Sin
Blonde hair whipped in her peripherals as Jocelyn leaned against the door frame.
She had her arms crossed, brow arched, and a matching sneer to complete the look.
* * *
What could they possibly resent her for? She was tortured her whole life, skin mutilated, then mated to the prince and heir, forced to sit back and watch as he married someone else. Someone who is likely to have perfectly smooth, unblemished skin.
Sin’s spine wavered, anger at the thought making her shoulders tighten.
Soft, urgent whispers caught Sin’s ear—servants murmuring in the corners, their voices tinged with fear as they spoke of girls vanishing, and the royal family’s cold indifference.
Her first thought?
Figures. But then, a chilling awareness of the deeper rot and danger lurking within the castle’s walls settled in. Ever since her tempestum first let loose, Sin felt as if the walls had a magical sentience she could speak to if she wanted.
Keeping her eyes open, Sin resolved to tread carefully as she plotted her path to reclaim her magic. She wouldn’t worry about someone capturing her if her magic was freed. The people should worry about what Sin would do to them.
Sin was scrubbing the grand staircase alongside an older, sharp-eyed servant rumored to be a former witch, like Jocelyn.
The woman’s wiry frame and rough hands spoke of a hard life, but there was something else—a glint in her dark eyes, a sharpness that hinted at secrets buried beneath layers of servitude.
Her presence carried an air of quiet authority, as if she had once commanded power that had never quite left her.
Though they were rumors, she had to know.
“So,” Sin began, her voice low, eyes darting around to check for listening ears. “It’s rare, isn’t it? To find another witch here… someone who knows what it’s like, someone with secrets like mine.”
“No,” the older woman croaked, her voice tinged with bitterness. “They just end up dead.”
Sin nodded. “True. True…” Sin paused, her gaze dropping to the ground as if lost in thought.
“You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about freedom lately.
About how some of us… well, how we might still have a chance if we just knew where to look.
” She glanced up at the older woman, her voice dropping even lower.
“I don’t suppose you’ve learned anything on how to free your magic? ”
The woman glared at Sin, her whole body tensed as she whispered, “The walls are listening, girl.” The older woman hesitated, her eyes darting nervously to the shadows, her lips tightening as if reconsidering her words.
“You want to risk your head? You can find the information yourself by finding one of the castle’s magically hidden libraries.
It holds forbidden knowledge, secrets that could destroy you—and your head if they catch you looking.
” The woman stomped away from Sin, understandably so.
Sin didn’t blame her for not wanting to get caught fraternizing with another witch.
Especially one everyone knew killed her parents, deserving or not.
Despite the warning, Sin’s determination to find the hidden libraries solidified. No life was worth living if you couldn’t claim it as your own.
That night, Sin lay awake, watching shadows from clouds moving in the moonlight sway across the ceiling, consumed by her desire for everyone to hurry to sleep so she could find the knowledge she sought.
As soon as the heartbeats in the room steadied, no moans to be heard, she sneaked out, moving through the castle’s corridors.
With each step, the walls seemed to close in, as if daring her to keep going.
The stone cold as ice against her bare feet, the rough surface biting into her skin, reminding her with every step of how much she risked.
Shoes would have echoed through the silence, betraying her presence.
The consequences if caught would be severe, but she couldn’t stop moving.
A deep rumble reverberated through the halls, an unsettling sound like a slow, deliberate heartbeat mixed with a long exhale, as if the castle itself were alive, breathing, watching. She didn’t move, focusing her senses.
No one was there.
Looking back, there was no one, but a tingling crawled over her skin as she turned back around, and the hall had changed.
She hadn’t seen it happen, but she knew it did—there was a dead end that wasn’t there before.
The right was blocked by stacked tables and chairs, leaving her only one direction to turn.
A shaft of moonlight fell across the door, bathing it in a silvery glow that made the surrounding shadows seem even darker, as though the castle itself wanted her to see it—wanted her to enter.
As if it weren’t alarming enough, the door was the only part of this hall that wasn’t dusty.
Sin side-eyed the walls, silently questioning why they were doing this. Perhaps they recognized the magic within her, like its antithesis.
Gently turning the knob, lifting the door slightly to avoid as much noise as possible, she opened it, revealing a vast, ancient library filled with old tomes and flickering candlelight.
She could feel the potent magic thrumming through the room, a tingling that started in her fingertips and spread up her arms, as if the air itself pulsed with energy that recognized her, called to her.
As if in a trance, her eyes locked on a book—unremarkable in appearance—but she couldn’t tear her eyes away.
Her feet moved of their own accord, not taking her eyes off the tome as she reached for it.
The witch’s warning echoed in her mind, but she was unable to resist. As Sin’s fingers touched the book, the atmosphere shifted suddenly, the warmth leeching away until the air was so cold her breath misted before her, the sharp chill cutting through her thin clothing, making her shiver.
“I wouldn’t open that if I were you.”