Page 79 of A Sin So Pure

His steps are silent as he approaches, dressed in his standard three-piece black suit with a gray wool overcoat—much like mine—and a flat cap to match. It’s all freshly pressed; straight creases cut the center of each leg of his trousers. Even his oxfords shine as they peek out from the hem of the pants.

I take a final drag of my cigarette before dropping it on the pavement and stomping it out with my boot. I barely smoked through a quarter of it, but Wrath isn’t Envy, and I can’t push him the same way I can the other Sins.

Luckily, we aren’t left in awkward silence for long. Shadows merge together in the empty space before us, silky tendrils of night that are tangible enough to skim your hand through.

“Evening,” Silas says as he materializes from the darkness.

Silas is dressed even warmer than us, with a fur-trimmed jacket over his suit. It’s an interesting choice in outerwear, but it matches his personality. He claps his hands together, the sound a muted thud given the leather gloves he wears.

“We don’t have much time to waste. There’s a storm coming.”

I peek at the sky. There’s not a cloud in sight.

“Storm’s on the other end,” he says, as if he can read my mind. He turns to Wrath. “You good?”

Wrath nods before grabbing my suitcase and disappearing into a swirl of shadows.

“You may be sick after this,” Silas says.

The six words are the only warning I get before Silas’s hand falls on my shoulder, and I’m thrust into the void.

Darkness swirls around me, a hundred shades of night that I never knew existed. I’ve been shadow-walked plenty of times before, but there’s something different about Silas’s shadows—something dangerous lurks within them.

As quickly as I was plunged into it, I’m yanked out, tripping over my feet and blinking at the bright white landscape. A wet chill soaks my knees and forearms.

Snow, untouched and sparkling, surrounds us for miles, blurring into a mass of white-dusted evergreens and mountains whose peaks are hidden by clouds.

“You’ll have time to gawk at the views later. Follow me,” Silas says from behind me.

I stand, whacking the snow from my legs and coat. Silas is already striding through a path cut in the snow and leaving me behind.

He calls over his shoulder, “It’s a short walk from here. Apologies for the trek through the snow, but there are ancient wards around the area that block us from landing too close.”

Snow crunches under my boots as I follow, the cold already soaking through the leather. Ahead, a shadowed cavern yawns open in the side of the mountain; its entrance is unnervingly black, and I recognize the telltale shimmer of magic.

“You brought me to a cave?” I deadpan. “This isn’t the creative end I assumed you’d think up for me, Your Majesty. I have to admit I’m disappointed.”

He laughs—a throaty chuckle that echoes across the mountainside.

“You continue to surprise me with your honesty,” he says, wiping an unshed tear from his eye. “And please, call me Silas.” He sweeps a hand out in a grand gesture towards the cave. “Welcome to Mount Bramble, where the berries in spring are delicious and Court secrets are plentiful year-round.”

Passing through the outer barrier of the cave feels akin to traveling between the realms. The magic clings to me like glitter, a faint dust that shimmers before sinking into my skin. The inside of the cave is surprisingly warm, the air thicker here than outside. The shadow barrier keeps heat in as much as it keeps people out. The rounded walls are smooth, and my leather-tipped fingers drift over the gray rock as easily as they would marble; it’s as if someone shaved and polished them.

Our steps echo as Silas leads us down the natural hallway.

When we reach the end of the path, punctuated by a set of large iron doors, Silas turns to me.

What kind of stronghold has he brought me to?

“What lies beyond these doors is accessed by only a select few members of the Court. I hope you will use the utmost discretion about what you see here when we leave,” he says with a seriousness that strikes my gut.

“I understand.”

Like a child, his mood shifts from serious to carefree in an instant. He shoots me a mischievous smile.

“Now to show you all the goodies,” he says and throws open the doors.

They open to a large underground cavern.

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