The Throne I Left

The main entrance to Heaven was a big stone bridge above a small, clear lake. During the day that was how merchants entered with their wares, Heaven had a blooming market afterall. But that wasn’t important.

Johan eyed the big watchtowers on the other end of the bridge. The bridge was deceptively open, appearing as if anyone could cross it at any time, when in reality everyone was watched. Only deities and special cases were allowed inside. Johan supposed they were the latter, now. At least in the eyes of the guards littering the stone road ahead.

From where he stood, only a few steps away from the start of the bridge, he couldn’t see Heaven. Appearing on the other side was a big open field. It stood in stark contrast to the busy street he stood on, but a single step onto the bridge would change that.

He watched as random, smiling and laughing groups of people passed over, only some were stopped for short moments by the helmet wearing guards.

Johan felt his face twitch down into a grimace. Going clubbing. That’s what those people went to Heaven for. That wasn’t how things were when his dad was the ruler.

Not that any other deity than Old Fate deserved to be in Heaven. They were all terrible people.

Johan tok the last steps onto the bridge, and the world changed around him.

Instead of an empty field, Heaven flickered into place. The dark sky lit up with stars in every color, vibrant even with the light of the city that now laid ahead.

They stood between the two realms, both cities in view on either end of the bridge.

“So you’re coming back this time right? Since I know too much and you can’t let me go and all that. Right?” Frey yelled after them from where he stood in the safety of the small city. He had decided to go with them all the way to the bridge. To wish them luck he had said.

“Yeah!” Johan yelled back over his shoulder. Lies. They weren’t going back. Frey was useless, it didn’t matter what he knew. They were also ditching the huldra as soon as they got to the club.

He met Note’s eyes and shook his head, snorting softly.

Then his eyes set on the guards. All of them were wearing the same black gear with helmets, their faces hidden beneath reflective visors. Just like Envy’s army had been.

Four of the guards spaced out across the wide bridge, forming a straight line with enough distance that groups of people could easily pass between them.

Weirdly enough none of them were all standing in the same place, not moving much, and as far as Johan could see, they were just staring straight ahead. Nobody passing through was stopped or even spoken to.

Johan eyed the closest two, the ones they would have to pass between.

The guard’s helmet turned to him.

Johan sucked in a breath and suddenly his arm was grabbed. His head jerked to the side only to see big, innocent eyes blink back at him. Runa suddenly walked next to him, both her hands wrapped around his arm and tightly hugging it against her chest.

“Baby, don’t be such a killjoy! I know we fought earlier, but you can’t be mad at me forever!” She pouted, snapping Johan out of his thoughts.

Oh, right. Act naturally. Behind him he could hear Signe laugh loudly at something Note said to her.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the helmet slowly turn away.

-and they passed.

He swallowed, shoulders tense. Did they really almost get noticed because he was too quiet?

“That went well.” Signe commented cheerfully as they stepped off the bridge. The small city behind them faded into nothing but water. They passed the gate, and Heaven opened up ahead of them.

“It wasn’t that bad.” Runa agreed, releasing Johan’s arm. He hummed. It could have gone badly, luckily it didn’t. That one guard…He glanced back, unable to shake the feeling of being watched. Behind him, Note had an arm slung over Signe’s shoulders, her arms wrapped around his waist in a hug.

“You could use some acting classes though.” Runa added.

What?! Johan’s head snapped around. “I can act.”

Runa just raised an eyebrow, not looking convinced.

Ok, sure. He didn’t do well on the bridge. But that had nothing to do with his acting ability. He had a lot on his mind.

Last time he was there, it had been to get Note and Signe. And now he was returning with them. Johan still remembered how it felt to walk through Heaven back then, and it felt no different this time. Except this time he wasn’t alone.

Unsurprisingly things were the same as the last time. Yet somehow they looked more familiar. The same buildings, the same streets, different people, different times.

Nostalgic.

He could almost see himself wandering the market like he had used to as a child. When his dad had brought him to buy candy after his lessons, when he and Frey fought in the alley and ended up all bloody and he even remembered getting scolded for it when he got back home after, and even moments from after his dad’s death, when Note and Signe also were there with him.

