“Hello.”
“Jesus!” Corrine exclaimed, dropping the sandwich in her hands onto the floor. Greed looked at the watch on his wrist,
“He has about seven more years until he’ll be of any help,” he deadpanned. Corrine shook her head and began to pick up the pieces of her sandwich. Greed sighed, “Why do you insist on doing things in such a mundane fashion?” He snapped his fingers and the sandwich reformed on a plate on the counter.
“And how can I help you today?” Corrine asked, picking up the plate and taking a bite of her now reformed sandwich. Greed crossed his legs, propping them up on the coffee table.
“My brother was… less helpful than I had hoped.”
“He tried to kill us.” Greed shrugged,
“That’s how we greet each other. He could kill you without my intervention but he cannot harm me at this time.”
“How human of you” Corrine said, taking another bite of the sandwich. Greed snorted,
“Sibling rivalry spans across Hell and Earth. Probably Heaven too, but they’re too self-righteous to admit it.”
“So, you’re here in my apartment again. What do you need from me?” Corrine sat down on the couch at the opposite end from the demon Prince. Greed put his hands behind his head and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling,
“Unfortunately I am going to have to send you on a journey with very limited information. Envy gave me only a sliver of information to go off but now we know the Virtues are beginning to manifest and the counter Virtue to Envy has already manifested. However, I haven’t the slightest idea where he sent her.”
“So where am I going?”
Greed thought for a moment, his soulless eyes glued to the ceiling.
“You know it’s creepy when you don’t blink.” Corrine remarked, staring at Greed as she finished her food. A smirk appeared on the Prince’s face and he blinked except with the eyelids closing in from the corners of his eyes as if he were a reptile.
“Gross.” Corrine remarked and Greed laughed,
“To answer your question, everywhere and anywhere a hint can be found. We’ve checked Hong Kong where we were too late to encounter the Virtue. I cannot send you to the Holy City yet, which is where another of my siblings resides. And…”
“Why can’t I go into the Holy City?” Corrine interrupted. A shadow passed through the room,
“Not wise to interrupt a Prince of Hell,” Greed said, sitting up and looking at Corrine. She felt a chill run down her spine and immediately looked down, breaking eye contact. The room brightened again, “However, I am willing to forgive your transgression. Just remember curiosity is often a killer. To answer your question, you can go into the Holy City but that ground is still sacred, albeit being defiled by the presence of Lust. I am unable to be as responsive in that city, meaning you would be in immense danger. It takes extra effort which delays the time in which I can respond.”
“So is Lust able to resist that?”
“Lust established a foothold years ago. The scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church was of my brother’s making. He is uniquely positioned to claim the Vatican and it offers a sort of protective cocoon for him for now. His presence there and the loss of the priests will soon degrade and defile the sacred ground which will allow us access the same as anywhere else.”
“Got it.”
“Good. Now, I do know where my siblings are located. Of course, you now know where 2 of them are. Envy, Hong Kong and Lust, Vatican. Wrath is in Russia, Sloth is in the Bahamas, Pride is in DC but we need not worry about him, and Gluttony is in the UAE. Considering the sense of humor that God has, I would assume that Virtues aren’t far behind. Which means…” he looked to Corrine expectantly,
“That you’ll be sending me to where your siblings are to find Virtues.”
“Brilliant. Yes, exactly.”
“So where am I going first?” Corrine asked. A set of car keys materialized in Greed’s hand and he held them out, dangling them by the key ring.
“For a drive.” He replied, tossing the keys to Corrine. She caught them and looked at him with a look of confusion,
“What?”
Greed groaned and threw up his hands in exasperation. He looked back at Corrine with a look of both disappointment and annoyance,
“Put 2 and 2 together, law girl.”
Corrine thought for a moment, processing all the information that had been thrown at her,
“Ohhhh” she finally said and Greed looked at her expectantly, “If the Virtues are near your siblings then logically one would be near you too. You occupied New York City so there should be someone around here.”
“Bingo. However, ‘around here’ is relative. There should be one or two in the United States. One for my arrival, one for Pride’s.”
“Do you know how big the United States is?” Corrine asked in disbelief.
“No, I’ve simply made deals with mortals all across it. Not the slightest idea. Surely wouldn’t know that it encompasses 3.8 million square miles.” Greed replied dismissively.
“Point taken.”
“Perfect, shall we go then?” he asked, standing up and stretching.
