The door closed weakly behind Wrath. The old wood creaked as it moved to stop in the frame. Wrath’s eyes darted across the walls. Envy barely had any of the dark stone showing. The walls were littered with sketches and paintings. Her “office” was much more furnished than any other. Luxurious furnishings old and new decorated the room. Antique cups and beautiful instruments littered the large room. A cozy fireplace sat in the room near a comfy looking chair. In the back, a large window overlooked her 8th circle. Envy was the only demon she knew who had curtains to her windows. Wrath’s eyes moved from the window to meet those of Envy. Her bright green eyes stared at her. Frozen in a confused glance.
“Oh, umm… Wrath I wasn’t expecting you. Was there a meeting?” She stuttered out. Moving papers from her desk into a neat pile. Her record player sat motionless beside her. She was doing anything she could not to look towards Wrath.
“Nothing of the sort.” Wrath plopped down into one of Envy’s couches. Sinking into the soft cushion. “With Pride gone, I figured Lucifer is going to be getting a replacement. Told Pride I would take care of the horseman back in the day. I would prefer him not finding out I gave other people my work.”
Envy shot her a glance. Moving a stray red hair behind her ears. “This is about Conquest.”
“Yep.”
Wrath watched Envy stand and move to her filing cabinet. Pulling out a file and elegantly placing it on her desk. Motioning Wrath to walk up. “Should I tell Gluttony to give you Famine’s file?” Wrath thought for a moment. He wouldn’t come give it to me. I would need to walk all the way back to the 3rd Circle. I could just teleport back to the 5th then go the rest of the way. Wrath groaned. “Nah don’t tell him. I’ll deal with it later. Dealing with this horsemen bullshit-” Envy shot her a glare. “Situation is going to put me in a mood. I’ll get everything sorted with Conquest and War first..” She faked a chuckle. Need to keep up the act.
Wrath scooped up the folder and began to turn on her heels. “Wait,” Envy said with a perky tone. “How’d you know I would be here?” Her eyes bore holes into Wrath.
Wrath shrugged. “I didn't. One of my demons told me you were feeding. Figured I’d wait in your office.” She began to move away again.
Envy seemed to study her for a moment. Her green eyes searching Wrath’s eyes for something. She sighed before squinting. “Oh, I just remembered I forgot something about Conquest. One second.” She reached down into the drawer pulling out a notepad. She quickly scribbled down a message before handing it to Wrath. “This is his phone number. Please memorize then burn it.” She ripped it off the pad then reached out to Wrath with it. Wrath roughly grabbed it from her hand before reading.
“I’m almost certain that my palace is being listened in on. This is my phone number. Call me when you get back to Earth. We need to talk!” A phone number was elegantly written near the bottom.
“Got it. I’ll make sure to reach out to him.” She threw the note into the fire. Watching as it turned to ash. “I gotta go do my job.” She gave a half-hearted wave as she walked away.
“Of course!” Envy gleamed. resting her chin on her interlaced fingers. Watching as the door forcefully shut behind Wrath. Envy sighed as she rubbed her forehead. The room quickly became silent. Screams rang out from outside the palace. She stood up and undid the loop holding her curtain back. Then rich cream fabric elegantly flew coving up the window to the outside behind her. She hummed and started her record player. Relaxing as the music drowned out the screams.
Wrath stomped out of the palace. Demons that not too long ago looked at her with unsaid questions in her eyes did everything they could not to meet her gaze. Wrath carefully crafted a reputation for violence when she was angry. She inwardly smiled behind her scowl at the thought that even here she was feared. Not caring about using up energy anymore she pivoted and walked into the wall. Creating a portal just before her face would have met rock. “Oh, your back.” Rose scrambled to get herself in a more pleasant position. Brushing off crumbs she got from her chips. “Thought you said it was going to be short. You were gone for an hour.”
“That is short.” Wrath stared at her with dead eyes. Throwing herself on the armchair near the couch.
“Not in chore time! I refuse to do the laundry,” Rose groaned. “I didn’t sell my soul for nothing!”
“You kinda did.” Wrath found herself genuinely chucking for the first time in centuries. After the noise left her lips she quickly shut them. Biting the place she had earlier. The taste of blood entering her mouth. “I’ll do the laundry then I need to make a call.”
