A sharp pain in my wing awoke me from a dreamless sleep. Peering through my lashes, I found I was lying in an ornate bed that was certainly not my own, in fact, I recognized nothing of my surroundings. Doubtless I've never been here before, Wherever I am.

Another spike of pure white fire burst from my wing, reverberating throughout my spine. Before I could restrain myself, my uninjured wing shot out, slapping someone directly in the face.

"Oi! You're going to make the fracture worse."

I answered with a grunt as I twisted my head around to see the speaker and came face to face with an Ignaisin Sinner. He was tall and dark skinned, his silk-black hair shot through with bright highlights of green that matched his eyes. I threw myself back at the sight of him, tearing out of his sharp-nailed hands and tumbling off the lip of the bedside. Thrashing on the floor in my attempt to escape, just as much out of the debilitating wave of agony that blurred my vision and churned my stomach, I only tangled myself up in the bed sheets more than I already was.

"I tried to warn you," Hands peeled away the sheets and carefully lifted me from the floor, back onto the bed. "Now I have to set the bone again."

For the first time, I laid eyes on what had been tormenting my wing. It was bent at a horrible angle, as though it were held on by only skin and muscle, bruised black and dripping from a marred puncture wound. "How did this happen?"

"Well, I shot you down," He began, taking hold of my wing. "Then, I had one of my brothers run you down in the forest where you crash landed. Expectedly," Without warning, the Ignaisin snapped my joint back into place, tearing a cry from my throat. "He returned with your unconscious body and then I took you home with me."

"Took me home?"

"Indeed. My arrow was the only one that struck true, hence, I have claim over you." He smiled. "You couldn't have escaped, even if you'd seen me coming. I never miss."

"You... wanted me... alive?"

"It shouldn't surprise you, Ignaisins keep Niceoans."

"But you Haven't taken my wings! What do you want from me?"

"You have no idea how much some idiot will pay to see a live Virtue from Lady Ivory's very court and since you have an uncanny resemblance to the woman this country most adores, I'm certain you'd be a fan favorite~"

"So you run a brothel-"

"Whoa! Scales no! It's just an Aviary, visitors aren't allowed to touch the display pieces. Look, I'm just a debt collector who scams mindless guppies in their free time. My name is literally Avarice. I'm not even interested in that stuff myself, though my sister, Lezabel, insists I try."

I relaxed somewhat. How lucky to have not fallen into the hands of the Priestess.

"What do your friends call you then?"

"Zaki, it’s short for Zacchaeus."

"Long name," He muttered to himself, tying off the bandage he'd just wrapped my wing in. "For the time being, you'll remain in this room. There are only two other Ignaisins allowed in my chambers besides me. Asmode and Nihasa probably won't hurt you-"

"Probably."

"Anyone else who breaks in will kill you on sight."

“You think I can’t fight? How do you think- Oh, right, everyone thinks Cloud Spire is a paradise.”

“Are you kidding, of course it is, you Niceoans own the whole coastline! You have no idea how hard it is to be trapped between two hostile enemy-nations.”

“But we don’t actively hunt you the way you hunt us.”

“We don’t have much of a choice, Cloud Spire hogs the most reliable food source, we’re starving.”

“I’m still a virtue, I might be able to persuade Lady Ivory to-”