He felt a light pressure on his hand and closed his eyes, a soft smile on his lips. Fond memories flowing back.

But when he opened his eyes again all he saw was the darkness of the night. Strangers surrounded them on the street, the crowd thin enough now that Johan could see them easier. Yet he didn’t recognize anyone, and if there were any deities amongst them, he didn’t know them.

His smile fell. The bitter feeling clawed its way back to his chest.

He pulled his hand back.

Well, he tried to. Instead he looked up in surprise when Note only squeezed tighter, ignoring him and staring ahead with a tiny smile on his lips.

Johan frowned but right before he could ask Note about it, Runa interrupted.

“Guys,” Runa said, stopping the group. “This is where I leave you.”

Johan lifted an eyebrow in surprise.

“Aren’t you going with us?” Signe asked.

“Nah, I have work.” Runa winked at him with a sly grin, her cow tail swinging cheerfully behind her. “I believe you know the way to the club?”

“Uh, yeah.” Johan confirmed. He had thought she was going with them, but apparently not.

“I’ll see you around!” She called over her shoulder as she stalked across the street and disappeared in the crowd.

Work. Right…

Well, as long as she enjoyed it. Knowing Frey, there was no way his friends would do anything they didn’t want to.

But the fact that whatever it was she did, it was in demand in Heaven… that made his stomach churn. His eye twitched.

“This place…” Johan struggled to find the words. Note just nodded tightly. It really had gone downhill.

Signe huffed and stalked forward. “Let’s go. I don’t want to be here anymore than I have to.”

They walked in silence after that. The only sounds came from the crowd around them, all on the way to the same place as them. Soon enough the colorful lights of the club painted the street and the muted sound of music reached his ears.

They had reached their destination.

A line stood outside the club within a rope barrier and there were guards at the big double-doors slowly letting people inside.

Johan sucked in a breath. They were so close. Lust couldn’t be far away, now.

“I guess we'll wait.” Signe said as they reached the back of the line. “Uhh…this is going to take a while isn’t it?”

Johan eyed the people ahead of them. “Seems like it, yeah.” It was a long line, and even more people had stopped behind them in the short time they stood there.

Signe’s lips thinned unhappily. Then she seemed to notice something, and lit up. With a twirl on her heel she turned to a small group of men hanging out on the sidewalk outside of the line.

“Excuse me, is that mead you have there?” She leaned on the pole holding the rope to get to poke the closest guy. He turned around with a surprised look on his face, turning into a smile when he saw her.

“Yeah, you want some?” He offered her the bottle with a smile.

“Yeah! Thank you!” She took the bottle with a giggle and drank.

Johan shook his head with a snort. Even here she was quick to make friends.

She wiped her mouth with a sigh and the guy watched her curiously.

“What are you doing in line?” He asked when she gave the bottle back. “Is it your first time?”

“It is, yeah. I’m just waiting with my friends to get in.” She gestured back to them. Johan crossed his arms but the guy’s eyes only flickered to them briefly.

“You know huldra get to pass the line right?” He continued. “You can just go right in.”

Johan’s eyebrows shot up. They did what, now?

“Oh?” Signe cocked her head in surprise.

“Yeah! Boss’ orders!” The guy grinned with a laugh, turning to wave at the front of the line and loudly called out. “Oi, Timmy!”

One of the big bouncers turned to them and the guy quickly pointed down at Signe who straightened to see who he was talking to. “Why haven’t you let her in yet, man? Come on!”

The bouncer made a face and waved them over.

The guy started laughing and lifted the rope fence. “Come on, he will let you and your friends in at the front.”

Signe ducked under without any hesitation.

“Wow! Come on guys, let’s go!” She grinned back at them.

“Yeah, the friends too! Come on, the night is still young, enjoy it!” The guy added, eyes setting on them and waving them through.

Johan eyed the rope for only a second before he quickly followed Signe, Note at his back.

“Have fun!” The guy called after them as he hurried them off.

“We will, thank you!” Signe twirled around to yell back at him, a big smile on her face.

