"He tried  to name which of the deadly seven might apply, and when he failed, he decided to append an eighth, regret."

- Charles Frazier

                                                                                          ***

The Hunters stared at Logan, perplexed.

"Deadly...sin?" Galloway finally ventured, her arm still around Sirius' waist to help keep him standing. Hard as he tried, he couldn't stop his knees from shaking. He kept his head down, filthy hair hiding his face and his confusion from the others as he tried to understand what Rhys' plan was.

Part of him was tempted just to shove everyone through the gate and deal with the witch's wrath on the other side, hopefully after they got far, far away from the Earth-bound side of the portal. 

"Mm-hm," Rhys interjected, and Sirius could feel the witch's gaze burning into the side of his head. His hand went discreetly around Sirius' wrist and he squeezed hard, making the burns there screech. "Pride, wrath, greed, lust, envy, sloth, gluttony." He ticked a finger at each person in their little group. "Seven of us, seven sins. The gates were built with the blood and bones of sinners. Like calls to like."

"Okay," Caleb said, sliding an uncertain glance at the knife. "None of us are exactly choir boys here. So—"

"So why do we need to pick a specific sin?" Galloway cut him off. "And what's with the knife?"

"Payment," Sirius muttered, deciding to play along with the witch. While the blood and theatrics were unnecessary to leave Hell, Sirius was beginning to guess at the witch's real motives.

Something I came across in the Vatican. Why didn't you just tell them earlier. Time to figure out how to do it properly.

He dared a glance at Rhys. The witch didn't look his way, still walking the Hunters through what needed to happen, justifying his answer by saying the gate out would require blood. Rhys never looked his way. He just gave the slightest dip of his chin as Sirius let his understanding radiate toward the witch.

I'm pretty sure it won't hold, Sirius thought, fingers tightening on Galloway's shoulder. She looked up at him, but he made sure his face stayed blank, disinterested. Like Rhys was explaining something Sirius was already well aware of.

It's better than nothing, Rhys finally managed to throw toward him. 

Pain thudded through his skull at the touch of more magic, and blood dribbled from his nose, warming the skin above his lip. He brushed the back of his hand across his mouth, wiping the blood away, but it did little good. More seeped from his nose, wetting his lips and leaving a sulfur taste in his mouth.

"Sirius?" Galloway murmured, a worried crease forming between her brows as she used her own sleeve to wipe at his bloody nose.

"I'm fine," he whispered. "I'll be better when you're through that gate."

Galloway's lips thinned, but she didn't get the chance to press him with the questions he knew she wanted answers to.

"So how do we pick?" Alex's question made everyone look over at her. "If it's payment like Sirius said, what if we pick the wrong sin? What if we...pay the wrong toll? Or does that even matter?"

Sirius cocked his head at Rhys. It was a fair question for the rest of them. As for himself...Sirius was confident in his ability to lay claim to each of the Seven Sins. Rhys had said he wanted the two of them to go last anyway. He'd take what was left over from the other six.

Rhys frowned, obviously plunging deep into thought for a moment. Then, he shrugged. "I guess we'll find out." He clapped his hands together. "So...who's first?"

They all looked from side to side and across the small circle they'd formed around Logan. No one spoke for a long moment.

Then, Galloway moved her mouth beside Sirius' ear. Her words were so soft, he couldn't quite make out what she was saying. Fear and anger scrabbled through him when he realized he would have to admit he hadn't been able to understand.

"What?" he barely managed between gritted teeth.

She blinked once, her winter-grey eyes darkening. She didn't repeat herself, just turned toward Logan. "Wrath."

Logan looked down at her, his brown skin leached of any warmth. He just nodded and reached for her wrist. Galloway offered her arm without hesitation, her trust in Logan radiating from her. She slipped away from Sirius slowly, making sure he didn't fall over as she stepped closer to the witch.

Something white-hot raged in his chest at how she curled toward the other man, her expression open. Trusting, even as he flipped her hand in his, exposing the pale, vulnerable belly of her forearm.

Perhaps he should claim envy.

Logan made the first cut quickly, his hand steady, practiced. Galloway looked over her shoulder at Sirius. Her eyes were distant. "I'm wrath," she said softly. "It's why I'm here. It's all I have left."

A shudder ran down Sirius' spine at her words, the scent of copper filling the air as her blood welled up. Regret wrenched his insides as he realized all over again the things he'd lost in his deal with the darkness. Logan made more and more cuts, carving the name of her sin into her flesh. Blood dribbled down her arm, splashing to the floor until Rhys moved forward, cupping his hands under the flow.

His palms filled with her blood. 

