Finely cut bits of mint, shaved red onion, and fennel paired exquisitely with the bitter greens. Once our plates were cleaned, the waitstaff quickly disposed of them, making way for our next culinary delight. As if he were a maestro and the food the orchestra he was conducting, the chef reappeared, proudly announcing his next dish.
“Our second course for you this evening features fire. The ‘candle’ is made from bacon fat. As it slowly burns it will create a sauce for you to dip your scallops and shaved, charred parmesan brussels sprouts in.”
Waiters leaned in, lighting the bacon candles in unison. Gluttony encouraged everyone to sip from their wine and watch the candles melt. Bored with the theatrics, Envy turned to the male demon seated beside him. “Any word on the Stars of Seven?”
“Nothing new, your highness. All indications lead to the forest.”
Wrath’s attention slid to his brother. He carefully sipped his wine. “Chasing fairy tales again?”
“I wonder, dear brother, when I become the most powerful, will you still taunt me?” Envy’s smile was vicious. “Or will you bow down to your new king?”
Lady Sundra subtly glanced at the prince next to her, her gaze calculating.
I pressed my lips together, trying to keep the questions from spilling out. Anir leaned across the table, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. “Power is currency here. Mortals accumulate wealth; our royals do the same with magic.”
“Can the princes of Hell be dethroned by lesser demons?”
“No. They always rule their circles. It’s basically a test of who holds the most power amongst them. Sibling rivalry, if you will.”
“So the devil is a title that can be passed to different rulers.”
The princes near us stiffened, but Anir paid them little attention. “Not always. It more or less influences different eras on Earth. You can see through the ages which of the seven princes held the most power and influence based on the mortal world. Wars, greed, sexual awakenings. And yet,” his whisper was anything but soft, “I cannot seem to recall an era of envy.”
Envy slammed his wineglass onto the table. “Mind your tongue, mortal.”
“Or else…”
Before they came to blows, the chef reappeared, his voice carrying over the chamber. “The third course is our most interactive. I ask that you place the slices of raw, marinated beef over the coals and quickly sear them on each side. Once the meat comes off the coals, sprinkle the frozen bleu cheese crumble across the strips.”
Wrath shifted on my right, drawing my attention. He was focused on the door, where Greed had just walked in and bowed politely. He was in a bronze suit, his hair and eyes matching the exact shade of the metal he seemed born of. There was still that sense of wrongness in his sharp gaze, as if he were not quite as accustomed to the pageantry as his brothers were.
He gave Wrath a small nod before taking a seat at the opposite end of the table. “Apologies for tardiness. Do not stop the feast on my account.”
“Fucking sit, already,” Gluttony muttered. “Chef! Bring out another dish.”
Taking advantage of family dramatics that diverted Wrath’s attention, I leaned over to whisper in Fauna’s ear. “Have you ever heard of the Stars of Seven?”
“Oh, you mean the Seven Sisters. Of course. Everyone here has. In old legends, they appeared to travelers in need, their forms no more substantial than shadows. Some say encountering them is a blessing, but most here believe it’s a curse.”
“Why?”
“If you interrupt their celestial spinning, there’s a chance they may pluck and weave the wrong thread of fate. Sometimes the results of such interferences are immediate, and others take decades.”
“How… intriguing. If they weave threads of fate, they must be able to recall the past. See the threads they’ve already spun.” Fauna gave me a wary look but nodded. “So if anyone would know where lost objects are, it’s the Seven Sisters.”
“Emilia…” Fauna warned. “You cannot seek them out. Asking about a living being can cause damage to both the past and future.”
“I wasn’t planning on asking about a being. Only an object.”
“Whatever you’re scheming, stop. It’s too dangerous.”
Dangerous or not, I would find the mysterious spinners of fate. One of the enchanted skulls had mentioned “Seven Stars” and “Seven Sins.” I’d immediately guessed the demon princes, but hadn’t known what the seven stars meant. Now I was fairly confident I did. And the demon who Envy asked at the start of dinner had mentioned a forest.