“In with you. You two with her as well, in with you all.” The bouncer rushed them inside with barely a look.

Well, that went easier than he thought it would.

They walked through the doorway, going down stairs and the club opened up in front of them.

The music increased tenfold now that they were inside, it was so loud Johan could feel his body vibrate with the bass with each step he took. Bright neon lights flickered throughout the club, lighting it up in all colors and matching with the music.

At one side there was a long bar stretching along a whole wall, only stopping at a big, closed door next to it. To their left was a big seating area with multiple levels they passed as they descended the stairs, and straight ahead there was a big stage with a few people dancing on it, a guy playing with a table on top of it, dancing along to the music.

Johan looked cautiously around. There had to be a hundred people there. They were everywhere; dancing on the floor, drinking by the bar, seated at the tables. Yet even here there wasn’t a single person Johan recognized.

Not even the person he was expecting to see there.

“What’s the plan?” Signe asked as they came to a stop, halfway down the long stairs.

Johan tok a deep breath. He needed to get the journal. There had to be a backroom or office somewhere.

His eyes snapped up when he noticed a weird light appear. Against the roof in the left corner of the room there was a faded yellow light, then after a few seconds it disappeared, like a door sliding shut.

For a second he thought he had imagined it, the corner staying pitch black. Then one of the neon lights flashed past it, lighting up a person descending a spiral staircase almost completely hidden in the dark corner of the stage. Johan could only see the edges of the man for a split second before the light went back down, sending everything in the corner back into darkness.

“There’s someone up there!” Johan breathed.

“That must be the office.” Note commented. Johan nodded thoughtfully. If he could just get up there…

“Let’s split up.” He said, meeting the other two’s eyes. “I’ll go up there, you guys watch my back from somewhere safe. And if I don’t come down in ten minutes, come after me.”

Signe glanced over the room before looking back with a nod. Note had a steeled expression on his face, eyebrows drawn.

Johan eyed the staircase. Where could it lead? No matter what, it had to have something to do with Lust. It was the first lead to finding the journal.

Johan was good at being sneaky, if Note and Signe had his back it should work.

With a last nod, they split up. Johan made his way towards the stage. There was no time to lose.

He ducked out of the way as a particularly flailing couple danced past, then he came to an abrupt stop as a girl suddenly crossed in front of him, before setting out again, this time faster, people surrounded him from left to right, filling up the space he left behind him, not even an arms width of space between them as he forced his way through the crowd.

He was jolted back and forth with the wave of the stuffed crowd, but it soon became more open as he reached closer to the wall, aiming for the corner of the stage. It would be best to hide in the darkness.

He just got a clear view of the stairs leading up to the stage when he saw it.

A familiar flash of transparent, yellow cloth flashed in the corner of his eyes, someone stalking across the stage towards the same stairs.

Lust.

Johan felt the air in his lungs evaporate, leaving him sucking in a deep breath as he did a complete one-eighty in one fluid motion.

“Hey.” He smiled, approaching a girl dancing wildly, the only person with any space around them. He needed a cover, quick.

“Hi!” The girl responded with a big smile and calmed her dancing, letting Johan get in conversation distance. Which, on that floor, wasn’t very far from her.

“I’m Ingeborg!” The girl introduced herself, her long earrings swinging along with her shoulder length hair as she turned more towards him, still swaying with the music. “What’s your name, cutie?”

Fuck, he needed a name- “I’m Poe.”

Instantly he felt like grimacing but Johan quickly forced a smile to cover it. Damn it, why was that the first name he thought of?

“Poe, huh?” The girl came closer, so close Johan had to bend his head down to look at her. She grabbed his hoodie at the waist. “Well, Poe. What are you doing here?”

Johan eyed her, a smile on his lips.

Flirty? Oh, he could do that.

He ran his eyes over her. Her face was caked in makeup and she was wearing a small top, but the most interesting part was the floor-length skirt, and the light swing of something beneath it.

A hundra.

There really were a lot of them around.

“I’m searching for something.” Johan answered easily, leaning closer to her. She gave him a sharp smile back, her painted fingernails dragging down the front of his hoodie.