“Sure.” Corrine replied, pocketing the keys and opening the front door. Greed rolled his eyes,
“You really must break these mundane habits. I gave you an unlimited power of teleportation, use it.” he said. Corrine shut the door and locked it, visualizing the outside of her building. In an instance, both the Prince and Corrine were standing outside of the dilapidated apartment building on the sidewalk. Parallel parked against the curb was a shining black Model T. Greed gestured at it with a huge grin on his face, the first genuine look of joy that Corrine had ever seen on the demon’s face. She bit her bottom lip as she looked at the car, uncertain of how to address the situation.
“Uh Prince of Greed?” she began. He turned to her, still wearing that wide smile. “It’s the 21st century. Isn’t this car a little, um,” she paused again, “dated?”
Greed’s smile disappeared into a frown. He drummed his fingers against his thigh,
“Boring, boring, boring.” He muttered before snapping his fingers and the car melded into a more aerodynamic and modern form. The black color faded into a deep emerald and now, in place of the Model T, was a Ford Mustang. The front driver and passenger doors swung open and Corrine got into the driver’s seat, the seat and mirrors already perfectly adjusted. Greed looked dejected as he sat in the passenger seat.
“I just think we’d stick out more if we were driving around in one of the first cars to ever be built.” Corrine explained.
“First car to be mass produced. There’s a difference. And further, any car that still drives is going to stick out. This is the apocalypse. And please don’t insult my power by thinking I can’t obscure this as well as my true form.” Greed huffed. The sunlight hadn’t darkened so Corrine knew that he wasn’t truly angry. Seeing this almost childlike behavior from a Prince of Hell was amusing but Corrine knew better than to laugh at the absurdity of the situation unless she wanted to find herself on the receiving end of his less gratuitous powers.
“You could change it back if you want.”
“Too late. Transmogrifying this car while we’re inside could lead to unpleasant results for you. Let’s go.”
Corrine turned the keys in the ignition, the engine roaring to life. She shifted the car into drive and pulled out of the parking spot, carefully driving down the road. It had been years since she had been behind the wheel of a car. When she had come to NYU, she had sold her car and relied on public transit. Then the war happened and she was left without a car permanently. Now she was driving some hell-spawned car with one of the seven deadly sins sitting beside her.
Greed was tapping his foot anxiously as Corrine carefully drove down the potholed roads, avoiding the broken down cars and various debris. He would intermittently sigh but Corrine ignored it, staying focused on the road. Suddenly the car came to an abrupt stop, its gears grinding. Corrine looked to Greed,
“Yes?”
“Please, for the love of all that is both hellish and holy, stop driving like a fucking grandmother.”
Corrine was taken aback. Even though he was a Prince of Hell, she had yet to hear him swear. Until this point she had always considered him some sort of gentleman frozen in time in the 1920s.
“I’m sorry?” She stammered. Greed took a breath and smiled, a tight lipped insincere smile, completely different from the smile he wore when he had unveiled the car.
“Did you truly think I did not take into account the amount of random things all over these poorly constructed roads? This car is forged in the fires of Hell. It cannot be destroyed by collision with mortal made items. Drive through them.” He commanded.
Corrine cranked the engine again, mouthing “OK” as she began to drive, pushing the gas pedal to the floor. The car rapidly accelerated and they flew through a rusting truck as if it wasn’t there. A slight chuckle escaped from Greed’s lips,
“There you go,” he said. Corrine smirked devilishly, relishing in the moment. She continued to push down on the accelerator, the marker on the speedometer climbing higher and higher. It passed 100, then 120, then 140 before maxing out at 180 where it stayed as the car flew through the city, approaching the interstate.
“I made the deal with Henry Ford which allowed for these beauties to be made in America. You’re welcome.” Greed said as Corrine turned onto the highway, passing through several more defunct vehicles.
“How many events have you influenced or caused in history?”
Greed let out a low whistle and reclined the seat back,
“Why don’t you narrow down that criteria?” he suggested. Corrine laughed,
“That much, huh?” Corrine thought for a moment, looking at the highway stretching ahead of them. “Let’s go with major events you’ve influenced in the history of the United States since the 1900s.”
“Still a lot of ground to cover.”
“That’s what road trips are for.” Corrine said and then began to laugh, “I’m on a road trip with a Prince of Hell. During the apocalypse.”
“Life is hell, isn’t it?” Greed deadpanned and Corrine nodded in agreement,
“Yea, it is.”
