Why Is Pride: The Deadliest Sin Novels & Stories

He said coldly, and got up. Her heart dropped to her stomach, and she let out a scoff so loud she didn't know where it puffed out from. He was right, and that made it even worse. "You want to get revenge on Charles Belmont? You'll die, and maybe, you'll stay dead this time. A powerful man can do nothing for a weak woman." Cassian downed the last of his bourbon and placed the glass down on the minibar. A butler walked into the living room as if on cue and picked it up. Tears filled Sin's eyes as his words continued to register in her subconscious.

To his surprise, the man in royal robes began to fade, disappearing entirely. "Impressive. You passed the first test just like that." As the man vanished, Felix noticed a young man standing before him. His posture was casual, and he seemed almost lazy. However, the arrogance in his eyes was unmistakable. "Welcome to House of Pride. I am its gatekeeper." According to religion, pride was the sin of those who held even God in contempt. Naturally, such people would think nothing of others, taking lives on nothing more than a whim. "Since I passed the first test, I should be able to challenge you directly, right?"

The woman I became causes me to cringe. I wore my jealousy, envy, and pain like a cloak. The shroud festered and grew with each joyful mother I glimpsed. I was hyper-focused on what I couldn’t have instead of celebrating what I had. I coveted other mothers, and that’s a sin. I’m not naïve enough to believe I am free of sin, but coveting others... That’s not the real me. I can’t believe how my green-eyed monster fed on my despair, and it grew with each passing day.

I sighed. Different from what history says, Sins in the present are dangerous. Years of hiding made some of us loose it and just blow up into pure anger and lust for power. A lot of Sins used their abilities to steal, hurt the weak, and kill. Though a great number wants to live in peace, ones that have immoral beliefs and dark views in life still exist. If only the King didn’t die, maybe there’s still order among us. Maybe we won’t have to hide and live in fear of being captured. ..

Every nerve in my body screamed so much I slumped on the floor, shoulders sagging. Aleskander was the Sin of Pride. That was him. The one behind the operations, the one stronger than any of the other Sins. The one nobody even dared speak about. The one I just had a nightstand with!?

“I’ve been thinking I’m special. That I own a piece of you. I need… correction.” He understood. The hunger had evolved. The initial frenzy of possession needed structure, a liturgy of its own. Pain was the sacrament she craved. “Stand up,” he ordered, his voice low and devoid of its priestly cadence. It was the voice of a master. She obeyed, her eyes downcast. He picked up the hairbrush, running his thumb over the smooth, cool back. “Pride is a mortal sin,” he intoned, circling her. “It must be beaten out. Count.”

The High Priest made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob. “She’s turned my own theology against you,” he said. “That all souls are equal before God. That no man is elevated above death. She’s going to execute you with the blessing of every principle I’ve spent my life teaching.” The cellar had become a tomb. Daemon moved to the map and looked at Valdris like it was a body he needed to dissect. The square where public trials happened. The palace looming above it. The lower city spreading out beneath like roots. “I turn myself in,” he said quietly.

Lila had always been a good writer. *I have to share something that breaks my heart. Due to the extreme stress of recent weeks — the legal attacks, the public harassment, the relentless campaign to destroy everything Ethan and I have built together — I lost our baby last night. I was fourteen weeks. I had been hiding the symptoms because I didn't want to give anyone the satisfaction of knowing they were hurting us. To the woman responsible for this: I hope you can live with it. To everyone else: please respect our privacy as we grieve.* She had not used Mia's name. She didn't need to.

they replied in unison, both turning to look at me at once. “Who?“ I inquired, although I suspected the answer. “The Lord of the sins,” they replied with a look of reverence and dread in their eyes. My heart trembled at their response, and I opened my mouth in awe. The Lord of the sins? I had expected them to call him “The Lord” or “Lord Draven”. I took that to heart, asking in a defensive tone and stance. “Why did you call him that?“ Their eyes darted as if they were terrified. “Because that's what he is. People say his very existence is a sin, and that was affirmed when he slaughtered hundreds of soldiers and let us live.“

As if she read my mind, she began to explain: "They are the institution goddesses, well-known for their lavish lifestyle." "The one on the left who dresses like a gangster is the famous Tasha Robarte; the one in the middle is Nelle Anderson, the heir to the Anderson jewelry empire; and the last is Nikky Stone, the senator's daughter." She explained. "I should advise you to avoid them like the plague because they are serious troublemakers." She warned at the end, as if she had read my mind again. My eyes were full of admiration for them, not because of their dressing but because of their beautiful looks; they are an undeniable beauty goddess. I decide to heed my new friend's advice.