“Have any but Areknar and I been to the surface?”Saer asked.
The Twins and Errshek shook their heads while Kalia propped her chin on her hand.Runeak didn’t grace him with any form of an answer.
Saer shifted his attention to Greed.“What did you teach them?”
Cynicism lifted one of Arek’s brows.“Everyone but Kalia knows what to expect.”
By what little attention Kalia gave them, she apparently didn’t care one way or the other.Arek’s vague answer still needled at him.“You discussed the environment, the cold, the absence of Hellsfire, the humans—”
“Eldest,” Alus’s warm voice stopped Saer, taking away the sting of any rudeness his interruption might have shown otherwise.“Violet gave us the best recounting he could.”
Arek’s lavender eyes rolled, the only indication that he didn’t appreciate his twin’s nickname, but still answered with brusque pragmatism.“I’ll tell Kalia what the others have heard if you fill in what I miss.”
Saer considered, then made an as-you-will gesture.
Arek angled towards the youngestDaemoenic, though his words found all their ears.
Odd, that Greed himself made an excellent teacher.Saer found minor points to clarify or add to, but the attention to detail Arek housed and relayed was nothing short of impressive.
Once his twin finished, Alus turned his focus on Saer.“Tell us the rest so we can get out of here and see it?”
The eager light in Gluttony’s expression reminded Saer of his particular sin, the desire for more.An abundance ofmore.
A soft noise lifted in the back of Saer’s throat, and he glanced at Neyu, squeezing her hand.“The aspects we’re made from—we can manipulate them when humans experience them, and use this advantage to take their spirits.”The memory of wrenching on Asheda’s pride played in his mind’s eye—the addicting power.
Neyu gave a slow nod.
“A human must promise their spirit to you before you can take it in death,” Saer finished, quieter.
Even Kalia perked a small amount.Errshek allowed a bitter laugh to escape him before cutting it off with more mumbling under his breath.
“Something to say, Errsheken?”
Envy scowled at Saer’s query, but Kalia answered for him.“He said he can’t wait to make humanity just as miserable as he is.”
The tattling earned her a wide-eyed look from Errshek.“Youjustgot here.Really?”
Runeak remained unfazed through their bickering, endlessly staring into the central blaze.The Twins had taken to speaking in low tones, already strategizing.
Neyu gave Saer a gentle tug so she could nudge her nose to his jawline and murmur into his ear, “I feared I wouldn’t see you again.”
Saer’s eyes fluttered shut, but he didn’t allow any other emotion to show on his face.Instead, he curled his other arm across his body and rested his palm over hers, relishing the contact.He turned his face towards her, only enough so she could feel his breath on her cheek, hear the sincerity in his quiet words.“I missed you, too.”
“We will require human skins to infiltrate.”This deadpan musing came from Runeak.Saer pivoted his focus to her.
Runeak’s unwavering stare remained on the fire.“Creating our alternate forms will weaken him further.”
Him.Lucifer.
“And we’re responsible for and capable of restoring our maker,” Saer answered.“The energy will be returned.”
Runeak offered a subtle head tilt, hardly discernible in the flickering firelight.“He could subsume the youngest ones.They contribute little.”
Errshek sputtered, voice cracking.“Yourefuseany help I offer!Neyu is the only one who accepts me at her side.”
So, that was why Errshek accompanied Neyu upon his arrival.Saer shot a glance her way, though Lust only carried a sad smile on her lips for Envy.
Runeak answered without thought or feeling, “Because you are not good at it.”