“Alright, let’s start with one of my passions then, cars. In 1900, I met a man named Henry Ford. Nasty human, virulently hateful especially towards Jewish people. Racist too. He was so susceptible to my deal, traded his soul like that.” Greed snapped his fingers, “He would’ve been nothing without the deal so it was a worthwhile trade, his soul was likely damned anyway. He never repented and never regretted the deal unlike some other mortals I’ve dealt with. But anyway, that’s superfluous to this story, I worked alongside this man to mass produce automobiles in the United States. The Benz came first as far as automobiles are concerned but Ford became the first to mass produce and it changed the game forever. Now I love cars, they’re so fun and they deliver so many souls without even trying. And it’s such a painless way to dispatch a soul once they reach the end of our deal. There are no questions when a person is in a car crash, it’s just a tragic accident explained away simply, no supernatural forces at play. Though sometimes I would have some fun with it.”
“How so?”
“The human body can bend in fascinating ways and so can metal.”
Corrine was immediately reminded that the man sitting next to her was not just a demon but a devil. She involuntarily swallowed hard and Greed chuckled,
“That isn’t a concern in this car. Anyway, I like to consider myself the Prometheus of automobiles. I brought this mode of travel to the world and I have relished in watching it evolve and change, to be used in the countless wars instigated by my brothers, used in entertainment for mortals, and becoming such an integral part of human life that it created its own class distinction. Turn here” Greed said, abruptly pointing to one of the exits. Corrine turned, following his instructions. “The 1900s were a fun time for me and my siblings, we had our hands in so many things. That was one of the first times we tried to plunge the world into the years of tribulation, culminating in two World Wars, the Great Depression, the polio epidemic, the Manhattan Project, etc. And yet, humanity persisted.”
“You all tried to bring about the apocalypse?”
“Of course we did, we always do. Every few centuries, we throw something new at humanity and see if it sticks. The last few times it didn’t.”
“So you’re responsible for this?” Corrine asked, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Greed laughed,
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“Me? Indirectly. Wrath had more of a hand in this than I did, though I would never admit it to him. However, Pride and I played our roles. Social media was our brainchild and, through careful cultivation, it became exactly what we intended it to be.” Greed noticed the change in Corrine’s mood and her silent stare at the road ahead of them, “Does the fact that I played a role in starting the times of tribulation make you regret our deal?” he asked, bringing the seat back to being fully upright.
“Um…” Corrine started but her tongue felt dry and too large for her mouth and she couldn’t find the words she was looking for.
“Did you truly think my appearance was a coincidence? That any of this has been by happenstance? You’re much smarter than that.”
Outside the sky was darkening and there was a noticeable chill in the air,
“I thought you came because of our actions. Because of what humanity did.” Corrine said, not looking at Greed, remaining fixated on the road.
“Humanity did do this. The base urges of humanity always lead to sin. Didn’t your churches teach you that? The fall of Eden was not some coincidence. The serpent, my brother, put those actions in motion. For centuries, we have all been trying to bring the downfall of the new Eden. We simply had to convince humanity to exit the garden. And time after time we failed. But each time we learned something new. We exploited some base urge, bringing humanity closer and closer to the brink. That wouldn’t have been possible without some want on humanity’s side. Eve wasn’t forced to eat the apple, she ate it of her own free will. With some convincing. Humanity entered the times of tribulation in much the same way. All the tools were provided but humanity had to want it. They didn’t want it after two major world wars, they didn’t want it after massive financial calamity, countless genocides, international disputes, famine, or plague. But this time, they asked for it. Humanity destroyed itself with the tools we provided and they had every opportunity to rectify the situation. But they didn’t.” Greed paused, a contemplative look on his face, “Now you didn’t ask for this specifically, no. You sought a different path, a path that could have led you to greatness. This situation was not your fault and that is why I granted you protection without the bargain of your soul. You are not the rest of humanity. You took the tools provided to you and made the decision to better yourself both then and now. Common law is derived from the old ways, you studied at least some of that didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Corrine whispered. Greed nodded,
“And is all law black and white?”
“No.”
“No, because nothing in life is black and white. There is no clearly defined good and evil. What you learned was good is different from what others learned as good. Terrorists think they are doing a good thing, they think they’re martyrs. Imperialism was born from Manifest Destiny, an idea that they were ordained to spread their ideology and government, the British Empire never considered itself evil even as it committed atrocity. The decision by Truman to drop nuclear bombs onto cities teeming with civilians and children was seen to be the best decision to save lives, it was not considered evil even as it led to a loss of life never before seen by the world. And the United States deemed him a good president. The spectrum of humanity is a grayscale. It is the same for myself and my siblings. You are not working in tandem with evil, Corrine.”
