Page 27 of Magic of Sins

“I think I’d rather leave,” I say.

My instincts tell me to leave Jared and the Crime and Punishment as quickly as possible, but he’s still holding my mother’s photo and I don’t want to leave it behind.

“I know your mother,” Jared says calmly.

My breath catches. Is this a trap? He could be lying. But what would the sin mage gain by telling a strange girl that he knows her mother?

“How?” I ask warily.

One corner of his mouth pulls up into a smirk.

“Sit down and eat something with me. Then I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

“No, thank you.” My response is stiff. I wish I sounded—and seemed—more composed as I reach out for the photo of my mother. “I’d like my picture back now, please.”

Jared grabs me by the wrist in a flash and pulls me to him on the padded bench.

“Seems to me I didn’t make myself clear. ‘No, thank you’is not an option, princess,” he hisses.

Suddenly, there’s nothing drowsy about him. His eyes flash dangerously; a warning not to resist him.

Laughing, Amy slides onto the bench next to us and reaches for a strawberry.

“Jared’s just kidding, Kaya. Don’t let him rattle you,” she says, looking completely unconcerned.

She waves a waitress over. “There’s no whipped cream. Anddo you have any chocolate sauce?”

I try to make eye contact with the waitress, silently begging for help, but she won’t look at me.

“Yeah, it’s all in good fun,” Jared agrees, moving even closer to me.

I can’t avoid him because Amy is blocking my way out. And the table in front of me prevents me from escaping that way. What should I do? Scream for help? But that would mean admitting that I’m in danger, that I’m defenseless against these two and at their mercy. I feel paralyzed.

The waitress disappears and comes back a short time later, placing a small bowl of chocolate sauce on the table along with a silver canister that I assume contains the whipped cream. Amy lifts it to her mouth and sprays some on her outstretched tongue.

“You can’t beat whipped cream,” she mumbles.

“Here, have a strawberry,” Jared says, holding the red fruit in front of my mouth.

His nails press into its flesh and a little red juice runs down his fingers. I press my lips together tightly, but he pushes his thumb into my mouth and forces me to open up.

The strawberry practically bursts on my tongue. Sweet and fruity and juicy. I swallow it down hastily. There’s no way I’m going to enjoy this and give Jared the opportunity to feed on my sin.

But it’s already too late. I can feel Jared’s presence in my mind, feel him heightening my sense of taste and desire for more.

“Want another one?” he breathes in a throaty voice.

Another strawberry appears in front of my face. Jared sweeps it across my lips. This time he doesn’t force it into my mouth; he doesn’t have to.

I don’t want this.

I don’t want to want this.

But my lips open on their own. A moan escapes me as the taste of strawberry fills my mouth.

“Here, have some whipped cream with it,” Amy suggests and sprays some on her index finger. She holds it out to me.

Earlier, when I watched the dancer, I wondered if there was such a thing as free will under the influence of a sin mage. Now I know there isn’t. Tears run down my cheeks as I lick the whipped cream from Amy’s finger. It’s sweet and kind of fluffy. I want more.

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