When the last cut had been made—the word spelled out across her skin—Rhys stepped to the gate, sprinkling and smearing her blood over the broken bone and twisted metal. He whispered under his breath, too low for Sirius to hear. Again, horror and rage slid through him as he realized how dull his senses were now.

Regret was a now-constant voice murmuring along the back of his skull.

If not envy, perhaps greed. He always desperately wanted everything. Why couldn't he have both Galloway and his powers?

Rhys stepped back, rubbing his hands clean on his already filthy shirt. He gestured to Galloway, who was standing huddled beside Logan, her arm cradled to her chest, her eyes glued to the cuts scored across her skin. When Logan touched her shoulder she leapt away from him, knocking into Sirius, who nearly fell over.

Her breath was harsh, her eyes overlarge in her face. Sirius slowly reached out, but she flinched back. Hurt flared inside of him, but he couldn't stop from trying once more. His fingers brushed her shoulder just to feel how hard she was shaking. Galloway met his eyes for a long moment, then brushed his hand away. 

Perhaps gluttony was the sin best suited to him.

She turned toward the gate, heaving a sigh that dragged her shoulders down and made her sway. Rhys offered her the closest thing to a smile he could give, sweeping an arm toward the gate.

"Midnight, Cinderella," he whispered, his voice rough. "Time to get you home."

Galloway pressed her palm to his cheek, her thumb brushing away the blood that had collected at the corner of his mouth before pulling him into a hug. Sirius couldn't bear to watch as Rhys buried his face in her ragged hair, holding her tight. He looked down just as a thud of magic rippled the air around them.

Panic sparked when he looked up to find her gone. He stumbled forward blindly just to be caught be Rick when he wove too far to the side. "She's through, Fido," Rick said in his ear. "It's done."

Sirius turned his head to meet the Hunter's eyes. It felt too much like a lie. How could something like this possibly be done? He hadn't seen it for himself. What if they were wrong. What if she hadn't escaped Hell. He lunged forward, just to be caught again by Rick.

"She's gone, Sirius. I wouldn't lie about that."

Sirius turned to look the Hunter in the eye. Rick held his gaze steadily, willing belief. The only time his attention slipped was when Alex stepped forward. She had her arms folded over her stomach and her head bowed. In a tiny voice, she said, "I think I know mine."

She stepped closer to Logan when the witch offered a hand, his eyes kind. Alex glanced around the circle, her gaze skipping awkwardly over Sirius.

"Gluttony," she said, cautiously placing the back of her hand in Logan's palm. Her head turned toward Caleb on one side of her, then Rick on the other. "I...I always want...everything. I want it my way and I...I never think about the consequences. Not until it's done and I've gotten my way and regretted it later."

She looked at Caleb, who didn't so much as blink. Rick put an arm around his sister's shoulders, murmuring in her ear. Something that was either a hiccup or a sob shook her chest, and she pressed her face against her brother's chest.

"Do it," she said through gritted teeth, her body tense.

The same process that had sent Galloway through the gate was done with Alex, her claimed sin carved across the inside of her forearm. Her blood was smeared across the gate. She gave her brother a one-armed hug and once more locked eyes with Caleb. His throat bobbed and he jerked his head toward the gate.

Alex's mouth twitched unhappily before she turned and melted into the blackness hanging between the bent gates. Again, magic rippled around them, sulfuric and unpleasant on Sirius' tongue. Or, maybe that was just more blood working its way up the back of his throat.

A collective sigh of relief came from the remaining Hunters. Then, Rick glanced at Caleb. "You should stop."

Caleb blinked once, his expression drawn. He looked at Rick, then stepped toward Logan, rolling back his sleeve.

"Envy." He huffed a breath through his nose, his jaw a tense line. Then—just as Alex and Galloway had done—he confessed why. "I envied how my parents seemed to dote on my brother, so I didn't listen to them and they all died. I envied Rick his sibling and their bond, so I took Alex on that hunt." He glanced back at Sirius. "I envied you Galloway, and she wound up in Hell." He offered Logan his arm. "Envy is my sin."

The knife flashed, blood fell and Caleb followed the women through the gate with a last glance over his shoulder. Rick let out a long sigh, his body relaxing for the first time since they had crossed the border into Hell what seemed like centuries ago.

A howl and clamor rose behind them, louder with every passing breath.

Sirius was nearly knocked over when the remaining Hunter clapped him on the shoulder. He turned to meet gunmetal eyes and a stormy expression. Rick cocked his head. "I'll be honest, Fido. I'm still tempted to kill you. You deserve it."

Probably. But he was too close to the finish line to indulge probable truths. He barely even blinked at Rick.

Shock froze him when the Hunter gave him a hug instead of trying to gut him. In his ear, Rick whispered, "You did what you promised. You got them out. So I'll repay that. I'm fucking sick of debts." He shoved Sirius away, sending him stumbling into Logan. "You could probably pick anything," Rick said.

