Page 39 of Magic of Sins

“What do you want?” I ask harshly, in order to hide my embarrassment.

By all the seven virtues, he’s seen me in mybra. How am I ever going to look him in the eye again without blushing?

“To talk to you,” he says.

“What if I don’t want to talk to you?”

He raises his eyebrows. My question seems to amuse him.

“Have you grown claws since we last met, love?”

Funny. But I’m not going to play his little games. If Caden won’t give me a straight answer, I might as well go.

I move to get out of the car, but Caden places a hand on my forearm. Despite the fabric covering my skin, the touch flashes through me like lightning, and I freeze.

“Kaya, please,” Caden says softly, pulling his hand away again. “Ophelia mentioned that there was an incident last night. She said you were pretty upset.”

Ophelia. So she’s the one who told Caden I was coming here. She probably got word from her servant and put two and two together. But why did she have to tell the sin mage, of all people? And what’s more, to tell him of last night’s events!

“I’m fine,” I say, glaring at Caden.

Is he seriously going to pretend to care about my well-being now? I don’t buy it.

“Tell me what happened,” Caden demands, leaning back in his seat.

“Nothing happened,” I reply defiantly. We engage in a silent battle, which Caden ultimately wins. With a frustrated sigh, I throw my hands in the air. It’s not like he’s going to let it go anyway. “If you must know, a couple got too close to each other while dancing and now the king wants to punish them.”

No big deal,I want to add, but the words get stuck in my throat. For the two sinners, it is a big deal. They risked their lives for a single touch.

“They’ve sinned,” Caden states dryly.

I nod.

“And you watched them do it?”

“I might have,” I mumble.

I feel somewhat uncomfortable admitting that. It’s like I canstill feel the heat that overcame me at the sight of them, the tingling in my body.

“Did you…” Caden pauses, rubbing his forehead as if searching for the right words. “Did you feel anything as you watched?” he finally asks.

What’s with the questions? Is he trying to find out if our visit together to the East End somehow led me astray from the path of virtue? Is that what he wants?

I shake my head, already reaching for the door handle.

“No, that’s crazy. Why would I? I didn’t feel anything. Because there was nothing to feel.”

I’ve probably protested too much, I realize. Caden tilts his head and looks at me, considering.

“Go get your stuff,” he finally says. “We’ll talk more afterward.”

I don’t want to talk to him. Especially not about how watching the couple sin made me feel. It’s none of his business. Still, I nod reluctantly and step out of the limo.

I see Mrs. Hughes standing by the window, watering her plants. The poor things are probably drowning by now. I give her a friendly wave, as if her watching me doesn’t bother me in the slightest. At least she has enough decency to look embarrassed.

I unlock the door as fast as I can and cross the hallway before she can even make it to the stairs. As I’m closing the apartment door behind me, Ava is coming toward me, a cup of tea in her hand and a dress she was working on a minute ago over her arm.

“Shouldn’t you be at work?” I ask her, frowning.

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