Page 68 of Magic of Sins

“I grew up in the West End. My father was a cobbler, my mother a seamstress. They had a shop together in Carnaby Street.”

If I expected anything, it wasn’t that. I look up at Caden in surprise.

“But aren’t your parents sin mages? How come you grew up in the West End?”

“They thought they could keep what they were a secret from the world.”

There’s a sadness to him now, and I don’t dare to ask anythingfurther. But I don’t have to because Caden keeps talking.

“Everything went well for a while. Sure, people were suspicious after the riots, but my parents were careful. I don’t know if they ever fed on anyone—they never did around me, anyway. They tried to deny their heritage as best they could. Only I wasn’t in control of my sin magic yet. I was young and brash. And once, when two of my classmates got into a fight, my powers erupted. I was so surprised by it that the teacher quickly found the culprit and I was sent home. In those days, no one knew how to handle situations like that. After all, I was just a little boy. But that very evening, three members of the Guard showed up at our door.”

I swallow. I can tell by looking at Caden that he’s struggling to get the words past his lips. His eyes are wet. He puts his head back and takes a deep breath before continuing with his story.

“They were the most harmless and kind people I knew. When the guards came, my father offered them tea. He apologized to them for the inconvenience, and they…”

I entwine my fingers with his, wanting to give him the strength to continue talking. This gesture, which once scared me so much, suddenly seems like the most natural thing in the world.

“They beat my parents to death in front of me.” Caden speaks quickly now, as if he needs to get the words out. Like he’s ripping off a band-aid. “My gentle mother, who could never hurt a fly, spent her last breath inciting the wrath of the guards. She managed to get the two men to turn on each other. In their rage, they went at each other with their batons, and I managed to escape.”

Silence.

I barely dare to breathe after that awful story. A tear drips from Caden’s cheek onto my forehead. He wipes his face and when I look at him, he smiles grimly.

“Sorry, that probably wasn’t the bedtime story you wanted to hear.”

I don’t know how to respond.I’m sorryseems too small, too insignificant for all that he’s been through. I raise my hand to his cheek, where the bruise is just barely visible now, and brush away his tears with my thumb.

Right then, a key turns in the door lock.

Caden and I leap to our feet at the same time. His tears are gone. The soft expression on his face has turned back into an impenetrable mask. But when the door opens and a man with black hair and Asian features pokes his head in, he relaxes a little.

“Choi! What took you so long? I was beginning to think you were going to leave us in here to rot.”

A grin spreads across the man’s face. It’s so engaging that I want to smile back at him.

“How was I supposed to know that you’d get yourself locked in a basement dungeon instead of being the knight in shining armor?” He winks at me. “Kaya, I assume. Caden wasn’t exaggerating.”

“Excuse me?”

Confused, I look back and forth between the two men.

“When he said how pretty you are.”

Choi says it lightly, but Caden’s cheeks actually turn a little pink. So, there are some things that can embarrass a sin mage like him after all.

“Shall we, my lady?” Choi asks and gestures toward the door.

“It’sYour Royal Highness, actually,” I correct him and have to grin despite everything that’s happened in the past few hours.

As we step out into the hallway, I catch sight of Rey. Armed with two knives, she gives me a curt nod. She has assumed the wary stance of a predator. At least there’s no blood on either blade.

“How did you guys get in?” Caden asks.

“Through the sewers,” Rey replies as she keeps a lookout for any of Jared’s men.

Considering how they entered the building, the two still look quite impressive, Choi in his black suit and Rey in black motorcycle leathers. She no longer looks as tame as when we first met.

Caden holds a hand over his mouth and nose, groaning. “That explains this unbearable stench.”

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