Sirius regained his balance and stared at Rick. "What are you talking about?"

Gesturing toward the blackness between worlds, Rick said, "Get out of here."

There was the briefest pause. Then: "No!"

The word echoed weirdly in Sirius' ears, and it took him a moment to realize that was because Rhys had said the same thing at the same time. The witch shook his head violently. "No. Sirius has to go last."

Rick gave him a strange look. "Planning to lock the gate on him? That seems like a dick move." He frowned. "Even to me."

Unease trickled through Sirius. With the state he was in, he wouldn't last so much as a second when those hellions he could hear reached a barred gate.

"No, I'm not locking him down here," Rhys said, disgust dripping from his tone in a way that put Sirius at ease. The witch's eyes shifted to Sirius. "It's... His blood isn't human. If he goes last, maybe the gate won't sense that. It'll know there's blood, but it'll...taste human because it's hidden by the rest of us."

Sirius fancied he could smell the lies rolling off the witch's tongue. Rick must have heard the same unsound note in Rhys' voice, because he cast a doubtful glance at the bloodied gate. He cast an accusatory glance at Sirius. "You said you can pass easily through the gate. That because you belong to both worlds you could move easily between them."

Part of him was stunned the Hunter remembered anything he'd said. The rest of him was just annoyed.

It took a moment before he could summon up a plausible lie. He could tell Rick didn't believe a word when he finally spoke. "I said I could slip through the...back gates. The secret entrances. The main gates are a different sort of beast."

It came as a surprise when Logan chimed in. "Humans need to go first. We're a little less human than you." He gestured at himself and his brother, then jerked a thumb at Sirius. "And a lot more human than him. He goes last."

Rick's eyes darted from face to face, deep lines carved around his mouth and across his forehead as some internal debate was waged. Sirius watched in abject confusion as the Hunter struggled. Hadn't he just professed a desire for Sirius' imminent death? Why was he bothering to hesitate? Bothering to act like he cared?

When the wait stretched to something wearisome and the sound of hell-beasts and demons was growing uncomfortably close, Sirius reached out. He grabbed Rick's arm and jerked him forward, shoving him toward the gate.

"W-Wait," Rick tried to protest and Sirius' patience was shredded away.

"You wanna talk about being sick of debts?" Sirius asked, his voice devoid of the bite he'd hoped for. Maybe the darkness had taken that, too. "I promised Sekhmet you'd get out safely. So leave. Honestly, I'm pretty sure I'm already screwed. She made me swear you wouldn't get too hurt."

Gold flared in Rick's irises at the mention of the Egyptian goddess. "What?"

"Just. Leave." Sirius gestured toward the gate, then sank into a crouch, his body threatening harsh retribution if he didn't cater to his exhaustion at least a little.

"I'm not... You need to explain—"

"And he will," Rhys finally interjected, much to Sirius' relief. There was something grimly amusing about his new relationship with the witch. "But how about we have this conversation someplace where we won't get eaten. Or thrown back in the pits."

The witch and the Hunter both shuddered. Then, Rick sighed, his shoulders slumping with defeat. "Fine," he said, obviously unhappy. He gave the witch a beady-eyed expression. "You come through without him, I'm dragging your ass back down here to get him."

Sirius looked up, the shock physically knocking him over as he collapsed backwards. Open-mouthed, he blinked as Rick glanced down at him. Upon seeing Sirius' astonishment, Rick let out a grim laugh. "Just 'cause I want to kill you doesn't mean I want you dead, Fido."

He grew serious as he turned to Logan. "There are too many questions need answering." He stuck out his arm, head bowing. "I guess I'll go with greed," he murmured. "Greed was what got me caught by Se—"

"Don't!" the other three men shouted frantically.

Rick paled, looking up like Set would be crouched above the gate like some kind of massive spider waiting to snatch the Hunter into his net. He licked his lips. "Greed."

As Logan made the cuts, Rick stood with his head craned over his shoulder, watching the empty cavern behind the warily. A trickle of anxiety made its way into Sirius' chest and he couldn't help but eye the darkness with distrust.

Another strange experience in an ever-expanding list.

When the last cut was made and his blood had joined that of the others, Rick slipped through the veil, still peering anxiously over his shoulder.

It came as a surprise to Sirius, how relieved he was that Rick was away and free of this wretched place. It wasn't the bone-deep peace he felt every time he reminded himself that Galloway was free. More like the relief that comes after an itch has been scratched—small but noticeable.

Chalking it up to the fact that he'd managed to uphold his end of the deal with Sekhmet—that he wouldn't have to surrender his only love to the lioness—Sirius made eye contact with Rhys.

Now, he suspected, came the hard part.