Corrine continued to drive in silence, unsure of where she was going and even more unsure of herself in that moment. The tattoo that had appeared on her forearm following the deal with Greed felt like it was burning and her head felt like it was spinning. The gravity of what she was doing, assisting a Prince of Hell, was setting in and she felt the weight of the Earth on her shoulders. She may not have brought about the end of humanity but she was aiding in the world’s permanent end.
“Now is not the time to have a crisis of conscience, Corrine. You made this deal, the only way out is death.” Greed’s voice carried a sharp edge in it, reminding Corrine who she was dealing with.
Outside the car, the weather reflected the same as wind whipped debris from the road and dark clouds swirled overhead. The friendly facade that the Prince of Greed usually kept up for Corrine was fading away and she felt the same pit in her stomach that she had when she first encountered him. She suddenly felt like she was trapped in a cage with a wild animal, moments away from being mauled.
Take this exit.” Greed said, pointing at another road sign. Corrine nodded and turned the steering wheel, putting the car onto the off ramp.
“Where are we going?” She asked, attempting to change the subject.
“Considering I haven’t the slightest idea where to find these Virtues and this car ride has been less pleasant than I had hoped, we’re going to meet my brother.”
“Got it.”
There was silence for a few minutes, the wailing of the wind and the hum of the engine were the only noises.
“So you helped create social media?” Corrine asked. Immediately the wind outside began to subside, sunlight beginning to peer through the dark clouds.
“Oh yes, it was one of the few joint projects my siblings and I have ever engaged with. Pride and I drove the project, bringing in developers with deals that would enrich them and make their product world-renowned. And it worked. Soon, as the world grew smaller, tied together by the internet, broadcasting the lives of millions across the globe to millions more, the other sins began to infiltrate. Envy, obviously, managed to use it to his benefit. Lust very quickly made his own deals to create social media geared towards humanity’s less desirable proclivities. Wrath found more converts through the dark web and mainstream media, feeding into constant loops of war and crime. And on and on. The internet was our greatest tool to take down humanity but ultimately, it held humanity together. Which is why cyber attacks preceded the war. Humanity had become reliant on their closeness, the allure of globalization. You all became so used to being able to reach across thousands of miles and connect without ever leaving the safety of your home. And when it was destroyed, so was all humanity. The internet and social media were drugs, they kept you all too informed and yet ignorant to the world around you. You could find both the best and worst in humanity in a single click. All that power, all that influence. It was the most direct path to corruption. The internet reaped us more souls than you will ever know.”
As Corrine listened to Greed, a new question arose. If the Princes had been able to insert themselves that deeply into humanity and capture souls through everyday means, such as corrupting through business deals or enticing through social media, why did they need to bring about the apocalypse? Greed had claimed that the Princes had been pushing for the downfall of humanity, the triggering of the apocalypse, for centuries. However, Corrine’s instincts told her that was not entirely true. She focused on protecting her thoughts from Greed, unsure of how possible that was, but the Prince hadn’t seemed to notice yet, still talking about the ways in which he and his siblings had captured souls through modern development.
“Turn here,” Greed said abruptly. Corrine turned down yet another exit, following the Prince’s directions. The route was familiar, she had taken a few weekend trips to DC with law school friends before the world had ended. She wasn’t used to driving it, having always relied on her friends with cars, but she knew the interstate and exits.
“Why are we driving to this location?” Corrine asked, suddenly reminded that either one of them could be instantly transported to the steps of the Capital. Greed shrugged,
“Initially I didn’t know where to begin our search, so I opted for us to drive and look for clues on the ground. Then I realized that was pointless and changed my mind. I think cars are fascinating, however…” Greed’s voice trailed off with a hint of boredom and now the car was parked directly in front of the White House, sitting on the decaying lawn.
“We’re here” Greed deadpanned.
Corrine took the keys out of the ignition and stepped out of the car, looking up at the building in front of them. She felt a sudden rush of emotion. For decades, the most powerful person in the United States and possibly the world lived within the walls of the building that now stood vacant and crumbling. The White House had served as an emblem of the US before society collapsed, emblazoned on dollar bills and the presidential seal. The Rose Garden had been a place of diplomacy, the West Wing a place of strategy, and now the White House stood as a different symbol, a symbol of decay and hubris.
“I can’t even count the number of times I have set foot in this building. I made so many deals, from presidents to ambitious staffers and seditious aides and everything in between.” Greed took a deep breath as if absorbing the space around him. He seemed to be in a better mood now that he was out of the car. Corrine noticed an air of nostalgia surrounding him, beginning to realize that Greed truly was proud of the work he had done on earth before its collapse. She felt a mix of revulsion and amusement. It was a painfully human characteristic for a Prince of Hell.