Without making it too obvious he threw a look over his shoulder, trying to see what was happening on the stage.

“Oh, I can see that.” Ingeborg pulled him down by his collar and whispered in his ear. “Are you sure it’s a something and not a someone?”

And right then, with Johan’s face hidden towards her shoulder, he felt a soft presence passing behind him.

He froze as cold, light fabric ran over the back of his legs. Lust. A bone deep chill went down his spine and with wide eyes he turned his head just in time to see the man’s back as he stalked past.

“Don’t look.” The hold on his collar tightened, and he was pulled closer to the girl, a hand on his cheek forcing his face forward.

“He’s in a bad mood today, don’t let him see your face.” She explained softly, running her hand up from his cheek to twirl a piece of his hair.

Johan stilled.

“Do you know me?” He breathed.

Her eyes followed something over his shoulder, and she didn’t answer, instead she continued about Lust.

“Dennis must have done something, Lust seems more pissed than usual. And when he is pissed he’ll take it out on anyone.” She said seriously. Then, as if something came over her, she fawned, eyes looking back over his shoulder. “Ahh…he is so hot and powerful.”

Johan followed her gaze. Lust had gotten over to one of the tables in the seating area and was talking to a guy in a black suit. He was leaning over the table, gesturing violently while the other man only sat there with a smirk, a drink in his hand.

Johan had never seen Lust so angry before. It was weird. Johan knew him to be gentle and confident. Yet there he was.

He watched in shock as Lust swiped the drink from the other man’s hand and slammed it onto the table, glass-shards flying around.

“Who is that?” Johan asked, wanting to know who the man in the suit was. Ingeborg had said a name earlier. “Dennis?”

“Yeah, that’s Dennis. He’s the co-owner of the club.”

Johan startled and turned back to her. “Co-owner?”

“You must not come here very often.” Ingeborg giggled. “That's why he’s so angry all the time. He and Dennis fight a lot. Apparently Lust would have done a lot of things differently if he was allowed to own the club alone. Honestly, I find it pretty nice already. I wonder what he would change.”

“He’s not allowed to own it alone?” Johan asked.

“Nah, he was a part of the sins. He’s dangerous or whatever. Dennis is basically a glorified babysitter, really.”

Johan didn’t know what to think about that. It was nice, he guessed? That Lust didn’t just get everything handed to him after betraying Johan.

Actually. Yes. It was nice. It was very nice. Lust was a terrible friend, co-owning a club was way less than what he deserved, but Johan could still feel glee in his misfortune.

He let out a laugh, not even trying to hide his amusement. It made sense why Lust was so angry then, he was used to always getting his way.

The girl looked at him questioningly, but Johan ignored her and turned away.

It was time to get things going. If Lust was distracted then that gave Johan the perfect opportunity to look for the office.

He walked to the stairs, leaving the girl standing alone. Soon he was on stage and huffed in amusement when he noticed something. Somehow Signe had gotten up on the stage and was currently dancing with some shirtless men. He shook his head fondly and looked back.

He found Note sitting by the bar, eyes carefully following Johan, a slight grimace on his face. Probably because of Signe, Johan snorted.

He got to the spiral staircase. The darkness was blinding in the corner, he could only reach out to feel for the railing, unable to see a thing even as his foot hit the first step. But before he went up he paused, glancing back. Lust didn’t seem like he was planning on going anywhere anytime soon, if the gestures were anything to go by.

Good.

With the help of touch he quickly made it up the stairs until he finally came to a stop at the top, with nowhere left to go. He felt around at the wall until he found the doorhandle. With a last cautious glance back at Lust he slowly opened the door just barely enough to slip through and found himself in what turned out to be a dimly lit hallway.

He made sure the door was tightly shut behind him before exploring. Red walls and black floor stretching thin and far ahead, ending at a big, red door at the other end.

That had to be the office.

With quick steps he closed the last distance and put an ear against the door, listening carefully. There didn’t seem to be anyone inside through, so he carefully opened the door and peeked inside.

The room was big and bright, and luckily there was nobody inside. Johan quietly slid inside and closed the door behind him. It didn’t have a lock so closed was the best he could do.

