Johan eyed Envy as she led them inside, she didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives. Aside from the very obvious ones, of course.

  Johan felt eyes burning into his back. He was carefully kept in the middle of the group as they walked through the palace. In a different setting it would be funny, how they seemed so cautious around him.

  She led them past all the destruction from Johan’s first visit. Straight past the roots and the plants and the rest of the mess, right to the library.

  “You use my palace to plan?” He asked with a frown but Envy didn’t take the bait. Instead she sat down at the long table and gestured for him to sit as well. Johan’s eyes caught on the table though, a large map laying there, covered in notes and small figurines. Curiously he ventured closer but before he could see anything interesting, a hand on his chest stopped him.

  “Not yet.” Sloth rasped.

  Johan sat down at the end of the table, the other two sins taking seats close to Envy.

  “You came here alone?” Envy asked. Johan clenched his jaw, a pang of hurt in his chest.

  “What’s the plan?” He asked coldly, crossing his arms.

  Envy nodded like that answered her question. She stood up from her seat and leaned over the table. “As you know we have many possible allies. We might be some of Heaven’s strongest, but even we are worthless against Thomas’ forces. I’ll get right to the point. The first course of action will be to free Greed.”

  Yeah, he should have expected that.

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “I understand that this will be difficult for you.” She started. “But to get the deities to fight with us they need a leader. Someone they can trust and follow. No offense, but you don’t fit the picture right now.”

  “None taken.” Johan answered. “You sure you want me to be king when you can’t trust me to lead?”

  “You’d learn.” Envy shot back, a grin flickering across her lips. “But that’s not your goal, is it?”

  “No.” Johan smirked.

  “Then let’s move on.”

  “Wait.” Johan interrupted. “You’re clearly working with that guy, at least in some way. How are you on my side?”

  Honestly, he had been wondering this since Frey betrayed him. They were clearly honest about their want to get rid of Thomas. But how had they managed to go on for so long without being discovered? Clearly that guy had some unfinished business with Greed so the fact that his little group of sins went free was surprising.

  Envy and Sloth exchanged a look.

  “I am the only one of us ‘working’ for Thomas.” Envy spoke clearly, making signs in the air as she mentioned how she worked for him. “We have all lived very different lives the past years. Some freer than others.”

  “And Greed decided all this?” Johan asked.

  “No. He guessed how it all would go and planned around it so we could eventually take back Heaven.” Envy said matter of fact. “We each play our part to make this succeed and so far everything has gone to plan.”

  “Good to know.” Johan said bitterly. The image of a burning village burning in the back of his mind.

  “Some things are unavoidable.” Envy said. “Still. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  The bone-deep cold hadn’t left since Johan got to the village, yet that lie almost made him crack.

  “I have worked close to Thomas for the past four years, slowly becoming someone he can trust. It took a long time and a lot of effort, but I did manage.” She explained. “As for the others. Well, you already know that Lust has been in house arrest. Yet his club has only bloomed and information is not hard for him to gather.”

  Despite Sloth sitting next to her, he made no move to tell his part and Envy went right ahead without waiting. “Oscar has been limited in a different way to the rest of us. As he is one of the elementals he’s kept under strict observation when he is out in public but at the same time he’s too powerful for Thomas to control. He had been able to leave Heaven for limited amounts of time, so he has delivered information to and from Frey.

  “And Nora,” Envy shook her head in dismay. “She’s become shunned yet again.”

  Well, that was not very surprising. The deities had always been horrible to her because of her powers.

  “Though because of her mother she has been able to enter my army. Nobody pays any attention to her so she can deliver messages with little issue, not to mention, as a part of my army she can even do something I can’t. She can get close enough to Greed so that he can talk to her.”

  Johan raised his eyebrows.

  “Now, Frey has been-”

  “Don’t-” Frey glanced at Johan and then immediately away when their eyes met.

  “Assassinating.” Envy continued as if he hadn’t said anything.

  Johan froze.

  Assassination. He repeated in his head and turned to stare at Frey with wide eyes. He didn’t look up from the table.

  Johan wasn’t expecting that. So that’s why Frey had been in the mortal world, huh. To kill people. Johan glared at him. He definitely had a gift for murder.

