Fuck. This is it.
I drag a hand through my hair and suck in my bottom lip.
“What is it?” Sloth asks as he walks over to me.
“My task,” I reply. “Tonight’s the night.”
He slaps my shoulder. “Have fun. Just remember to wrap it up if you’ve gotta fuck a horse or some shit.” He laughs before walking away.
Sebastian is slipping on his Oxford shoes when he looks up at me. “What does it say?”
I push my cell back into my pocket as the rain starts to come down harder. “It just says to meet at the old nunnery tonight at eight.”
He comes toward me. “If you need anything, any help at all, one call is all it takes.” He pats my shoulder, and I nod.
I’m still pissed off at him, but I have bigger things to think about than Sebastian ogling my sister.
Tonight is it. My task. The final seal to get me into The Elite.
One stupid task stands between me and breaking Maxwell Gunner’s hold over my sister and I. One stupid task and he’ll see who’s really in charge around here.
I can’t fucking wait.
The rain is coming down hard now, great sheets slicing through the night sky and drowning out the light of the moon shining through the old nunnery’s windows. It’s fucking glorious.
“You got it?” Pride asks, his expression unreadable, as usual.
I look at the card again, memorizing every word of it.
The coin given to you by The Elite offers one trade of future favor. If you cash it in to forfeit your task, you won’t be given a choice on the second task. You will need to follow it through or be expelled as a candidate. Using your coin leaves you no future favors shall you ever need something not freely given by The Elite. Think carefully about your choice. You only get one.
WRATH
Your task is the sin of seduction.
Patience Noelle, Mayor Noelle’s only daughter & St. Augustine’s’ sweetheart
For the girl who doesn’t believe in love.
Your task is to break her heart.
The Elite giveth, and The Elite taketh away.
I frown, but nod, and Pride reaches over and takes the small piece of card from me before holding it up to one of the candles and setting it on fire.
I know Mayor Noelle. He’s been to our house for dinner several times over the years, and I know his daughter, though I haven’t seen or thought about her in years—not since we were both little kids trying to find some fun when instead she witnessed me getting a beating. I didn’t see her again until we were in our teens at stuffy dinner parties our fathers threw. She went from pretty little defender, to an awkward buck-toothed, frizzy-haired, slightly underweight teenager with no tits. But there was always a connection between us, that one day that bonded us forever.
I drag a hand through my hair. This is going to be easy and embarrassing all in one. I’ve broken enough girls’ hearts over the years not to let that shit get to me. What was one more?
He moves around the room, blowing out the candles. “You look deep in thought,” he says as he blows out the last one and we make our way across the cold concrete floor to the door. The storm hasn’t let up, and I’m beginning to wish I’d worn my boots instead of my sneakers. I’m going to get soaked just getting to my damn car.
“I know her,” I reply as we stand in the doorway looking out at the rain.
I don’t know much about Mason, or should I say Pride, but Sloth said he’s a trustworthy guy. Dependent and loyal, or some shit. I guess that’s why he was chosen to run our group—which clearly pisses off God aka Gluttony.
God is the type of man you don’t tell what to do. None of us are, but where the rest of us don’t take our sins too seriously, he clearly takes great offence at not being Pride. His father is like the third richest man in the world or some shit like that, so there’s never been a problem he couldn’t fix with money—until now. It’s almost too funny that the most arrogant man in our group has been cast the sin of Gluttony.
“You know who?” Pride asks, swinging his car keys around his index finger.