Rose gave her a coy smile. Her rich brown eyes lit up. “Are you cheating on me with another contract?” Wrath shot her a glare.
“Shut it!” She hissed. Her cheeks slightly pink. “The job I had to do for Pride just got more complicated.” She walked into the laundry room returning with a basket she set it on the table. Beginning to fold Rose’s clothes.
“Ooh, I’m interested now. What you gotta do?” Wrath knew that Rose was trying to watch television. However, whenever Wrath turned up her eyes to look at Rose. Their eyes always meet each other.
“I just need to make a call with another prince. Won’t take that long.” Wrath placed a delicately folded cloth into a pile. She briefly looked up and saw Rose staring at her with glee. “The fuck are you looking at?” Rose's smile only grew wider. God, I hate this human.
“Can you put your phone on speaker when you call them?”
“No.”
“Please.” Wrath watched Rose scramble to turn around. Staring at her with pleading eyes.
“Absolutely not.” Wrath scoffed. “I already have one demon that knows I made a deal with a human. Don’t need another.” Wrath expected for Rose to back down.
“I don’t want to have to do this,” Rose sighed standing up. Wrath watched her walk over. A coy smile plastered on her face. I really should just kill this thing. She stood over Wrath. Leaning down to meet her eyes. The inches Rose had over Wrath just added to her annoyance. Rose gave a shit-eating grin. “I order you to call the prince and let me listen.”
Wrath’s eye twitched as her body moved to grab her phone without her say. Typing in the numbers Envy had given her. “You better not say a word, got it!” Wrath closed her eyes as she hit the call button. Taking a few moments to revel in the fact she would one day be ripping the soul of the human out of her body. Envy picked up and Wrath turned on the speaker.
“You wanted to talk,” Wrath growled. Glaring at Rose.
“Do you have somewhere we can talk in private? I can’t risk someone overhearing our conversations.” Wrath’s scowl grew. Her eyes burned into Rose’s face. Rose simply gave her a kind smile. Reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone.
“No. Not at all why would I have a place like that?” Wrath did her best to brush her off. Her eyes moving away from Rose’s to stare at the ceiling.
“Yes, she does. Teleport to Wrath.” A robotic voice blurted out. Rose sat with a satisfied grin. Her phone in hand.
“I can’t wait for your death.” Wrath placed a smile on her face. Her eyes burned with anger. Envy’s not the worst who could find out. She actually likes humans but who am I kidding, of course, she will tell someone. Envy began to speak but Wrath swiftly cut her off. “I’ll send you my location and conjure a portal to me.” Wrath hung up her phone. Slamming it on the table. “I don’t get why you seem to think you can fuck with me. Remember you will die. Maybe you’ll be young, maybe you’ll be old. But when you die I get to do whatever the fuck I want to you for eternity. Remember that whenever you even look at me!” Wrath leaned over and patted Rose on the head. A sick grin on her face
Behind her Envy appeared. Adjusting her tie. Before she looked up staring at Wrath. Envy’s eyes quickly flashed between the two in confusion. Wrath coughed. “I decided to make a deal with a human. It’s named Rose. Ignore it.”
Envy was about to chuckle before Wrath gave her one of her looks. If she even smiled Envy knew that Wrath would claw out her eyes. “Of course.” She walked over to the table Rose and Wrath were sat at. Sitting down at the head of the table. “I believe that Vanity, most likely aided by Apathy, has been systematically bugging different palaces. I did some snooping in Greed and Lust’s offices. I was able to find recording devices.”
Wrath raised her eyebrow. “I know they dislike us but what are they thinking they can accomplish.”
“No idea,” Envy sighed. Her gaze turned to the human. Rose looked at Envy with a confusion riddled face. “How much as Wrath told you about how we operate?”
