“I thought you’d interrogated Camilla?”
Envy suddenly wished to know what else his brother had talked with her about. Camilla had mentioned a tour but had changed topics quickly. Now he wanted to know why. What had his damned brother tried?
“Easy, your sin is infringing on my circle.”
Though his words were light, Sloth’s tone held a warning.
He was especially testy, making Envy wonder what he was preoccupied with. Hopefully some secret lover was driving him as mad. Sloth didn’t feed his passions often or as widely as the rest of them, but he’d had a few serious relationships over the centuries. First Liam, then Ivy.
No tragedy or heartbreak was involved—the relationships simply ran their course, ending amicably each time. Sloth avoided drama. The bore.
“I’m simply suggesting you get on with it and pay attention to any marks on her body,” he said, as if exhausted by Envy’s antics.
“I’m not going to bed her for information.”
Sloth grinned at him, slowly, immensely amused.
“What?” Envy snarled.
“Morals look interesting on you, brother. Did you ever stop to wonder if she might be your next clue? She’d make for an interesting riddle, and you know how cunning Lennox is.”
Envy was silent. Of course he had. The moment he’d deciphered the last clue, he’d considered that Camilla was a larger part of the puzzle, but he’d since dismissed it.
Mostly because he didn’t want her to be part of the game. That Sloth had also landed on the possibility indicated that it was something he needed to explore.
Envy had said time and again that the game was all that mattered.
It was time to prove that. He didn’t think she was a player, but something was driving her, something more than simple curiosity. He’d almost sensed it before he took her to the void between realms, then she’d walled that emotion off.
Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she was a player, and he was just a pawn on her board.
“If you don’t want to seduce her for information,” Sloth continued, “simply pay attention when you make love to her. Knowing you, you’ll make your one chance quite… thorough.”
“I will not take her to some borrowed, subpar bed here.”
Mischief glittered in Sloth’s eyes.
“This wing is warded for privacy. No one will hear her, if that’s your concern. I know modesty is a consideration for most of her species.”
“Humans.”
“Mm. I assume you haven’t felt any power in her either.”
“No.” Envy debated the merits of keeping the next bit of information to himself. “She does possess a rare talent with art, but other than that, I haven’t sensed anything.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“It doesn’t concern you.”
“Interesting.”
Envy truly despised it when he said that.
Sloth studied him very carefully again, like Envy was nothing more than an insect for him to pin down and dissect.
“Did you see the latest gossip?” Sloth asked at last, far too casually. Envy stared until his brother elaborated. “Gluttony’s reporter printed this just today.”
He pulled a newspaper from his pocket and slapped it against Envy’s chest.
Envy glanced at the headline, then scanned the article.
RUMORS ABOUND!
A mysterious game seems to be afoot, drawing players to the Seven Circles from across the realms. Some insiders claim the Unseelie King is up to his wicked ways, pulling the strings of our very own Prince Envy.
The prize is rumored to be something worth killing for, tailored to each player and tempting enough for them to sell their souls. Though it’s unclear if murder is or is not permitted this time around. We’ll hope to find out.
A few more farfetched theories speculate as to whether this game is a darker, more nefarious plot by the Unseelie King to take advantage of how distracted the demon courts have been of late by the Goddesses Fury and Death of House Vengeance.
With the Seven Circles in peril, might Lennox slip his leash and sneak into the mortal land again?
The Unseelie King’s obsession with mortals is well known, giving credence to this theory. What we know is that two strangers were spotted here in the past week. Both players?
Before this article was submitted to print, the ever-lacking Prince Gluttony was questioned about a guest he’d hosted the previous night, but he refused to comment or confirm any part in the game. This same guest was seen heading toward Bloodwood Forest in the predawn hours.
He hasn’t been seen since.
Some have posited that the unidentified male was heading there to find the Crone who’s believed to frequent the magical forest. When asked directly, Gluttony remained mum, hinting only that it was likely a lover sneaking out after overindulging in sin.
That the prince would attempt to play coy and fail spectacularly is unsurprising. Gluttony is the least clever of his brothers.
Multiple witnesses have spoken in anonymity about a certain white-haired solitary Fae who’s been seen lingering near the woods in different circles. Should this prove to be true, it begs the question why. Is Lennox spying on his players or is there another mystery in need of solving? Or perhaps this Fae is hunting his true love.
If you have any information, do contact us at once.
Lastly, it has been noted that the usually boastful House Envy has gone silent. It leads one to believe the stakes might be higher than the prince may admit. Why else would Envy lock his circle down at the same time as the game’s rumored start? Others are wondering why he hasn’t been seen taking flight in the wake of the curse’s end. Where are his wings? And could the two be related?
Envy crumpled the paper in his fist. “Tell me you’re not believing gossips now.”
“Is it true?” Sloth asked, watching as Envy tossed the paper into the fireplace. “Did you lock your circle down?”
“Would it matter if I did?”
Sloth was silent for a long moment. They stood, watching the flames devour the page, each lost in their own thoughts.
“Summon your wings,” Sloth said, finally, lifting his icy gaze to Envy’s face.
“Shall I roll over or fetch next?”
“Levi—”
“Where are your wings, brother?” Envy shot back. “I don’t recall seeing them recently. Should I write in to the paper? Give them something else to speculate over?”
Envy needed this line of questioning to cease at once.
Who gave the reporter her cursed information? One fact Envy had gleaned was that there were at least two players who had also made it to this realm. Gods damn it all.
Hopefully they were the only other players left.
“She could be Fae,” Sloth said casually, changing the subject so abruptly Envy almost missed who he meant. “Seelie Court, perhaps. Maybe even half Fae.”
“Camilla isn’t Fae.” Envy gave him a hard look. “Shifters also resist most influence and have talents. And they appear human for the most part. She sometimes…”
“She sometimes,” Sloth prompted, goading.
“She sometimes has their temperament,” Envy said.