PRIDE | Book 1 of the Seven Sins Saga (Ongoing)

"Your power will lead you in the right direction."

I signed the contract. I mean how could I not? It was either sign or die. And though a relief from my horrible life might have been welcoming, death still scared me. I decided I would take this second chance, own my pride, and do whatever the Dark King wanted.

The winter solstice was still several weeks away. Sin went over a bit of a strategy with me. He was going to give me some kind of intuition so I could find the next recipient. We decided I'd only have a week to find each recipient and convince them to sign Sin's contract. Any longer and it would infringe on the next recipient's time, over and over, until we ran out all together and it was too late. 

"It won't be as hard as it seems," Sin said, leaning back against the cushions of the seat we shared. We had moved away from his desk and sat on a comfy little love seat in the sitting area of his room. He was close to me and I tried not to focus on his looks. He was devilishly handsome. I mean, of course he was. He was the devil.

He turned and locked me into his dark gaze, the curve of his lips twisting into an attractive smirk. "This intuition given to you... it will allow you to read the thoughts of those around you."

My eyebrows rose. I'd be able to read minds? I gave a heavy sigh as the implications of that affected me. I'd hear what people really thought about me for once. I wasn't sure if that was something that I wanted, even with my newfound pride.

"And," I began, leaning towards Sin across the small space between us. "...this power will help me find Gluttony?"

"Of course," Sin leaned forward, his breath fanning across my lips. He was intoxicating. I wanted to drink him in. I wanted him to like me so badly. I wanted him to be proud of me.

"Will I be able to read your thoughts?" I asked, my words a whisper in the quiet cavernous room. That could be useful. I wondered what sort of thoughts twisted through the mind of the Dark King.

His expression shuttered and his black eyes appeared to darken. "No." He narrowed his eyes at me. "None of the Sin Holders will be able to use the powers I gift them against me. But you will be able to use it on the other recipients you find."

I nodded. Made sense. "Okay," I said, leaning further back in my seat, still keeping my eyes locked on Sin. "I'm ready. Hit me with it."

He raised one of his perfectly sculpted eyebrows. "I already did. You were given the power when you signed the contract." 

That surprised me. I looked down at my hands twisting in my lap. Should I feel anything? It was called an intuition, so maybe there was some kind of feeling I was supposed to follow to get me to the next sin. 

"I don't feel anything," I said, glancing back up at Sin.

He smiled and my breath hitched. That smile was dangerous and he kept flashing it around carelessly. I almost couldn't take his beauty. The more time I spent with him, the more attractive he became. "Of course not," he said. "The intuition will kick in when you begin making moves to find the next Sin Holder. It's a gut feeling."

I shook my head, not really understanding. Why wasn't I having this so-called gut feeling then? 

Sin stood abruptly and straightened his clothing. "Come with me," he said, stretching a hand in my direction. I reached up and placed my hand in his. His skin was warm and caressed my palm in a way that sent shivers down my spine. He pulled me to my feet, dropping my hand, and led the way through a series of hallways and down a set of stairs. I realized then that I actually had no idea where I was. Where had the Dark King taken me to make this insane metamorphosis?

We emerged into a massive garage. There were flashy vehicles spread all around taking up every parking space as far as I could see. There had to be about a hundred cars, trucks, and motorcycles in this gigantic garage. 

Sin allowed me to take a few steps further into the garage as my jaw dropped. I paused my steps and just allowed my eyes to take everything in. 

"Pick one." Sin's whisper sounded from next to my ear and I could feel his breath tickle my skin. I could feel the heat coming off of him as he stood directly behind me. I twisted my head to look at him and saw his gaze locked on me with a fire licking in the dark pools of his eyes. "Just get in one and start driving. Your power will lead you in the right direction."

I turned a little more so I was facing him better. He stood merely inches away from me, his full lips just a bit higher than mine. I could raise up on my toes and press my lips against his if I wanted to. I could bite that bottom of lip of his so quickly he couldn't back away. His eyes hooded as he looked over me so intently and I swear he knew what I was thinking. 

"Better get going," he said, his voice lower than I had heard it before. "We don't have much time." He took a step backward a way from me. The Dark King had backed away from me. That thought alone was insane. Did I scare the Dark King?

"What about you?" I asked. "Will you come with me?"

He shook his head, taking another step backwards. "No, Kaylee. This is something you must do on your own. Only the Pride Sin Holder can complete this mission."

I nodded. Figures. 

He turned his back to me and walked back toward the garage entrance. Before he disappeared through the door and up the stairs, he turned back at me, an unreadable expression on his face. "If you need me though, simply call for me. I'll come for you, Kaylee." 

"Okay..." I whispered. He gave a sharp nod then disappeared from my sight. 

I twisted back to face the garage, feeling more alone now that I was without the Dark King's company. My eyes traced over every vehicle before landed on a sleek dark gray car that looked like it came right off the set off the latest James Bond movie. My hands slid over the smooth hood of the car and I felt a tug in my gut. This was my car. This was the car that would help me find Gluttony. 

I glanced at the logo on the front of the car. Aston Martin. I shrugged. I'd never heard of it, but it felt right. So I climbed into the car, lowering myself to sit in the comfortable leather interior that caressed my skin. A small fob, what I assumed was the key, was already in the ignition. I pressed it, feeling like it was the right thing to do, and the car roared to life, purring intently all around me. 

A smile cracked across my face. I could feel my power. A strong tug on my gut to get this beauty of a car on the road. I'd find Gluttony. And I'd convince him or her to join me. 

I'd save the freaking world.