sofa to not fall off from it.

“You scared the shit out of her, Rage.” Envy said chuckling and I looked down in embarrassment. My cheeks felt like they were on fire. I just wanted to get out of here. I bit my tongue to stop myself from tearing up.

I heard Pride slamming the glass on the countertop which made me look up. He came to stand near the lounge, his face was dark with ominous menace which alarmed me.

“Hear me loud and clear,” He said in a low threatening voice directed towards Rage, I mean Wrath. “treat her wrong, and I’ll fucking kill you.”

There was a promise. No bluffing.

I looked at him silently. What has happened to him?

“Sympathizing with the Virtue, I see.” Wrath said in a cold tone but Pride didn’t pay any attention to it.

“So about the balance. We need to back off, until we find Virtues.” Pride said turning to the others.

“We?” Lust questioned. Pride nodded.

“Elaborate.” Envy said sitting up, he out of all, looked serious about the matter.

Pride waved at me to continue.

“Someone kidnapped all the Virtues except me. I don’t know why though.” I explained the whole thing calmly. About the note, the unknown magic and the shift I was starting to feel and finally the decision to use the mark. “I understand if you don’t want help me in finding the Virtues but I would be grateful if you could slightly step off the balance for a while.”

I kept my tone as courteous as possible.

“You don’t think it was us?” Sloth asked in disbelief. I shook my head. He grinned. I am not sure why though. “I think we should help her.”

“You are sick.” Wrath spat out. What was his problem?

“We are.” Pride said disregarding him. Rest of the Sins nodded along, to my surprise, Gluttony did too. Wrath however was a different story. “Tomorrow morning, we can ease off on the balance?”

“Done.” Lust said and all agreed with him.

“Say, can you trace the magic to its owner?” I turned to envy and nodded to answer his question. “Like Kian....” He murmured frowning.

Okay. What?

“Thats how Kian knew that you were in Impío, right?” Where was he going with this?

“What is it?” Gluttony asked turning to Envy as well.

“Maybe she was left behind on purpose.” He said and I straightened up. “I mean, she can trace the magic. Had she been with other Virtues, she could have easily alerted everyone and dodged the whole fiasco.”

He had a point.

“But I could have traced it from anywhere around the Santo....” I said frowning.

“Well magic can be cloaked for a specific period of time. How did it smell like?” Lust asked.

“Strong. It was subtle but definitely strong. And if it makes sense...it felt a little evil to breath in.” I recalled the horrible night I encountered all the mess.

“Definitely, someone from the hierarchy.” Greed said as a matter of fact.

Can they be now?

Hierarchy bears some really powerful immortals. If so, who can it be?

“We can step off the balance but how the hell are we going to find the Virtues?” Sloth asked. “There is no lead whatsoever to follow.”

“Whatever it is, we have to do it within a month.” I said remembering the deadline I was provided with.

“I think we should look into it in the morning, lets just rest on it for now.” Sloth said and I suppressed my urge to deny him. Even though I wanted to find Virtues as soon as possible, Sloth’s suggestion seemed like a sweet treat.

I wanted nothing more than to get away from this room full or suffocating men I know as the Sins.

I can figure it out while being alone in the room Pride let me stay in.

“Alright. See you all in the morning.” Lust said getting up first, moving towards the exit.

“Where to?” Pride asked but Lust only winked in response while disappearing through the door. Pride shook his head and asked me to come with him. I nodded at everyone and thanked for the support before following Pride out of the door.

We came back to Pride’s apartment, which had me pondering over other Sins’ accommodation here.

Where did they live?

Judging by the fact that I have seen no one in here since I have come a while ago, I guess Pride lives here by himself. But then this is on eighth floor and we had the meeting on first one. Maybe the other six lived on their respective floors in between.

I guess I will never know.

“Hungry?” I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at Pride who was making his way to the kitchen. The kitchen itself was big enough to host a party in it. It was as usual really fashionable with all the sleek furnishing. Nonetheless, it looked attractive.

I followed his steps and perched on one of the breakfast stools near the island in the middle.

“Not really.” I replied.

“You should eat.” Pride said opening the refrigerator and searching for something to eat.

“Why ask then?” I asked chuckling. He turned to me with a smirk and shrugged.

“Maybe manners?”

“Uh huh.” I agreed in a teasing tone. He grabbed some slices of bread and sauces with some vegetables. Sandwich, it is then. “Thank you.”

