Sin - 2 Years Later
Once upon a time, in a pile of rubble far away from Sinderella’s coven, lay not the remains of three bodies, but two.
Two witches stood before the sight of Audrira’s demise, where her remains were no longer. Stolen in the night as the castle became a battlefield, the perfect distraction for a princess to take what was left of Audrira away, and the cursed glass stilettos that once belonged to Sin.
The day she and Jocelyn left the castle and Max behind, was the day Jocelyn had told Sin everything. How it was she who released Sin’s magic that horrible day. How Audrira had the shoes with her when she died.
When Sin killed her.
Jocelyn had assumed they would remain there at least until the urgent matters were delt with.
She was wrong.
When they returned to the sight, the only remains beneath the rubble were Magnolia’s and Sin’s sisters.
Them, she decided to leave to rot. Magnolia, they’d built a pyre for her.
When it was over, they took her ashes and blessed them, placing them into dozens of replicated anklets for all in their future coven, so their beloved teacher would walk with them in their path.
Now, the fallen building had become a meeting spot for her and Jocelyn to come and admire how justice had been served on a platter for the local hungry beasts and vermin.
“You’re going to be gone much longer this time, aren’t you?”
Sin exhaled as she considered Jocelyn’s question. She was always smarter than most realized. “You will continue to remain in charge.”
Jocelyn huffed a small sound of amusement. “I wish you both all the happiness. I truly do. But don’t forget about us, okay? We couldn’t have done any of this without you.”
“You mean without me staying away so I wouldn’t accidentally break everything or kill anyone?”
“That too,” Jocelyn admitted as she laughed. “You are the first Tempest witch in the entire history of witches to have survived this and still keep your soul. Do the wonders and make the changes you need, or rest while you can before the queen comes knocking.”
Sin snorted. She had so much respect for the mother of her mate, but she would have to make do without her, and hopefully without Max for a while too.
The truth was, she knew all those other witches still held their souls when their magic won them over.
The magic is them, their core, their corrupted soul from unimaginable pain.
Perhaps the only reason Jafar still lived was because like Sin, he could also accept the corruption.
Could face all the pain and embrace what that innocent part of you wanted, but chose not to give it.
It didn’t take long for her to realize the small voice that would pop into her mind in the most dire of situations, wasn’t an ancient cursed sentience.
It was her.
The voice and pain of her when she was forced to watch her mother die and enter a century of torment.
So easily, could she have fought it like everyone else did. Ignore that voice until it festered into something heinous.
But anytime a part of her did, Max’s face would enter her mind. The bond would tighten shortly after, enough so to realize he was right there with her and her pain.
“Will you go searching for the stilettos?” Jocelyn asked, breaking Sin from her thoughts.
“No,” she said as she shook her head, still staring at the decomposed bones peaking from the stones. “It’s the princess’s turn to deal with them now. Hopefully she understands now what it means to step into someone else’s shoes.”
* * *
The Harbor Festival was loud with celebration. One they held each year on this day to honor her mother.
It had been over a hundred years, and Sin had not once heard of the Iris Festival, and assumed it was a ruse.
Today, she would put her magic to the final test. Surrounded by people, structures made of stone and wood surrounded them.
Structures that her magic actively looked for.
Her magic that has learned with time, and ruthless training with her and Jocelyn’s secret coven of Bramble Root, a smaller continent close to Iostria, but not close enough where Max might find her, if he was indeed searching for her.
She ignored the pain in her chest as she continued on, keeping her hood up since she couldn’t argue that she had her mother’s face.
She had been brought to tears a few times since coming here, taking in the portraits and tributes to her mother. A massive painting of her caught Sin’s attention, and she looked at the face that could’ve been hers if it wasn’t so scarred.
Runes were a common artwork on the flesh of witches and fae alike, but never as extensive as Sin’s. She had become covered, neck to foot,. in patchworks of runes and old scars.
It was the magic’s final push to claim her consciousness, and it lost. Because of that alone, she would never be ashamed of the runes she earned. In fact, since she took control of her magic, the runes have only added power to her strength.