The room was clearly an office. To one side were a few couches and chairs, and on the other side was a desk, a large window behind it and big bookcases stretching across the walls to either side, each filled to the brim with books and random stuff.

Johan stalked over.

Then paused halfway. Catching a glimpse of… something in the corner of his eye. With a frown he turned only to see a bed.

There was an adjacent room.

Johan approached it cautiously.

Wow. Lust really just had a random bed in his office.

With a huff Johan continued to the desk and with no hesitation he opened the first drawer and started searching. The journal should be there somewhere. Lust had always been the type of person to keep all his important stuff together in the same place, like an idiot.

It should have been easy, but it wasn’t.

The further he searched, the harder his heart beat and it became clear that the journal was not in the desk.

He glanced up at the door. How long could Lust really argue with that guy? Johan needed to hurry. Despite his earlier confidence though, he couldn’t find the journal.

He swallowed. Damn it! Where else could Lust have hidden it?!

He threw his head up and looked around. It could be in the bookshelves then, but who knew how much time he’d have before someone came, he didn’t have time to look through everything alone.

A chilling thought hit him. What if Lust didn’t have it? What if Lust was just the middleman? It was entirely possible that Greed had just given him parts of it.

He gritted his teeth, his heart skipping a beat.

That was as far the thought went before the door opened.

Johan quickly ducked down beside the desk. He cursed himself, he hadn’t heard anyone in the hallway over the muted music coming from downstairs.

He held his breath and listened intently as he heard someone step inside and shut the door. Shuffled sounds followed and he pressed closer against the desk. The person was moving through the room.

“Johan?”

Relief hit him like a rock.

Oh thank the Jotun. It was just Note.

He let out a deep breath.

“I’m here!” He whispered back and got to his feet. “It’s not in the desk.”

“I’ll search over here.” Without a second of hesitation Note turned to one bookcase and started rummaging.

Some of the weight on his shoulders eased, and with a nod he continued to the other shelves on the wall. It had to be there somewhere. He skipped through the documents and books, but it was only a moment before Note said something.

“Johan,” He turned around to see Note standing in the adjacent room and holding something in his hands. His heart skipped a beat.

“Did you find it?” Johan sped over and grabbed Note’s arm to see what he was holding. He frowned. It wasn’t the journal.

Then realization hit him and he dropped Note’s arm like it burnt him.

“What…” In a second Johan was overcome with anger. Arms shaking as he once again reached for the object. Note gave it to him without a fight, eyes watching him closely.

His hands shook as he held the picture. It was a picture of them. Him, Envy and Lust. All three of them were smiling happily. Memories from the day it was taken flashed through his mind. It was just after training with everyone else, they were tired and sitting down while laughing about each other’s mistakes while sparring.

With a long exhale Johan threw it away. It smashed against the wall, shards scattering across the floor.

After everything Lust did to him, he was looking back on the memories fondly?

Johan could just imagine how Lust and Envy would get together and reminisce about the old time, laughing at what they did to Note and Signe and making fun of Johan for running from away.

“Let’s continue.” He said lowly, eyes glaring at the wall. They didn’t have time for this. Johan could have his meltdown later. Finding the journal was first priority.

He could feel Note’s worried eyes burning into his back as he went back to the shelves. It took a few seconds before he heard the rustling of Note starting again.

Johan gritted his teeth. He was fine. Note shouldn’t worry about him. And even if he wasn’t, he would be once they got the journal and got out of this horrible city.

In silence they continued searching, finding nothing. It was all just trash, random records and documents about the club.

“Found it!” Note’s voice broke him out of his thoughts.

“The journal?!” Johan turned around to see a triumphant Note with a big grin and lifting a brown book into the air. He sucked in a breath and felt the corners of his mouth curl up.

Finally.

He almost ran over to Note right then, but then froze, midstep.

He tensed up. They both looked at the door.

Oh no.

Johan’s thoughts raced as he heard a voice from the hallway. He quickly glanced at Note. He wouldn’t leave without the journal, but there was no way he was leaving without Note or Signe either.