He stopped working on whatever he was on with and looked at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“What for?” He asked tilting his head slightly to one side.

Oh he knew alright. He knew why I was thanking him.

I shrugged.

“Maybe manners?” His smirk grew wider.

“Why you little Virtue, originality is fundamental.” He said shaking his head amused. I didn’t reply. Not because I didn’t have anything to say but because it suddenly dawned on me as to where I was and with whom exactly.

Sitting in Pride’s kitchen, chatting like we have always been best of friends? It looked weird. I think Pride noticed it too because he frowned and went back to his task. We remained silent till Pride was done with his cooking.

“There.” He placed a sandwich infront of me. I didn’t eat it immediately though. “Chill. Its edible.” He said rolling his eyes. I took a bite out of it and suppressed the urge to moan. It was delicious. The exotic spicy flavour burned my tongue in a good way. Pride chuckled when I finished it in a few bites.

Don’t blame me, it was too good.

“More?” He asked sitting on the spare stool beside me.

“Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?” I couldn’t help but ask. He frowned.

“Am I now?” He mused, more to himself.

I didn’t push him for an answer but got up to clear my plate. I know he was watching me which was really distracting. When I looked down at my wrist, on the watch strapped around it.

It was already an hour past midnight but I wasn’t sleepy.

“What did you thank me for?” I turned to look at those curious purple eyes.

“I thought you knew already?” I asked quietly. He shook his head. I thought for it a second.

“For siding me in the meeting. And for not telling everyone that we ar-”

“Mates?” He asked snatching my words. I nodded. “You didn’t want me to?” I pursed my lips.

Did I?

Was I ready to tell everyone that Pride is my mate? That we just came to know about it accidentally?

I mean I barely had time to register it myself. Having a Sin as my mate, well I have no idea how to put it in words.

“I don’t know what I want...” I admitted, sighing.

“Because I am a Sin?” He asked, his eyes started to become distant. Like he was shutting his playful side which was unleashed a few moments ago.

Is this because he is a Sin?

“It just seems a far fetched reality.” I said shaking my head. “I am a Virtue and you are a Sin. If not for this mess,” I waved around in no particular direction, ” we wouldn’t have even discovered it. Ever.”

He ran a hand through his brown strands making them stand in all direction.

“So, me being a Sin, isn’t a bother to you?” He asked standing up.

“Does me being a Virtue, is?” I asked back. He didn’t say anything.

Honestly, I didn’t want to have this discussion now. I know at some point we will have to acknowledge the odds but right now, I felt sick at thinking about it.

I don’t know where my sisters are. I don’t know who took them. I don’t have any idea about that magic and all I am doing is discuss about having a mate who happens to be a Sin.

I feel utterly selfish right now.

“I think we should stop here...” I said trailing off not sure how to say it.

“If you don’t trace back the mark...” He stopped and turned his back to me.

To see someone, who has always been something like what Pride is, straining himself, is a horrible sight.

When I saw how distraught he was and trying to hide it from me, I realised how vulnerable the mate bond can make you. Even to a Sin.

I wasn’t sure if I could stand their to witness him pulling his hair out of frustration so I stormed away. I made my way quickly to my temporary room. I was about to enter in the room when I heard his voice.

“Humility.” It was quiet. Very very soft. But it still rang clear in my ears.

I slowly turned around to face him. He was standing at the end of the hallway, his face was masked in a calm expression but his eyes....

They were blazing. In darkness, those lavender eyes were alight with a cold fire that had me burned all the way here.

He made his way towards me and it was in that moment when I realised it.

I couldn’t say anything. My mouth was sealed shut.

He came close. That habit of invading the personal space returning to him. I wanted to retrieve back but I was held captive by his intense eyes.

He grabbed my wrist and in a swift moment pinned me against the wall in the dark hallway.

I gasped at the sudden velocity of his actions.

He had his strong arms on either side of my head. I was aware about my respiration rate starting to become uneven.

“P-Pride...” I stuttered. It was like he was possessed and nothing I did, could snap him out of it. He brought his mouth close to my ear and bit my ear lobe. The touch made the mark at the nape of my neck send heady sparks throughout my body and I clutched his shoulders tightly to stop myself from collapsing.

“Its Kian.” He whispered. “And you can’t deny but be mine, Shye.”

I closed my eyes.

His?

He chuckled.

“My Virtue.”

-*-

Haha its finally starting!

So how do you find the Sins?

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-Lia