Sin of the Saint

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: TRUTH

Caritas' heart plunged into her stomach—how could this be?

He...he had her, didn't he? He killed her first...didn't he?

"This victory...I believe...belongs to the Sins," War said, shrugging and glancing upward at Prudence. "Could your foresight predict this outcome, Prudence? Or is your own wrath fogging up your judgement?"

"Take your victory and depart, geezer," Prudence spat before turning her back into the veil and disappearing into the mist.

"Well done, Irae," War nodded at the scrawny victor as she turned to face him, running her bloody fingers through her greasy black hair.

"Yeah, I guess," she replied, bored. She caught Caritas' eyes and Irae's nose turned up at her...an expression Caritas' alternate identity had seen repeatedly from only one student at her school:

Leah Briggs.

The outcome of this bout already made Caritas' jaw clench but discovering that this deceptively clever Sin was none other than Holden's own ex-girlfriend enraged her. Caritas felt her fist quiver in rage at her side as Irae, in her lack of physical glory, seemed to look down on her, just as she had done as Leah to Liv.

Some people, she was beginning to realize, had absolutely no shame...no remorse.

And people like that, couldn't look down on Caritas. That was, not without feeling her own wrath.

Caritas shook her head—what was she thinking?

Irae smirked at her and broke their glance by stepping into the mist and disappearing just after War.

Caritas thought to herself...could that be Wrath's true nature? To make others plummet into anger...just to follow suit after her?

Caritas shuddered as some of her comrades began to disappear here and there, scattering to hide themselves amongst the students at St. John's Halloween party in the commons area of the school. She caught the smoldering golden eyes of the masked Saint that stood beside her one last time before he gave a slight wave, turning to reveal his weapon across his back—a spear—before disappearing at last.

Caritas, dismissing her curiosity about the masked Saint, turned once again knowing that Cupid will want to converse with her. But there were still stragglers among the Saints, and for good reason.

Once the Sins disbanded from their line, Modesta finally broke free from Pudoris' grip and sprinted to Paten's body. Caritas closed her eyes painfully, knowing exactly who existed behind these Saint disguises—brothers—twin brothers.

Modesta held Paten's lifeless Saint body in his arms, whispering to him as their bodies began to dissolve within the mist, passing back through the torn veil.

And suddenly, like the time before, it was just Caritas and Cupid left.

"The tables turned pretty quick there, didn't they?" Cupid asked casually.

"You are all monsters," Caritas said argumentatively. "Every single one of you."

Cupid raised an eyebrow and folded his arms across his broad chest, "Now what makes you say that? You don't even know me...not my mortal identity, at least."

"It doesn't matter," Caritas said, shaking her head. "You are students at a high school wanting to unleash chaos upon the world in which you and your families live in. And you do so in such a vicious manner. Holden and Leah shared a connection that this war shattered! It makes absolutely no sense."

Cupid looked endearingly at her and approached her cautiously. He stopped a few feet in front of her and cocked his head at her, "I thought of all people, you may understand."