Greed paused, looking back at Corrine from the White House steps,
“Coming?” he asked. She nodded and followed him into the building. As they reached the door, it swung open into the building, revealing a pristine interior. Every light was running and, were it not for the fact that she had driven in a hell-summoned car beside the embodiment of one of the seven deadly sins, Corrine could almost believe that the world hadn’t ended.
“I would expect nothing less from my brother” Greed remarked, wiping a finger across the wall and pulling it back spotless with not a fleck of dust to be found. The door shut behind them and there was suddenly another suited man leaning against the doorframe in a hallway directly adjacent to Corrine.
Unfazed, Corrine turned to look at the man. Like his brother, he bore certain attributes that immediately made him recognizable as something inhuman. Though, also like the Prince of Greed, those were only noticeable within a close proximity. He wore a well tailored navy blue suit with a silver tie. In his breast pocket was a single dark red rose, perfectly presented and free of any sign of wilting. His facial features were more sculpted than Greed’s, with higher cheekbones and a more defined jawline. He looked as if he had been pulled from a movie. Corrine noticed the almost talon like nails on his hands and the veinless skin that all the Princes she had encountered seemed to share. His eyes were identical to Greed’s, dark and soulless. There was a cold edge to him and Corrine’s pulse quickened as the adrenaline kicked in.
“You must be Corrine,” Pride stated in a low, rich voice that seemed to reverberate within Corrine’s bones. She nodded and Pride smiled, though it reflected a sort of hunger rather than pleasure and Corrine took a step back without thinking. The smile faded.
“Fascinating,” Pride said coldly, stepping around Corrine and walking towards Greed. “So, what brings you back here?” Pride paused, looking back at Corrine, “With a mortal and a car?”
“You know cars fascinate me. And you already know about her. However, there is something very interesting that brings me here. A key piece in our plan has revealed itself.”
Pride paused, looking at Corrine once more, his eyes narrowed. Greed waved his hand dismissively,
“She’s not going to share this information, it’s fine to openly discuss. However,” a smirk appeared on Greed’s face and then a horrendous sound burst from his lips, causing Corrine to clap her hands over her ears to try and block it out. It was a guttural rasping, filled with some sort of demonic resonance. It was as if every terrible sound was mixed with the sound of human screams. It beat into her clenched teeth and raised every hair on her body. She knew immediately that this was the language of Hell.
“Fine, follow me. We can discuss somewhere more comfortable than in the hall,” Pride said, stepping aside and gesturing down the hall where he had been standing. He led the pair into the Oval Office and sat behind the Resolute Desk. Greed rolled his eyes, sitting down on a couch and Corrine took a seat opposite from him.
“Amazing isn’t it? All the power that humanity thought was in this room and behind this very desk. And now every person who ever held that so-called power is dead and there is nothing to show for it.” Pride said, leaning back in the chair and staring up at the ceiling. Corrine felt a stab of resentment, there was still a level of reverence she felt for this office even if she knew that the Prince wasn’t wrong. “Now, we have things to discuss?” Pride asked, sitting back up and clasping his hands together, looking at Corrine and Greed expectantly.
“Our brother encountered a Virtue,” Greed said. Outside the world darkened and Pride’s jaw tightened.
“Which one?” Pride asked tersely.
“Brother or Virtue?”
“Either.”
“To the Virtue, I do not know. However, it was Envy who encountered her. He would not disclose where he sent her though,” Greed replied. A low rumble of thunder sounded from outside.
“So she’s still alive?”
“To the best of my knowledge, yes.”
“Unfortunate,” Pride said. Corrine noted the change in his posture. He was now leaned forward, his chest hovering over his clasped hands. Outside it had begun to storm, a key indicator of the demon Prince’s agitation.
“Perhaps, something tells me that whoever she is, she’s the corresponding Virtue to Envy. Neither he nor his dog killed her, though they tried,” Greed said.
Pride leaned back, slightly unclasping his hands and somewhat tilting his head, thinking.
“Your strategy on these Virtues appears to have changed from when we last spoke,” Pride stated. Corrine looked to Greed, unaware of the previous meeting between the Princes. He winked at her and then looked back to Pride,
“Good strategy adapts. If we remove an advantage, then we are not engaging in a good strategy. If this Virtue is harmful only to one and not the rest then we should be using that as leverage. In this case, the Virtue that counters Envy is powerless against us but she can be the key to removing our brother from the equation.”