“Hide, I’ll distract him.” Johan whispered harshly, quickly deciding, and watched as Note turned to stare at him with wide eyes, both his hands clutching the journal. It seemed like an eternity passed, waiting even as the voices got closer, but finally Note nodded in confirmation.

Johan gave a short nod back and watched for another second to make sure Note disappeared back into the adjacent room. Good. Good.

His heart hammered in his chest when he turned to the door, hands tense in fists. There was no time to get out now. Any second the door would swing open. Johan just had to play his part and figure something out so Note could get away.

He swallowed, eyes running around the room, only stopping at the desk. And when the doorhandle rattled, he quickly made a decision.

He sat on the desk just in time for the door to swing open.

“I will do what I want! Go back to your tyrant of a boss!” Lust’s back was turned to Johan as he yelled at the man in the suit. Johan met the man’s eyes with a grin, heart pounding in his chest, and watched as his expression turned to shock.

Silence fell.

Johan noted the way Lust’s back and shoulders tensed up.

Slowly Lust turned around. Johan smiled at him and dangled his legs with a tight breath, putting everything into controlling his face. He gave a short wave, leaning relaxed back on his other arm. For a long second Lust stared at him, mouth slightly ajar in bewilderment.

Johan was hit by how unreal this situation was. There Lust was. Right there, staring at Johan with no recognition on his face.

“Hello,” Johan greeted, looking as inconspicuous as he could and finally they reacted.

“Intruder-!” The man in the suit started but was quickly silenced by Lust slamming a hand against his chest.

“This is my club, I will deal with it. Fuck off.” Lust snapped, pushing at the man.

“Lust-” The man’s objection was cut off when Lust ordered. “Leave us.”

Johan felt a drop of sweat run down his neck at the dark tone. The two of them glared at each other, neither moving, nor backing down.

Bang!

Johan jumped at the loud noise coming from downstairs, eyes snapping to the hallway.

Did something explode?!

The bang was immediately followed by screaming which…weirdly enough turned into cheering and yelling.

Johan froze when the two deities turned to stare at him.

“I didn’t do anything!” Johan defended himself, hands raised in the air. Outside of sneaking into the office and breaking a picture frame, he had done nothing wrong! Though…he had an idea about who it was. He smiled innocently as green hair flashed across his mind.

The deities stared, unconvinced.

“You deal with him, I’ll deal with the downstairs.” The man in the suit finally decided and left without another word. Lust’s jaw dropped and Johan watched as he followed the man with rage filled eyes.

A door slammed shut and right then Johan realized he was left alone with the angry sin. Lust was right there, completely within reach.

A sudden calm came over him and he glanced at the pieces of glass on the floor, hands slowly lowering, his palms itching for his ribbons.

Maybe he should-?

“...He dare order me around-” Lust sneered and before Johan could finish the thought, Lust turned to him. “You! Come with me.”

That was all the warning Johan got before a hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him to his feet. They were down the hallway before Johan could blink, Lust’s nails digging into his skin as he was dragged along and the office door slammed shut behind them, Note shut inside.

As they rounded stepped onto the stairs, the sounds suddenly made sense. Johan raised his eyebrows. Lust stopped a couple steps down and Johan almost walked right into him, just barely catching himself.

They watched the commotion in mute shock. A group of what was seemingly all the big guys in the entire club were fighting each other right in the middle of the dancefloor, even some bouncers were in there, throwing punches. Johan watched in amazement as a big guy jumped onto the stage, going right for a group of dancers huddled together, who all ran off in all directions with loud yells as the guy ripped a pole straight out of the floor, throwing it with a roar and almost impaling a guy in the crowd.

Johan let out a disbelieving laugh, eyes roaming for the culprit. He found her easily by the bar, the only person looking away from the fight, sitting innocently on a stool and sipping a drink. Johan could only imagine what she did to instigate all that.

Lust made an angry sound, a mix between a groan and a hiss, and then he was back to dragging Johan along. Instead of doing something about the fight though, Lust pulled him right past them all, right for the big door by the bar.

Lust stopped at the door and Johan had just enough time to meet Signe’s widening eyes before he was roughly pushed outside.