  “Through the years, he has been killing off Thomas’s human allies.” Envy continued. “We were under the impression that the body would eventually give in, even with their souls still intact inside them. Though when Signe came back to life, we expected her to take their souls. Unfortunately it seems to be going quite slowly.”

  “Keep her out of this.” Johan snapped.

  Envy nodded as if she expected his outburst. “This will work out better.”

  “What about Vero?” Johan asked, they hadn’t mentioned her yet and honestly, he was more concerned with her than any of the other sins.

  At that question Envy paused for a moment and for a split second Johan could swear he saw something like annoyance on her face.

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  “Vero has been the same as always.” She finally said, voice strained. “As expected, four years ago she ran off to search for her beloved, in complete denial of her death. Unexpectedly she did eventually manage to find Signe again…And marry her. Which was even more unexpected. Or rather, I didn’t expect Signe to agree to that.”

  “They have a good relationship.” Frey shot in.

  “I didn’t say anything else.” Envy shot back but Johan could tell it was a lie.

  “Hey! I heard we have a visitor!” The big library doors suddenly slammed open and Lust’s voice ran through the library as he stalked inside, his long cloak flowing elegantly behind him. Johan gave him a dry look. “So you came afterall, huh, Johan? Where is Life and Death?”

  “We felt the earthquake...” Behind him, Gluttony came in, her smaller frame almost running to keep up with Lust.

  Johan clenched his jaw, starting to feel the pressure now that they were all there. Wasn’t Lust supposed to be in house arrest?

  Maybe it was a better idea to just level the city and just wait outside to see if Greed or Thomas came out alive. The idea was getting more and more tempting. Though he felt for his powers, now that he had calmed down a bit he wasn’t really sure how to find them again.

  “The plan?” He initiated and thankfully Envy jumped at it. At the clear rejection Lust and Gluttony sat down without a word.

  “It was supposed to be only Frey and I. However, adding you does make it easier.” Envy mused thoughtfully. ”Despite impulsively throwing yourself into dangerous situations, you do have a way of getting things done. ”

  Sloth snickered and Johan scowled.

  Everything he did was planned. Very well planned.

  He turned his glare back at Frey but he still wasn’t meeting Johan’s eyes, instead he seemed very interested in the table, sitting hunched over and staring at it. He must have noticed Johan watching him though, because his shoulders visibly tensed up.

  “I will lead the way. Greed is kept in the very same building that I and the other executives use to meet up. Though in further sections of it. Coincidentally I am supposed to be there for a meeting today and nobody will look twice in my direction.” She pointed to the map, indicating Johan to get closer to see. “This is the building. Greed’s room has windows opening to the street, however you will not be able to leave through them. I haven’t been in this part of the building before, but from what Nora says, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you and Frey to navigate in and out.”

  Johan blinked and leaned forward. In his seat Frey tensed even further. “Me and Frey?”

  “Yes.” Envy said sternly. “You, Johan, will enter the room and get Greed out. Frey will be the lookout.”

  At that Frey finally reacted, his head whipped around to stare at Envy with shock.

  Johan narrowed his eyes. Frey was supposed to be the lookout?

  “As I said.” Envy continued, giving them both serious looks. Then she straightened up and looked outside. “Well, then. You have about six hours to work out whatever this is, before my meeting starts.”

  For a second Johan eyed Frey but then he froze, realizing what Envy just said. Six hours?!

  “It’s not now?” He didn’t want to wait six hours just to meet Greed. They could just go there now.

  “Well we were not supposed to be going until tomorrow. However, someone decided to barge into Heaven and cause a very distinct earthquake, the last time it happened was the resurrection of Life and Death.” Envy crossed her arms and stared pointedly at him.

  Johan sat back down on the chair with a huff. Six hours.

  “You’ll have to excuse me.” Envy said. “Unlike the rest of you, I have a job.”

  “For a murderer.” Lust huffed and crossed his arms.

  “Says a murderer.” Envy grinned back at Lust as she stalked out of the room. “Come on, Nora. We’ll walk together.”

  “You broke my picture.” Lust suddenly said and stalked over, claiming a chair closer to Johan.

  “What?”

  Lust sighed. “Last time you were here. You threw my picture into the wall and the shards from the frame ruined it.”

