I punched him in his kidneys, not liking his little comment, because if it all went according to my plans, I wouldn't have to seehim. He grunted again as he scowled at me.
“Come here.” He grabbed me and put out his arm for the guys, who’d gotten used to touching princes now, and we winked to the Greed entrance.
Chapter 27
Mammonwasalreadywaitingfor us at the Greed entrance. Damn princes and their fat, gossipy mouths. He shook the hands of the guys, his honey brown hair making him look the most normal of the bunch, but that didn't mean jack shit when they were all built to male perfection.
He immediately tried to get me to spill all the details. “So, what brought on this sudden change of leadership?” His eyes salivated for some juicy gossip.
I was starting to get tired of all the questions, so I just said, “Hopefully it’s temporary.” I left it at that, hoping he would let it go, but nooooo.
“Well, those most definitely are not temporary.” He pointed to the mate marks on my wrists. I gritted my teeth, not wanting to talk about it.
“So what do they mean, exactly?” Death immediately called out like Mammon was his new best friend.
I lifted my brow at him, but he ignored me, his full attention on Mammon. Well, if that was how he wanted to play it, I guess that was what was going to happen.
Con cleared his throat, looking at me in apology as he berated Death. “I think Lillian was going to talk about that, and answer all our questions, when we got to the mansion.”
War's head bounced between Con and Death, while Fame was looking around, examining the solid granite walls that made up the maze that was Greed.
Death still didn't look at me as he turned to Mammon. “I'd like to know your thoughts on it.”
Mammon's eyes lit up as he looked between us. He couldn't help but soak up all the drama, greedy for it in his dull lonely existence. Even if he was thrilled to be able to partake in this little disagreement, he still knew his place and who now ruled, so it didn't surprise me when the prince looked at me for confirmation that he could go forward with the information he knew. Death bristled at our interaction, and I fought off a smile as I lifted my hand and made a move-on-with-it motion, signaling my approval.
“Well, it's a bonding of souls and essences. It's a direct link between you and your partner's soul, as well as the sharing of other pieces, such as power and thoughts.”
When all the guys' faces snapped to him, all of them now interested in what he was saying, I started to walk in the direction of the next entrance, needing something to do as my Greed magic started to throb underneath my skin. Each pulse was growing more and more powerful as it pressed to come out and be used, but I was the master at control, especially in Hell. You don’t use your sin magic in a prince’s domain unless it was in defense of you and yours, the ecosystem of Hell, or at the behest of the prince who ruled. It’s one way we have been able to keep the peace with the princes and the Morningstars.
Mammon put his hands up before all of them started to spout out all of their questions. “Now all of this is relative and is only made clear when the relationship is established further. For a mating that is young… like yours… I would say that you don't feel all of that yet, but the closer you get, and the deeper the connection, the more your essences mingle.”
“So she could tap into our power and we can tap into hers?” Death quickly asked. Surprise, surprise, he wanted to know about power.
“Can she feel what we feel? Like during sex?” I appreciated Con's question because at least it was more about us than our damn power.
War's voice came out wary. “So she can hear our thoughts? Like all the time?” He scratched his chin in thought before his eyes got wide and fear slid behind them. He turned to me with a plea. “Little goddess, I want you to know ahead of time that some of my thoughts are just weird and I hope you don’t judge me for them.”
Fame rolled his eyes and slapped his palm on his face at War's questions. Interestingly, he was also the only one who didn't voice any questions, but I think that was because he wantedmeto answerhisquestions. It seemed like the kind of power move he would want to fight for. Damn control freak.
Mammon's whole body shook with laughter, though he tried to suppress it, and his eyes filled with tears as he looked at me.
Yes, I know they're going to be a handful. Thank you very much.
“Like I said, all of this depends on your relationship, your personality, and what you allow to happen, whether it's subconsciously or not.” He suddenly turned and nodded at me, signaling that he was done, and I nodded back. He moved around to make sure he was touching all of them with some part of himself, a finger, elbow, or foot, and I grabbed his back as he winked at us.
He rushed out. “Oh, look. Here’s Envy. So nice to meet you all. Have fun on your honeymoon and make sure to visit whenever you can. The queen and her mates are always welcome in Greed!” Then he winked out before the guys could say anything.
“Well, that was a little rude.” Fame huffed as he patted non-existing dust off his clothes. He looked up at me. “I couldn't help but notice that his circle was quite barren. Just granite walls that were in a maze-like pattern.”
“Yes, well, Greed is a tricky one because anyone can be greedy about anything. Think about this, for someone who is greedy and then comes to Hell, they get nothing. They get to wander through that maze, never escaping, never finding the end of those solid walls for the rest of eternity. Let's just say that layout has worked out well for him. A lot of souls end up giving up and sitting in a corner, staring off into space and going crazy. That's why it was so quiet and he rarely has any uprisings.” I turned back to face the entrance to Envy.
It looked so nice, with its golden gates that radiated warmth, but I knew this place, and to me, this one was one of the most dangerous circles.
“Now before we go in, I want to warn you that Envy is full of illusions. They are going to seem real and true, but they are just illusions. Just remember each other's clothing and that all we are doing is trying to get through here. Nothing else.”
“Will we bump into the Prince of Envy? What kind of hair does he have?” Fame asked as he looked around, expecting something to pop out at him.
“He's easy to spot. Beelzebub looks like the others, but has platinum white hair that is short on the sides, with longer strands combed over on the top. He looks like a poster boy for an aristocrat.” I smiled at my description, knowing he would hate it. He was a close second to Mod in friendship status. Bel always liked to make trouble and play pranks, which was right up my alley.