“Didn’t know Wrath told people things.” Wrath’s eyes burned as they stared at Rose
Envy chuckled. “No, she doesn’t.” Wrath’s fury turned to Envy. Just as she was about to speak Envy cut her off. “Most demons don’t have names. I’m told that thousands of years ago most did. However, human populations grew. With that the need for more demons. Identities became a luxury. Same with power. It was decided that for organizing purposes certain demons could become princes. Who were demons given power over other demons and tortured souls. When Hell was restructured we also divided souls based on what they are being punished for. So new princes were chosen to perfectly encapsulate the sin they punish. So they have a better understanding of the souls and how to perfectly torture them. It was also streamlined so princes of the same sins were removed. Pride’s always been by Lucifer’s side so she was staying. Sloth’s a fallen angel so Lucifer wouldn’t have gotten rid of her for a Hell-born.” Envy checked to make sure the human was still listening. She could tell Wrath was angry at her for some reason. Though when was she not mad at something. Be it a person or the universe.
She folded her hands placing her chin atop them. “I don’t know the details of what happened but Vanity and Apathy were kicked out. To be expected it wasn’t on good terms. Only Lucifer, Pride, and the two of them were there when it happened. So no idea if it's worth worrying about for us. At least I thought that until I saw Vanity place something under my desk when she thought I wasn’t looking.”
Wrath sighed, she tapped her fingers on the table in annoyance. After scowling she grabbed her phone and fiddled with it. “Let's find out.” She glared at the small device as it rang.
“Who are you calling?” Envy shot Wrath a glance. Wrath avoided unnecessary human items like the plague.
“Pride,” She scoffed.
“But… Pride’s been missing.”
Wrath’s scowl grew. “Not to me.” Pride picked up. “Pride, I don’t give a shit about your energy conservation or whatever the fuck. I have a sigil near me. Use it.” Wrath hung up. Dropping her phone on the table with a dull thud. “She’ll probably take a bit.” Wrath leaned back in her chair. A smirk drew across her face. “Pride told me to get a demon to follow you. Hell she even gave me a tracker to put on you.” Her eyes met Envy’s. “Pride may think the lot of us are idiots. I know you’re smart.” A look of surprise flashed across Envy’s face. “I said I don’t think you’re an idiot not that I like you.” She deflated slightly yet still had a triumphant look. “The story is that I was preparing to get a demon to watch you. The demon told me you were in and I traveled to meet you. I planned to follow you until Vanity interrupted me. Revealing my presence to you. At that point, you used your fairy magic to force me to tell you-”
“That’s not how it works.”
“Fine, you tricked me into telling you what was going on. I let it slip that I was looking to Conquest. As well as the fact Pride is alive. You gave me the information.” Wrath pulled out Conquest's folder that she had stored in her coat. Tossing it onto the table. “On the one condition that she speaks to you. Telling the reason for her absence.” Wrath smirked. “Knowing Pride she’ll think we got her in a corner and tell me what the fuck it going on. We just need to make sure everyone.” She shot Rose a look. “Sticks to the story.” She glanced at Envy. “Guess you're wondering why Pride’s been gone.” She nodded. “Then stay for the show.” Envy looked at her. Her gaze piercing into her. She wanted to say something. Her eyes moved over to Rose. She sighed and gingerly brought up a hand. Tracing a rune loosely into the air while staring at Wrath. Wrath glanced out the window. Watching a bird take off in flight. The movements slowly halted as it froze in the air. Wings outstretched. “What do you want?”
“What are you doing with a human?”
“I thought I told you to ignore it.” Envy chuckled.
“I can’t,” She sighed. Twirly a red curl around her finger. “You’ve never made a deal before. You do the paperwork and hand deals off to other demons. Yet never handle a deal.” Envy’s face changed while Wrath was looking away. The soft smile was still there, sure. However, her face had a darkness to it. One that Wrath had seen only a few times.
Wrath knew Envy wouldn’t give it up. I could just lie. She thought. She blew air through her nostrils. Wouldn’t work. Her gaze moved over to the bird. “She is the descendant of the human who got me killed.” She did everything she could not to see Envy’s face. However, because of how they were seated. She had to keep either Rose or Envy in her gaze. Wrath did her best to not see them both. To focus on the bird. “When I saw her lineage in the report. I knew it was a chance I couldn’t pass up on. Her ancestor was never sent to hell.” Wrath’s hand tightened under the table. Fresh drops of blood soaking her nails as they cut into her skin. “But I could have the next best thing.”
Envy sighed. Lifting her hand again she ended the spell. The bird flying off out of view.
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