She didn’t have to blink to capsize a building. Which she has several times in a ghost village in Bramble Root.
With the money she left with from the queen, and Max despite her arguments, she bought the abandoned village from the coven.
That money going towards anything they needed to raise their witchlings safely and strong.
For as long as Sin was breathing, a witchling would never be stolen from their family again, or else she’d continue hunting them.
She wondered what Max thought about her vigilance, since he surely would know.
Continuously caged those monsters in stone cages, horses would carry them to the capitol of Asera with a lovely note she sent with them.
Her friends from the coven had the horses spelled to only go there, just as she requested.
Sin nearly stumbled as she heard the unmistakable sound of mouths colliding, and froze as she caught a couple about to fuck in the alleyway.
“Hey,” she called, approaching them away from other ears.
“What the fuck?” the guy argued.
“If you’re going to fuck in an alley, maybe you should do so where little children can’t see you.”
The woman huffed, opening her mouth to argue.
“I apologize if that sounded like a question. Get lost.” The ground rumbled beneath them, and it took two seconds for the guy to figure out she was powerful, dragging the girl away.
Sin snorted as they left, and stopped breathing when she caught his scent.
Whirling around, expecting to see his face, she saw nothing but unfamiliar and happy faces walking down the roads.
Sin took a deep breath before she continued on, hating herself for feeling such sorrow when she needed to focus. She had never been with anyone else in the years apart from Max, unable to find interest in anyone who didn’t measure up to Max.
She wondered if Max moved on. If he found someone, or multiple someones to fill the void he promised couldn’t be filled.
Possessive jealousy sparked within her, and a desire to claim him as hers once again. Insistently, she promised herself to finish with this festival and hurry back to Asera, to remind that ginger snake who he belongs to.
Suddenly, every single glimpse of auburn hair had her chest pounding with frustration.
A zip of smug awareness pulled at her.
Smiling broadly, she turned around, finding that now smirk directed at nothing and no one but her. He was a statue amongst a crowd walking around his tall figure.
She turned around, not having to look to know he was following her.
Hunger flowed through the bond that pulled taut between them. A familiar growl sounded in her head, making her core clench with need.
She hadn’t taken a step inside an alley before he grabbed her, and suddenly she was pressed against a brick wall, far away from eyes and ears. His pupils narrowed to slits as he took her in.
“Are you not going to kiss your poor mate, who missed you dearly?” she taunted.
He had her pinned by the hips, his large hand collared around her throat.
“Not sure,” hearing his voice again had her pussy throbbing.
“I don’t think my poor mate is deserving of one after making me chase her across the realms all these months.
” His mouth neared hers, making her feral with the need to close the distance.
“You could’ve caught me. Did you like my presents?”
He bared his teeth as he hissed. “I could’ve, but I needed my poor mate to know I was close, that she was safe. Not that she needed protection based on the physical state of those people you sent us.”
Her hands reached for his face, pressing her palms against the soft hair. “You grew a beard,” she said smiling. “I like it.”
Sin pressed forward to claim his mouth, but his hand around her throat wouldn’t allow it. No words came to her, the argument long forgotten. If she didn’t get him inside her this second, she was going to explode.
A growl grew in volume, reverberating against her skin before he spun her around, pressing her front against the wall.
“Did you find everything you needed?”
“Yes,” she panted.
“Are you coming back to me?”
She heard the hardened tone in his voice, clearly covering up the desperation. Looking back at him, giving them both flashbacks of their last night together, she swore, “This was my last stop.”
“Good,” he said before yanking down her pants, turning her back around, and inserting three fingers inside her, making her cry out. He pressed his hand against her mouth, cutting off the sound. “Because you’re not leaving here without me, you understand?”
Sin licked his palm, making him groan before he released her, and claimed her lips.
Sin forgot where she was, who she was, as his tongue danced with hers. The taste of him had her fucking his fingers back. He growled, biting her lip as he freed himself.
She salivated at the sight of his cock, and with her newfound strength, made them switch places.
She dropped to her knees and forced his cock down her throat, making him cry out in surprise.