The Cursed

Chapter Thirty Three

Lilura

The sins sit on the wooden chairs, and I watch them from the eyes of my fox. I then face the demons, humbly sitting in their chairs. I wave my hand and a blank piece of parchment appears, floating in the air. I trace over it with my fingertip. A sketch of the Queen's castle appears.

Simultaneously, the sins lean forward and stare intently at the map. There's three levels, the Queen's bedroom and witch's room at the very top. The throne room, the very bottom.

"To ensure we know the Queen's location, we must attack at night. She shall be in her bed chambers," I say. "Awaiting us, I'm sure."

"And if-" Wrath begins.

"She's not," finishes Greed.

"Then we outnumber her seven to one. I hold greater power than her," I tell the sins. Their eyes widen and look me over. The doubt evident on their faces. "I may lack the skills to refine my magic, that's where you come in."

"And how do we-" Lust says.

"Help you," adds Gluttony.

"Refine your power," finishes Sloth.

"On the day of execution, I will give a token to each of you, holding a slice of my magic. You will use this to amplify your personal abilities. I will watch as you toy with the Queen. Then come in for the final blow to snuff out her life."

"Then we shall return to our homeland," says Pride.

"Yes, but until those times come, we need an attack plan. I will not fail," I say. I cannot fail.

We continue to map out our plan, where to enter, how to separate, and then how to attack, in what order each sin will do harm. The plan is perfect.

Just as the day ends, our plan is fully complete, which we have rehearsed multiple times to a point of muscle memory.

We will have tomorrow for final preparations and trainings. Then we will have a final night of rest, before the third day of the sins' contract and execution day.

I send the sins downstairs to make dinner, which I'm sure Gluttony has taken over. Their eyes shown with the mention of food. Alepou follows them as they glide out of the room and into the kitchen. As predicted, all the sins sit but Gluttony, who begins to pull jars of herbs and pasta out of cupboards. Content with their ability to follow orders, I go to my room.

Laying on my bed, I watch Gluttony stir the herbs into boiling water, the noodles sitting on the side, ready to be poured in. The sins mingle around the kitchen, picking a few items up, examining them, then setting them down. Occasionally, they throw glances over to Alepou. After a few minutes, they find oats in the cupboard, which they throw to Alepou, who laps them up greedily, making Greed smile. They have a cute smile, small and gentle. Lust grins too, but their smile is more evil, cruel with a touch of seduction. It's rather amusing to see hints of personality from the soulless demons.

They continue to enjoy themselves, feeding Alepou, and then Gluttony's cooking. I feel a weight lift off of my chest. Closing my eyes, I fall into a deep sleep.

There's a crash from downstairs. I wake, panicked the Queen has found me. But upon looking through Alepou, see that she has not, but rather the sins have decided to do the dishes, curtesy of Wrath.

Adorned in a flower apron and covered in suds, they scrub away at a pan equally filled with suds. Another soapy pan lays on the ground, where Greed is wiping at it. Pride mops the floor around the sink where Wrath's cleaning tactics have caused water to slosh over the sink rim. Lust look son at the three, giggling uncontrollably. Gluttony is shaking their head, arms crossed and leaning on the door frame.

I catch sight of Sloth asleep on the loveseat under the window, the dying embers of the night whispering on their face. The sun is rising. It's time to set the plan into action.

First, I dress myself in a pair of midnight black pants, but an overlaying dress with skits, so my legs may move freely. The dress hugs my torso, thin plates of metal sewn into it, so I am protected. I then paint sigils on my arms for protection and strength. Finally, I scoop my hair into a bun, adorned with crystals and chains which drop onto my shoulders. I exit my room, dressed to be a Queen. Reaching the kitchen, the sins freeze, still in varying states of cleaning themselves from the mess that was renewing the kitchen to its former state.

Upon seeing my state, they immediately fold into a line, facing me. Alepou curls around my legs and sits on my black boots. I wave my hand over him, summoning a black vest fit with metal plates as well, and a collar equally adorned as my hair.

I face the sins, and smile.

"This will be the Queen's end. You will not fail me, and my trust is in your hands just as your life is in mine." They nod simultaneously, the bow their heads to me. "Now, recite the plan," I order. They look at me once more, the begin to fire off steps.

"We approach the castle from the back of the moat," Lust says. "You place a glamour on us-"

"While I summon snakes from the veins that grow over the castle walls," Greed adds.

"We journey to the front gate, where I send the guards to sleep and-" Sloth says.

"Where I convince them to let us in," finishes Pride. I nod. We are in the castle, next.

"I seal the exits with fire," says Wrath.

"Then we continue to convince the guards to let us through castle," says Pride.

"We are in the throne room," I say. "The Queen will be seared there. Her guards may not be aware we are there, but she will sense the magic."

"We hold her to the throne with the snakes and vines," begins Greed.

"I discover her greatest fear with a second of sleep," says Sloth.

"From fire, I conjure her fear," says Lust.

"As she faces her terror, I will begin an ache in her stomach," adds Gluttony.

The sins continue to add on their specialty to torture the Queen. Once they've had their fun, I'll step in and finish what she began.