Page 110 of Viper

Her gut squeezed. “Acidic?”

He stepped closer, towering over her. “My presence stunts growth, kills animals, invites sin, incites violence, makes even friends turn on each other. That’s what it means to be the incarnation of a deadly sin. That’s what becomes of one of the Seven archangels if they fall.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Ella could only gape at him, her brain hiccupping and spluttering as it strived to process his words. Not once in the times she’d chewed over what he could be hiding had sheeverconsidered this. Why would she have? She’d had no idea that such a fate could befall anyone, let alone a fallen member of the Seven.

Originally, she’d wondered if he was being a little dramatic in his insistence that his secrets were so dark. Oh, how wrong she’d been to doubt him.

He was the incarnation of a deadly sin.A deadly sin. Her demon, as stunned as Ella, couldn’t quite wrap its head around it.

His gaze vacant and unblinking, he watched her very carefully, seemingly intent on soaking in her every reaction. His body was so rigid he could have passed for a statue.

What was she supposed to say? Or do? Her mind gave her no answer. It was still busy struggling to work through his revelation, and so all she could do was stand there gawking at him.

No wonder he’d hesitated to tell her. His presence fouled and corrupted everything and everyone around him. What did that knowledge even do to a person? What kind of mind fuckery would it cause? And how did it even come about?

She licked her lips. “How … how can falling cause that?”

His empty gaze drifted over her face. “Each of the Seven archangels is one of the seven virtues,” he said, his voice slow and flat. “The fall, though, it warps us. Once upon a time, I embodied patience. Now, I embody wrath. I infect people with it without even trying.”

“And this is a punishment for falling?”

“It was intended to be more of a deterrent. It’s certainly effective since, to my knowledge, no member of the Seven fell before me.” He paused. “The strix came after my club because what I amdrawsany kind of evil like a magnet. We don’t need to hunt the hell-born. They seek us out.”

Oh, Jesus.While that would make his self-appointed job easier, it would also mean that danger constantly chased him and his brothers. And to know that evil wouldliterallybe drawn to you, would come for you, follow you … Who wouldn’t hate that?

She rubbed at her chest. “But you have some kind of control over how you affect people, right? I mean, I never feel wrathful around you.”

“It doesn’t appear to work on the people I care about, such as you and my brothers. Everyone else? I can attempt to lessen the impact, but it doesn’t work for long.”

Which totally explained why he never spent much time around outsiders—even Mia. “Why did your brothers fall with you?”

“It was a show of loyalty. I led their branch of the holy host. I’d trained them, watched out for them, fought at their side, saved their asses more times than they could count. They didn’t want to answer to a new archangel, and they didn’t feel they could trust the rest of the Seven after what they did to me.”

She looked toward the clubhouse. “They’re not normal angels, are they?” She’d sensed that much.

“My inner circle—Dice, Jester, Razor, Omen, Darko, and Ghost … People call them ‘the Burning Ones’.”

She froze. “Seraphim.”Well, shit.

“Seraphim, the most powerful and dangerous of the angels. The rest of my brothers are dominions. Slightly less powerful but still dangerous.”

She swiped a hand down her face. The shocks kept piling up. His club … It was far more deadly than she ever could have imagined. If the demon world as a whole understood that, she was quite sure the club would be massacred. Her own entity was a little unnerved by all this, to be truthful. And not much daunted it in general.

“No wonder you guard all your secrets so tightly,” she said. “I’m surprised you made alliances with demons. Surely it would be safer to keep to yourselves.”

“It would have. But I needed to gain a foothold in your world. I needed access to the Underground so I could watch over you there and be certain you were safe. And I knew I had a better chance of situating myself in your life if you thought some of your kind trusted me.”

“Cunning.”

Viper didn’t take offence, seeing mirth bloom in her gaze. Well, demons didn’t generally have an issue with ‘cunning’. They were incredibly devious themselves and respected such a quality in others. “Yes, but necessary.”

She carved a hand through her hair, looking the epitome of dazed. “Anymore bombshells you need to drop?”

“None.” He took her wrist and teleported her back to his bedroom. “Well, maybe one. Though it isn’t bad or huge.” Viper peeled up his tee and gestured at the ink above his heart. “You asked me what these writings say.”

Her gaze dipped to the strange symbols.

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