  Johan just looked at him. What picture?

  Lust stared at him through a long moment of silence, then added. “The picture of us I had in my room.”

  Oh. That picture. It seemed like so long ago since Johan had been in that room, searching for his dad’s journal with Note. Johan glared at the wall. Lust had ripped apart the journal and given away pieces of it, yet what he was talking about was a stupid picture.

  “Oh, that picture.” He said coldly. “Cool.”

  He watched keenly as Lust’s face twitched, his tailfeathers clearly ruffled at Johan’s response.

  Johan eyed him. Lust seemed different this time. Less…murdery.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be in house-arrest?” Johan asked and leaned back in his chair. Might as well get comfortable if he was going to be there for six whole hours.

  Lust grinned at him and Johan paused in surprise when his face suddenly started changing. He had only seen Lust change a few times before and it was unexpected every single time. The cracking of bones breaking filled the air as his stature became shorter. His skin changed color and a mole appeared besides what was previously gold eyes, now a bright blue instead.

  “Ah. So that’s what Envy meant by murderer.” Johan mused as he tok in the man standing across from him. It was the co-owner. “Killed your babysitter?”

  “I don’t have to kill them to take their face.” Lust reminded him with a grin. “But yes. I did.” Then he turned back with a shudder. “Disgusting. My body is much better.”

  Johan didn’t bother acknowledging him, instead he watched Sloth where he had fallen asleep on the couch. It got quiet.

  “You’ve changed a lot.” Lust broke the silence, his voice quiet. Johan rolled his eyes. Really? This again? Lust snorted softly. “When I swept your hair up that day I couldn’t believe my eyes. This guy that was making a mess of my club, was the very same as the one from four years ago.” He leaned in closer. “But you’re not the same, are you? You’re still quiet, but in a different way.”

  Johan sighed. “I’ve had this conversation with half of you already.”

  Lust only looked at him, a sadness flickering across his face and Johan turned with a huff. Lust could stare at him all he wanted, it didn’t change anything he had done.

  “You’re all so interested in how I’ve changed. Envy, Sloth, Vero, Pride-”

  Frey mumbled something from where he sat.

  “What?” Johan snapped, then paused in surprise when Frey actually met his eyes. He looked miserable.

  “Don’t call me that.” He said angrily but his lip wobbled.

  “Thought you liked your title.” Johan said without emotion, eyeing him cautiously.

  “Not from you.” Frey said and Johan clenched his jaw. He had just killed three people, he should be happy that Johan called him by his title and not anything worse.

  Lust looked back and forth between them curiously.

  “Who died?” Frey broke the silence and Johan took a deep breath through his nose. Frey was looking at him with his big, blue eyes, clearly miserable. He didn’t actually seem to think Johan would answer, but he asked anyway.

  Johan hesitated for a second.

  “Ulfhild, Trym and Astrid.” He finally said after a long moment, voice void of emotion. He heard Frey suck in a shallow breath.

  He was suddenly aware of the bone-deep chill again. Ulfhild, Trym and Astrid. Three people he would never talk to again. People whose voices he would eventually forget.

  “You sent Emil for the opportunity of his life only for him to get back home to find out he’s now an orphan. I hope it was worth it.”

  A soft whimper followed by a sharp intake of air made it so Johan lost his own composure. He leaned forward and let his head fall as tears welled up in his eyes.

  For a long time the only sound came from Frey. He was normally such a loud person, but right now he was silent, only making soft and muffled noises as he cried.

  “I’m sorry.” Frey’s voice broke.

  “Don’t apologize to me.” There was no point in apologizing when the ones that deserved it weren't there to hear it.

  Johan closed his eyes for a second. He was tired. This wasn’t what he came to Heaven for. He was supposed to kick Frey’s ass for the murders, not listen to him cry about it.

  Johan looked at Sloth who was slowly becoming one with the blue couch. To imagine someone could look so peaceful right now. Maybe in a different life Johan could have been that content too.

  Slowly the crying stilled and sounds only came from Frey occasionally now.

  “Everyone was supposed to be fine.” Frey said after a long time. “They were all awake and moving when I left.”

  Johan didn’t say anything. It wouldn’t change anything anyways.

  They sat in silence for the rest of the time until Envy came back.