As his heavy boots thumped up the porch steps, Archer eyed the old Queenslander thoughtfully. He could see the faded paint, peeling in place, the smudges on the windows, and the furious girl standing in the doorway. Letha’s brow was furrowed, her eyes sharp, and her hands were fisted on her hips.
With a guttural snarl, she slammed the door in his face.
“Should I ask?” Gabe said with a smile, looking at Hadrian.
“Do you dare?”
Azrael, licking his lips, took a step forward, “Your cousin?”
Folding her arms across her chest, Letha leant against the back of the door, meeting the man’s eyes, “Yes.”
“Was anyone else aware that the Sins could procreate?” Cassie asked, flopping into the vacant armchair.
“They can’t, Bessie, other than Wrath.”
The girl tossed her hair over her shoulder, rolling her eyes. Kicking her feet up over the armrest, she returned Letha’s look, “Then who was that?”
“Gluttony’s creation; our cousin,” She couldn’t help the slightly anxious glance she cast over her shoulder, “Just, don’t invite him in.”
“Don’t worry,” Cassie’s brother said, running a hand through his hair, “We don’t invite strangers in.”
“No,” Zach muttered, “Just freaky girls and their younger brothers.”
“It’ll be dawn soon,” Letha spat, turning her look to him, “And we’ll be out of your hair.”
There was a light thump from outside, and Hadrian took a step away from the door, “Just in case, though, do you happen to have any crosses or holy water lying about?”
“They’re Angels Hadrian; what do you think?” Letha didn’t try to hide her shudder.
Mickey, who had been standing quite still in the middle of the room, his eyes wide and fixed on Letha’s face, took a deep breath. He swallowed heavily.
“Is everyone else connecting the dots here? Dawn, invitation, holy water?” He swung his head to his Foster-Father, “Az, are there such things as vampires?”
“It’s funny,” Cassie sneered, “I joined those dots and got ‘loony tune’.” She wiped her hands across the air in front of her, as if she was reading the words.
Letha’s lip curled, “At least you’re watching TV aimed at your intelligence.”
“Not what I meant!”
“Not like I care.”
Still looking at Azrael, Mickey implored him, “Well? Are there?”
The man swallowed, and his son turned to Letha instead, “Are there?”
“You guys don’t know much about the seven deadly sins, do you?” Letha snapped. She turned her back to them, rising onto her toes to glare out through the glass in the door. Archer was still standing a metre from the door, rather rigidly, his expression bland. His eyes rose fractionally, meeting Letha’s, and she barred her teeth at him, swearing under her breath.
“Just after the first millennium, 1000 A.D., the crusades began. The sins became involved, adding fuel to the fire, and gluttony found himself hungry,” Letha grumbled, facing them once more. She fixed her eyes on the floor, a few inches in front of her feet. “Several times in his existence, Edacitas found himself with an insatiable hunger. The first time, he ate the dove, but the second was during the Crusades. With nothing left to turn to, he fed off of humans, sucking their blood until they were all but dry. He tossed them aside, but they rose again, pulseless, and entirely loyal to him. They survived in the same way, drinking blood, trying to replenish that which was taken from them.
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Blood of the Devil
Teen FictionShe wasn't what the Devil wanted....but he could go to hell. Everybody hates Letha Antitheus, including Letha Antitheus. She's rude and obnoxious, skips school, and has the popular new boy following her around. She's also the daughter of Wrath, o...
