Tainted Wings: Book One (18+)

Chapter 28

"Oh," Envy dropped his arms to his side, voice full of disappointment. "Okay."

Virago signaled Lucifer with her eyes to do something, anything to make Envy feel better. He started carrying him like he was flying in the air which made bright joy and laughter overcome Envy's senses.

Envy always loved to ask Virago and Lucifer to carry him every chance he got. He found his father in the kitchen and poked Lucifer's leg, raising up his grabby hands and jumping as high as he could.

"Papa, up, up!"

As Envy grew older, he was still always jealous of his older brothers. Especially Pride and Wrath because they were the strongest of the seven. Wrath liked to pick on Envy because he was the youngest. Even though Envy hated it when Wrath pulled pranks on him, he still loved his older brother.

One day he was watching Pride and Wrath spar. After they were done, he went up to Wrath and asked, "Can you teach me how to be strong?"

Wrath was surprised at first. He thought his younger brothers would ask Pride for advice. He wrapped his arm around Envy's neck and nudged his head.

"Of course, Envy."

Thanks to Wrath, and eventually Pride, Envy learned how to fight and to use his powers – making anyone jealous to the point of insanity. Since he didn't have much of Virgao's powers, most of his powers were from Lucifer. The Human part of him was his ultimate weakness because of the lack of Virago's powers.

Envy was also gifted his Hellhound pretty late. Even the Hellhound went through the same jealousy of the older hounds because he was the youngest. But he learned from Envy, especially when Virago helped them to not feel the jealousy through various exercises.

Being the youngest of the seven, Envy was the easiest target to mess with. Lucifer built a treehouse for the boys and they all went up there at night to talk. Wrath came up with the brilliant idea to tell scary stories, just to scare his youngest brother. Envy didn't like the idea one bit. He was just six years old, too oblivious to see what his brother was trying to do.

"Did you guys know this land is cursed?" Wrath inquired, lowering his voice and sauntering around the room as he started his story.

"No," Sloth said followed by a gulp. "Mother would've told us."

Envy was too scared to respond. Wrath sat back down in the circle they all made. He looked at each of his youngest brothers.

"Well, it is. Mother didn't tell us because she doesn't want us afraid, but I heard her talking about it with Father."

Lust glanced at Pride, mentally begging him to stop the story. "You're lying, Wrath."

Pride let Wrath continue. He knew what he was doing and the troublesome part inside him also wanted to see their younger brothers scared. He'll comfort them after Wrath stops his lie.

"I'm not!" Wrath growled at Lust. "You're just afraid that I'm right."

Gluttony folded his arms. "Then what's the curse?"

"I bet it's not that bad," Greed said.

"Oh, but it is," Wrath snickered. "I heard Mother say that at night, when everyone is asleep, a family of ghosts appear. They try to take the youngest son away from the family of the living."

"Shut up, Wrath!" Envy shouted, standing up and shoving him.

"I'm just trying to protect you, brother," Wrath said with a shrug, trying his best not to be angry at Envy. "Why do you think your room is next to Mother's?"

Envy's lips wobbled, he sat back at his spot. "Why...why she never told me?!"

Sloth stretched on the wooden floor, yawning in the palm of his hand. "Well, at least I wasn't born last."

Envy was close to crying, but he blinked fast so the tears wouldn't appear.

Wrath continued his story. "The ghosts were alive. They lived on our land and they had a young kid too but he died, drowned in that same shallow lake we go to every day. He died so easily because he was too small. Now they hate that the youngest in every family gets to live."

"Wh-what do they do if..." Envy whispered, body shaking with fear.

"If they take you away?" Wrath asked. "Well, all I know is, they torture you until you die and become one of them. Then the cycle starts over and you're forced to torture the youngest of the next family that lives here."

Lust rolled his eyes. "Envy is going to be fine, no one wants to mess with our parents anyway."

"Idiot, have you not been listening this entire time?" Wrath glared at the third Sin. "They're all dead, Father and Mother can't kill them if they take Envy."

"I know that!" Lust shouted, kicking him. "I never said they could kill them again, asshole!"

"I don't want them to take me," Envy whimpered. "I love you all, I don't want to be taken away."

Pride gave Wrath a baleful eye, signaling for him to end the lie now, and Wrath rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, Envy," Wrath said in a cheerful tone. "It was all a lie to scare you a bit, you're safe."

Envy's tears escaped without his permission. He wiped them away.

"I hate you," he sniffled.

Wrath grinned. "Love you, too."

They all planned to sleep in the treehouse, but while everyone was asleep, Envy was wide awake. Every eerie howl and light flickering from fireflies made him jump under his blanket. He repeated over and over that the ghosts were just make-believe. He couldn't stop thinking about them taking him away. He wanted Virago, he wanted to be safe in her arms, so he climbed out of the tree and ran to the cabin. Envy was swept by horripilation. Once he threw himself in the cabin, he closed the door behind him.

Envy slipped into his parents' bedroom, taking a deep breath before poking Virago's arm.

"Mother?" he whispered.

Virago stirred in her sleep. Envy poked her again. Her eyes blinked open and she yawned, "Envy?"

"Mother, c-can I sleep here tonight?"

"Are you sick? Did you have a nightmare?"

He shook his head. "N-no, Wrath was telling us a scary story and I got scared. I can't sleep."

Virago nodded and slowly lifted Lucifer's arm off her body. She raised her blanket and Envy crawled inside, instantly feeling safe as she hugged him. She kissed the top of his head, rubbing his back and sighed sleepily.

"There's no need to be scared, Envy," she yawned. "You're always safe with me."

NOTE

Envy is so freaking cute and I shall protect him my entire life :')

Thank you for reading!

- Sin