He yelped and stumbled into the fresh air, his hand suddenly free and for a second he thought that was it, Lust was happy with just kicking him out.

Then he turned back and an arm slammed into his chest, pushing the thought right out of him right along with all the air in his lungs.

“Ah!” His head bounced painfully off the wall and his hand flew up to cover it. However, his wrist was pinned before he could reach and he took a deep breath through gritted teeth, his eyes clenched tightly as the world spun around him.

“What were you doing in my office?” Lust hissed lowly, close enough that Johan felt his breath tickle his face. “Why did you break my picture?!”

With a deep breath he opened his eyes.

This would be the perfect time to kill him. The ribbons would catch him off guard, it would be so easy to just-

Stop that. Johan swallowed tightly, pushing the temptation far away. Even the thought of killing Lust made him feel sick.

Instead Johan smiled. A laugh falling out of his mouth.

“What? You didn’t think I would actually come?” Lust had ripped out the pages of his dad’s journal and given them away. The whole plan was to have Johan end up in Heaven, it wasn’t that hard to realize who had broken in, was it? It was Lust’s own plan afterall.

“Innocence isn’t a good look on you.” Johan continued mockingly. “Annoying, isn’t it? Having people mess with what’s yours.”

Lust frowned, eyebrows drawing together. Then an uncontrollable rage overtok. The hand pushing Johan against the wall closed on his jaw and wrenched it up.

“Don’t try to play with me.” Lust hissed, their noses almost touching. “Who are you?”

Johan grinned. “Shouldn’t you know that?”

Lust clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding together as he breathed out, and the hand holding Johan’s jaw let go and in the same motion he swept Johan’s hair up.

Johan watched in deep satisfaction as Lust’s eyes widened, his face falling into shock.

Johan could see his own red eyes reflecting in Lust’s black ones. The hands holding him fell weak, barely holding on anymore.

“Johan?” It was more like a breath than a question.

Johan’s grin only grew wider. He opened his mouth-

“Johan!” His head snapped to see Signe panting at the opening of the alleyway, Note skidding into view behind her. Yells surged from the street and she threw a panicked glance around. “We need to go! Now!”

Johan sprung to action, he threw his ribbon out around the closest anchor point, the doorhandle, and back at Lust, sending him flying back against the opposite wall. By the time he looked back, Note and Signe were gone and Johan didn’t waste a second before setting off after them.

“The journal?!” He yelled as he caught up. People were everywhere around them, flooding out of the club and into the street, and they ran as quickly as they could past them.

“Got it!” Note fanned something in the air. Behind them an explosion sounded.

“What did you do?” Johan almost squealed, hands jerking to his ears as people screamed behind them. They weren’t there to kill people!

“Carlotta was there!” Signe yelled back. “I didn’t need to do anything!”

Johan’s mind halted, the world slowed.

The Lady of Fire was there?

Oh, that was bad. That was very, very bad.

“I don’t think she recognized me, but she definitely knows I started the fight!” Signe yelled, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Why did you start the fight!?” Note demanded.

“I had to make a distraction before you guys were killed!”

“Johan was caught anyway!” Note snapped back.

“Well-!”

Johan interrupted her before they could start fighting properly. “Where is she?!”

“She was right behind us!” Signe yelled back.

Johan threw a look back over his shoulder but he couldn’t see the familiar red anywhere. The street was full of people both running and cowering, but there were no warriors or guards. Not even a single sin was after them and definitely not the Lady of Fire.

But if she really was there then Johan didn’t believe for a second she would give up the chase.

He shuddered at the thought and looked back, still seeing nobody following them. They were almost back to the bridge by now. He turned back-

Oh.

He froze, heart skipping a beat, and came to a dead stop just past Note and Signe.

Oh this was bad. He clenched his teeth. This was bad. So, so very bad.

His heart skipped a beat. In the corner of his eye the familiar light of a summoned sword flashed.

He clenched his eyes shut for a second. They were not ready for this…it would have to work out. He let out a tight breath and opened his eyes.

He closed his hand around the heavy weight of his dagger.

They really should have gotten Signe that new axe.

Carlotta was on the bridge.