Page 16 of Magic of Sins

“Thank you, Erin,” I hear Ophelia’s warm voice.

The black leather seats are cool to the touch as I slide in next to the princess. Today she’s wearing a white blouse with her gray skirt. Her dark blonde hair is pinned up into a loose bun.

“How nice to see you again, Kaya,” she greets me. “So this is where you work?”

She looks past me out the window. Despite its lack of adornments, the library is an imposing building and one of the oldest in all of Virtue. The lattice windows and stone columns set into the gray facade of the building are reminiscent of days gone by. Mrs.Byron told me quite a bit about the building’s history when I was hired. But I’m not here to make small talk, so I just nod and wait to see what the princess really came to talk about.

She smiles shyly, and like last time, I get the feeling she’s a little uncomfortable with the conversation.

“You did us a great service when you dined with the sin mage, you know that, right? Not only did we manage to expose the sinful cabinet member, but with Caden Nox’ help, we were able to track down two more sinners.”

I remain silent. The princess isn’t here to thank me, I’m sure of it. She wants me to meet Caden again. And who knows what he’ll ask of me this time. The thought sits in my stomach like a heavy stone, and I barely dare to breathe.

“I haven’t told you the whole story, Kaya.” The princess exhales with a sigh and her fingers play nervously with the tulle of her skirt. “The problem is bigger than just one sinful cabinet member.”

I was right. She wants me to allow Caden to feed on me again. And she believes that the things she’s kept hidden from me until now will convince me to do it willingly.

“How much bigger?” I ask in a clipped tone.

The princess leans toward me. She speaks more softly now,though no one can overhear us in the limo anyway. Erin is standing outside next to the car, and the driver is separated from us by a partition.

“What I’m about to tell you is strictly confidential, do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember the attack on the cathedral six months ago?”

I nod. Of course I do.

Sin mages had hidden a bomb in the sanctuary. Twelve people died and much of the cathedral was destroyed. The culprit was caught, but there was speculation that he was not the only one involved. It was a heavy blow to Virtue and to all who seek refuge from sin in religion.

Ophelia sighs sorrowfully at the thought.

“We’ve found evidence that there might be another attack,” she continues. “And Caden Nox has indicated that he has information that can help us.”

So that’s it. The reason why I’m to be thrown to the wolves once again. I can’t say that I don’t understand where they’re coming from. Human lives depend on Caden’s cooperation. How many will die if the attack isn’t stopped in time? Dozens? Hundreds? I can’t let that happen. No matter what it costs me, it’s nothing compared to the suffering such an attack would bring.

I swallow dryly. Ophelia opens her mouth as if to say something else, but I don’t give her the chance to speak.

“When do I see him again?” I ask.

Her relief is almost palpable.

Chapter Five

I don’t tell Ava about any of it, and the next day the royal limousine picks me up and takes me to the palace. This time I’m wearing a high-necked wool sweater over my gray blouse. And despite the warm spring weather, I’ve opted for thick tights under my long gray skirt, plus my gloves. I want to give Caden Nox as little opportunity to touch me as possible. Not that he did last time. But he’s a sin mage. At some point, he’s bound to cross that line.

Ophelia greets me at the gates and a short time later leads me to a different part of the palace than where she led me last time. Her steps are quick, as if she can’t wait to get this whole thing over with. Not that she has anything to fear. She’s not the one who is about to face the King of the Underworld.

We enter a huge room with a glass dome for a ceiling. The air in here is muggy. There are beds of strange flowers, cacti, and shrubs everywhere. Palm trees reach up into the glass dome, their large leaves shining bright green in the blazing sunlight. The middle of the room is taken up by a pond with lily pads floating on its surface.

“The conservatory was created for study purposes,” Ophelia explains, as if to justify the beauty of the place. “Botanists from all over the Empire come here to study the rare plants.”

Today there’s no one in the conservatory but us. Well, us and Caden, of course. His cloak made of black brocade lies on the border of grass surrounding the pond. I don’t see the man himself until I follow the princess down a narrow gravel path to where he’s lounging on a bench hidden behind some palm trees.One leg is crossed over the other and he’s engrossed in a book propped up on his lap.

Ophelia clears her throat. “Mr.Nox? I brought Kaya Ashton with me.”

The sin mage seems to have more respect for the princess than for her father because he sits up, closes the book, and places it next to him on the bench.

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