Page 70 of Magic of Sins

“This is the way out.”

Choi points to an alcove. There are rungs in the wall, and daylight filters in from above. He quickly and skillfully climbs up to the exit.

“You’re next.” Caden pushes me toward the ladder.

My skirt gets tangled several times before I reach the top. On the last steps Choi stretches out his bare hand to help me up. I hesitate to take it, but after everything that’s happened, it really doesn’t seem like such a big deal to touch someone’s hand anymore. Surely a brief touch doesn’t hold a candle to me kissing Caden.

Jesus, I kissed Caden.

I let Choi pull me up. Caden and Rey soon follow.

Cool morning air wafts over me. The day is gray, the sunstill hiding somewhere behind the clouds. We are standing on a street, smack-dab in the middle of the East End with casinos and clubs all around us, but everything is deserted. A drunkard sleeps between two garbage cans, a bottle still in his hand. A shaggy dog roams the street, sniffs a lamppost, then lifts its leg. I guess the residents of East End aren’t morning people.

“Should we go to the Asmodia?” Caden asks, plucking the white handkerchief from Choi’s lapels to wipe his hands, which still have his blood on them.

The others nod.

The Asmodiais a brothel named after the lord of lust, Caden explains to me with a wink. It’s owned by a friend of his. As soon as I enter the building, which looks more like an elegant club from the outside, I feel dizzy. Caden holds me up so that I don’t sink to my knees.

“Looks like someone hasn’t gotten a grip on their powers yet,” Rey comments, unable to keep a smirk from her face.

Choi smiles apologetically at me, as if it’s his fault that sin permeates this place like a thick fog.

I feel like I’m going to choke on its taste. Coughing, I bend over. I feel feverish and my head aches. I am only vaguely aware of my surroundings.

The entrance area has an Asian look. Wooden lanterns bathe a cozy seating area in dim light. Heavy, golden-yellow curtains separate the hall from a room to our right. I catch a brief glimpse of what lies beyond as Choi pushes them aside, but a wave of nausea rolls over me and makes me cringe again.

“Maybe offer her some of your wine,” Rey suggests to Caden, but I wave him off.

The very idea makes me feel even worse.

“I should have expected this,” Caden mutters, stroking my back reassuringly. “Come on, we’ll go to one of the roomsupstairs. Choi, tell Catherine to bring us some tea and bread.”

“Tea and bread?” Rey grimaces, looking disgusted. “I’m not even sure they serve something that boring here. How about hot chocolate and cake instead?”

“Tea and bread,” Caden repeats firmly, lifting me into his arms.

I gasp in shock as I lose my footing, but everything’s still spinning and I’m kind of glad I don’t have to climb the winding stairs to the second floor on my own two feet.

From somewhere I can hear soft, melancholic music playing. A flowery scent hits my nose, and I swallow against the nausea. We enter a room, and Caden gets me into the adjoining bathroom just in time for me to vomit into the toilet bowl.

“Don’t worry, we’ve all had to go through it,” he says as he brushes my hair out of my face and hands me a damp washcloth. “At first, all the sinning can be overwhelming, but you get used to it. Do you want me to leave you alone so you can shower and freshen up?”

I nod. The dizziness has eased a little since we put a door and two floors between us and the action on the ground level. I haven’t seen much—just a couple of scantily clad girls and two gentlemen who pointedly looked the other way when Choi pulled the curtain aside. They were probably uncomfortable being seen here.

It’s still early morning. I imagine these rooms will be much more crowded in the evening. Hopefully I’ll be far away from here by then.

After Caden leaves, I rip off the awful princess dress Jared forced me to wear. I want to rip it to shreds, but I don’t know if Caden has any spare clothes for me. The idea of having to put the thing back on makes the nausea rise again.

I step into the shower on wobbly legs. I feel numb. The hot water splashes against my back, but I hardly notice it. Memoriescrowd in, weighing me down and eventually cause me to lie down on the floor of the tub, arms wrapped around my legs.

In my mind, I list all the things I’ve experienced in the last few days, especially the last few hours. Each one feels like a punch to the gut.

Number one, I’m a sin mage.

Number two, the king is my father. Which makes me a princess and the rightful heir to the throne, since I’m older than Ophelia.

Speaking of… Number three, Ophelia is my half-sister. I have asister,and she seems to be the only ray of hope in all this darkness right now.

---