“No,” Avarice abruptly stood and left, locking the door behind him.

~~~

To my right, A divan window looked out over a dim landscape inlaid with blogs of bright-glowing colors. My left displayed the doorway to another room, it’s brocade curtains tied back in near perfect bows. Above me, the ceiling was adorned with an overelaborate painting of dragons preening and frolicking in a sunny field.

I jump when the door swings open and a Demon enters. He’s not much taller than me and teal-skinned with his light blue hair cropped short. He’s carrying something green in his hand too.

“I am Asmode, in case you haven’t already assumed that.”

“What is that?”

“It’s more or less a tracker, you’re not the only one who has one,” Asmode explains as he wraps a green ribbon around my wrist. “Only Avarice can take it off and it lets others know who owns you.”

I scrunch my nose at the last part. “Is it supposed to be this tight?”

Asmode’s eyes narrowed. “Is complaining all that you do?”

“You’d be complaining too if you had some walking lizard manhandling you after they Shot You Out Of The Sky!”

Asmode’s attention left me for the door. “Lady Nihasa, will you be staying?”

“I fear I am only here to feed the Bird.”

My head snapped towards the newcomer. She’s a bit shorter than me and soft green color, her white curls tied back in a bun. She must be Nihasa.

“He’s not very polite.” Asmode commented.

“Oh,” Nihasa purred. “I’m sure the Priestess would be delighted to take him if he’s that much of a nuisance.”

“I think I like my head more.”

“Ah, well I best be off, I have another room to do before nightfall.”

Nihasa strode to the door, tugging it open. Standing there, hand hovering at the handle, was the Priestess.

“Is-“

Nihasa slammed and bolted the door. Whipping around to give Asmode a scathing look as if he’d summoned the priestess himself, just to antagonize her.

Asmode slapped hand over my mouth and hauled me to the closet where he stuffed me inside, shushing me before closing the door. I press my face to the door so that I may peek through the keyhole.

I watched Nihasa pull the door back open. “I’m terribly sorry for that. And, no, Avarice is away.”

“I see.” Lezabel pushes her way in, draping herself upon a particularly plush lounge. “When will he return?”

Asmode shuffled forward with a glass of wine, filling it to the brim. “He didn’t say.”

She took the glass, daintily, eyeing the crimson liquid with her all-black eyes. “I am patient.”

“I- well, my lord forbade any guests in his room this evening.”

“Hm, did he now?” Lezabel traced the brim of the glass with her finger. Her black eyes locked on Asmode. “I don’t think Avarice will mind if it’s me, he never has.”

He sputters. “Yes, I suppose he won’t mind, my lady.”

Nihasa had positioned herself between Lezabel and the thin door that sheltered me.

“Why is she standing so far away?” Lezabel inquired sweetly.

“I didn’t want to crowd you milady.” Nihasa answered, careful not to raise her voice.

“Oh, why thank you my sweet but there is no need.” She beckoned. “Come closer.”

Nihasa hesitated, then shyly crept forward to stand by Asmode, head bowed.

“Why does my presence bother you?” Lezabel’s glass tipped in her hand, spilling the content all over the expensive carpet. The move was intentional, a threat. “What is it you hide from me?”

That’s when Avarice, conveniently, bursts through the door.

“Brother.” Lezabel chirped cheerfully.

“Another one?”

“I’m afraid so. Surely you can spare one more?”

“For now.” Avarice took her hand and led her to the door. “Speak to my Valet, he’ll take care of you.”

Once Lezabel was gone, Avarice turned on his servants. “Where?”

“The closet sir- he’s in the closet.” Nihasa pointed.

Avarice practically threw himself across the room, knocking over a table in the process. I fell back and yelped when the closet door was flung open.

Avarice turned back to his servants. “That was risky... Good work.”

~~~

“Before you meet anyone new,” Avarice began, taking down a porcelain jar of cobalt gel and turning on me with an outstretched hand. “We need to disguise you, so I need you to take off your shirts.”

“Excuse me?”

“Just do it.”

Begrudgingly, I turn my back on him, I strip off my sweater and button-up. Figure I could just give him a hard slap if he tries anything.

“Damn, you are covered in freckles.” Then added, in defense of the scorching glare I shot him over my shoulder. “Hey, It’s not like they’re ugly.”

There was no time to answer. The gel was ice cold, bleeding blue across my skin from wherever Avarice’s hand passed over until my whole body tingled with it. His face morphed into something between shock and intrigue.

The only thing left untouched, when I saw myself in the mirror, were my eyes. My skin had changed color, freckles completely absent, hair straightened out and bleached an off white to match my skin. My wings lacked their feathers leaving behind the classic bat-like wings of the classic ignaisin. I ran clawed fingers over the bent up horns that now sat atop my head. They’re real! How is this possible?

“Chretta washes off, so avoid water.” He warns, heading for the door. I follow.

Avarice flung open his office doors before and flopped down at his desk, casually kicking a leg over the other. I, on the other hand, stuck to the corner. The other occupant in the room reclined on one of the couches. He was as still as a statue but I could feel him watching me through the corner of his eye.

“You’ve surprised me with this visit, Addanc.”

“I do not care whether or not you have a guesst. The Leverii certainly won't give a damn either.”

“They’ve made a move against us?”

“Only a couple of sspiess, nothing my new asssasssin couldn’t take care of but who knows how much they’ve made off with already.”

“Couldn’t have been much, your tunnels aren’t easy to navigate.”

“They’re getting cocky. Attackss have been increassing.”

“You should bring this to The Fallen, she’s fought wars before.”

Addanc’s gaze wandered to the floor. “What will you do if my city iss invaded?”

“We won’t let that happen, Ecrye needs all seven of it’s priests and priestesses. If you want-”

"Avarice." Addanc leaned down. When he rose, between his fingers was one of my feathers.

Avarice went rigid.

"Where iss it?" He asked eagerly.

"Dead." Avarice answers too fast.

Addanc smiled. "Liar~"

"If I so much as find you on my doorstep uninvited, I'll turn Noodles into noodles."

Addanc's fork tongue was already testing the air. His eyes locked on me. "You-"

"Don't drag Zavarice into this."

Both mine and Addanc’s eyebrows receded into our hairlines, though for very different reasons, I'm certain.

“Very well but thiss iss not over.”