Page 58 of The Sinner and the Scholar
“You started it!”
“I had to make sure your skills are still up to scratch. Who knows what training drills Mercy has you doing these days.”
“Yield.”
“Fine. You win.”
Thea spits blood to the side, then offers her hand. The fallen attacker takes it. Once standing, she tugs her scarf and hood down, revealing copper hair and freckles. She fits in with the Sinners. Beautiful, feisty, and lethal.
“Alice,” Pride grumbles and points to the red scarf. “Mask up.”
“Pah.” She waves her hand dismissively. “I’m not one of you.”
“You’re a fucking CEO of a Fortune Five Hundred Company.”
“Hey,” Alice warns and points at him. “Language.” Then she shrugs. “Besides, half the city knows your identity anyway.”
“Youdon’t have a pardon from the Mayor.”
Envy tugs his mask and hood down. His hair is short but messy. He’s about my age, maybe younger, but he’s not me. He’s genetically modified. He deals with sin. I glance at Alice and Pride, at how they seem to comfort each other, and wonder if Envy has someone like that too. He holds out his hand to Thea with a grin. “Thank you very much. You just made me a cool five hundred.”
“You bet against me!” Alice slaps him.
“Ow.” He makes it look like her slap hurt, but I know it doesn’t. Anyone who can generate electricity with his body wouldn’t be a wimp.
Pride lifts his eyes to the night sky and seems to pray for patience before he gives a laborious exhale and drops his mask and hood. His hair is long and tied at the nape. He shoots me a look that says he doesn’t trust me but then strolls to Alice and leans in. “Are you injured?”
“I’m fine,” she replies, her gaze softening on him.
“How did you know we were here?” Thea asks Alice.
I’m confused because I thought Thea planned to lure them out by conjuring deadly sin, but we never got to thedeadlypart of our sinning exercise. I’m still unsettled that she wanted me to treat her with violence and contempt rather than affection.
Alice gestures at Envy. “He had one of his premonitions.”
“What did you see?” Thea asks him.
“Enough,” he replies solemnly.
Alice nods. “The jet is fueled, chartered, and stocked with supplies.”
Thea’s mood turns grim. Then she gestures for me to join her.
“This is Wes,” she explains to Alice. “He’s a part of Team Saint.”
Alice takes me in with a wary once-over, then returns to Thea. “I’m sorry. I thought we knew why you were here. Envy’s been drawing some pretty dark stuff. Demons. London. A jet. But what the fuck is Team Saint?”
“Team Saint is the Vatican’s version of us,” Thea replies dryly. “Themaleversion.”
“I know what Team Saint is,” Alice grumbles. “I mean… why the fuck is one of them with you? What the hell has happened since I left?”
“You know we’re not secret anymore. With the recent rise in demonic possessions, they sent a group of their finest toeducateus.”
The obvious incredulity on Alice’s face makes me want to laugh. It’s the same reaction all of the Sinners had.How dare the men come into our home and tell us what to do.I feel a retort coming from her, but her partner—or husband—or whatever he is grips the back of her neck in a familiar way and says, “Hear him out, Alice.”
Surprised to find an ally in him, I try not to show it. But I guess if he’s married to an ex-Sinner, he knows exactly what it’s like to be a male outsider in their ranks. He’s also found a way to be with someone like her… a hero with a Sinner.
I give him a nod of thanks and face Alice, who’s waiting for me to explain and tapping her foot.