“And what if the girl is not the counter to Envy and this is part of his strategy, to get us to collect the Virtue thereby putting one of us directly at risk of banishment?”
Greed sat back, stroking his chin. Corrine took note of the power struggle playing out between the Princes and the way it all seemed to be a game to them. A quote from the Tempest sprang to her mind, “Hell is empty and all the demons are here.” It was more prescient than she could have ever imagined.
“Do you truly think that Envy, of all our siblings, would be able to execute a plan like that?” Greed asked.
“He is the least likely.” Pride replied and sunlight began to break through the dark clouds, streaming through the windows. “Fine, let’s assume that you are correct. That the girl is the Virtue to counter Envy, the Virtue of Generosity, and Envy knows it so he banished her to some other corner of the Earth. Neither you nor I have encountered our counterbalance. And considering none of our other siblings have engaged with us, it’s unlikely they have either. So we know a Virtue exists. Logically that means others do too, but we don’t know if they’re close to us or stratified across the world.”
“Nothing you’ve said is news to me. But let me supplement. Based on what we know about the divine sense of humor, it is likely that the Virtues are not placed near their corresponding Vices but placed in the vicinity of those they do not counter. Considering that Virtues must unlock their abilities, this provides them the chance to do so or die trying. In Envy’s case, he’s always been the most unlucky of us so this was more an outlier than the norm. Which means…” Greed trailed off, looking to Pride expectantly,
“That there are Virtues near you and I that can be utilized against our siblings.”
Greed sprung up from the couch and walked over to the Resolute Desk, slamming his palms down on it.
“Exactly!” He exclaimed. Pride raised an eyebrow,
“Such a human expression of emotion, conforming a bit much aren’t we?” He asked flatly. Corrine had been thinking the same. The exaggerated action reminded her of the old black and white movies she used to enjoy watching where the detective would shout something like “Eureka” as he came to a conclusion. Greed waved his hand, dismissing the thought,
“May as well enjoy the cartoonish ways of this mortal body.”
“Mm” Pride intoned, “Let me know how that is.”
“Exhilarating” Greed retorted.
“And now that you’ve explained, why come to me? I know better than to think you wanted to give me the courtesy of an update,” Pride said. Greed nodded, beginning to pace around the room.
“The problem is that I have worked out that there are other Virtues, that there is currently a Virtue, but I do not know where to find more or how to find the one that Envy sent away. You, as you noted so eloquently before, are the eldest of the Vices, and as such I assumed you may have some arcane knowledge that would help our plan progress. At the very least, I assume you may have some insight on how we can identify the Virtues before the others can.”
Pride sat silently for a moment, a half smirk on his face. Corrine watched the Princes’ facial expressions, scrutinizing them for some indication of what they were feeling. As Greed had just demonstrated however, they were masters at manipulating their outward expressions and obscuring their true emotions, at least to humans.
“You haven’t thought of how yet?” Pride asked, leaning back in the chair, placing his feet up on the desk.
There was another moment of silence and then Greed shrugged and gestured back at Pride. Corrine thought for a moment and then it began to dawn on her. As if able to sense that Corrine had come to the same conclusion as he had, Pride looked to her and smiled, though once again the expression was menacing as opposed to comforting.
“Oh she is clever. Care to share, Corrine?” he asked.
“You get your siblings to reveal the Virtues around them by pitting them against each other. The Virtue revealed herself to Envy in a conflict with his, uh…” she paused,
“Dog.” Greed chimed in.
“Right, his dog. Is that really what that is?” She asked.
“No, but it doesn’t matter.” Greed replied.
“Ok, so you get your siblings and their dogs, I guess, to fight amongst each other and it should reveal other Virtues in the process,” she paused again, thinking about something Greed had said earlier, “But the risk is that if they aren’t the corresponding Virtues to those sins, and they likely won’t be, the Virtues could be killed in any of these conflicts.”
“And now you know what your job will be,” Pride said.
“To collect them before that happens.”
“Exactly. And that prevents us from directly engaging with our siblings and allows you to play the role of the savior, building trust with the Virtues until we can use them for our own purposes” Pride replied. Though Corrine couldn’t be certain, she thought that Pride almost looked impressed with her. It made her sick to her stomach.
“So where do we begin?” Greed asked.
There was silence again as the two demon Princes and Corrine considered their next moves. Then Pride spoke once again,
“We awaken the Witch of Wrath.”