Page 67
Story: The Sin Binder's Destiny
Luna chokes on a laugh, trying to hide it behind her hand. She’s so bad at pretending she’s not entertained by me. I see the curve of her lips, the way she’s trying not to grin, and it only makes me lean in harder.
“And,” I continue, counting on my fingers, “the wardrobe incident wasn’t even me. That was Elias.”
“I told you not to shove the damn goat in there,” Elias mutters under his breath.
“Technically, you bet me I wouldn’t. And okay, fine,” I sigh dramatically, flopping back onto the grass. “Maybe I did steal Lucien’s journal to doodle mustaches on all the old Sin Binder portraits. But in my defense, he keeps looking at them like they’re gonna give him answers, and honestly? A little facial hair never hurt anyone.”
Elias whistles low. “You also told that village kid that Ambrose could turn into a bear.”
I grin up at the sky. “That was public service. Kid should know what he’s dealing with.”
Luna finally loses the battle and snorts, shaking her head, strands of her hair falling across her cheek. She looks at me like I’m the world’s worst idea—and maybe her favorite one, too.
“So really,” I continue, lacing my fingers behind my head, “I don’t know why he’s so mad. I’m innocent.”
Elias throws a blade of grass at my face. “You’re a menace.”
“Correction,” I say, grinning at Luna now. “I’m delightful.”
And maybe that’s why Lucien’s so mad. Because every stupid thing I do, every prank, every fire and misstep—it’s all to make her laugh.
And I don’t even bother pretending otherwise.
"You know," I say, stretching my arms overhead like I haven’t just been scolded like a child, "if Lucien’s gonna ruin my perfect day of meadow mayhem, we might as well make getting back home interesting."
Elias groans, but I catch the spark in his eyes when he looks at me. "Silas—"
"Race you back," I cut in, already grinning, the kind of grin that means trouble, the kind of grin that usually ends in something on fire.
"You want to race me?" she deadpans, crossing her arms. "When you cheat every time?"
"Baby," I say sweetly, "cheating is just creative strategy."
I don’t wait for permission. I’m already moving, shoving off the ground with enough force to scatter wildflowers, and then I twist, snap, drag magic across the soles of my boots. A pulse of kinetic energy ripples outward from me, kicking up petals, a gust of heated air that sends Elias swearing.
"You absolute little shit!" Elias shouts behind me, and then I hear it—the shift of power, time bending around him like it always does. His magic is subtle, dangerous, slow-motion lethal. The entire world hiccups, slows, except for him. And me. Because I know how to slip past it.
"Not fair!" I call over my shoulder, laughing breathlessly. "You can’t Time your way to the finish line!"
Without warning, I twist, yank magic through the bond I share with her, and sling her forward like a slingshot, sending her flying past both Elias and me, hair whipping behind her, her squeal sharp and delighted and furious.
"Silas!" she shrieks, half laughing, half scolding, soaring ahead of us like she’s weightless.
Elias barrels forward, using his power like a goddamn cheat code, the ground sluggish beneath everyone but him. But I don’t care. I know how to play dirty. I snap my fingers, grab at the threads of kinetic force in the Hollow itself, and let the ground ripple under my feet, using the very bones of this place to throw me faster, harder.
"That’s illegal!" Elias calls, time catching in his voice like molasses.
"Everything I do is illegal!" I yell back, catching up to Luna, who’s still trying to slow her momentum without wiping out.
She shoots me a murderous look as I sidle up next to her, running backwards now because I’m an asshole and I want her to laugh again. "You’re the worst," she huffs.
I grin wider, bouncing backward, deliberately showing off. "But I’m your worst."
She lunges to shove me, but I’m faster, flipping sideways and tumbling once, twice, the magic thrumming through me like lightning in my veins. I land in a sprint, grinning so hard my face hurts.
By the time the house comes into view, the three of us are breathless, chaotic, a mess of laughter and curses and wild, reckless magic tearing at the edges of this world. And Lucien? He’s gonna lose his mind when he sees how much trouble we caused in five stupid minutes.
But right now, in this ridiculous race, in the way Luna’s smile cracks open like it belongs only to us, it’s perfect.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67 (Reading here)
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206
- Page 207
- Page 208
- Page 209
- Page 210
- Page 211
- Page 212
- Page 213
- Page 214
- Page 215
- Page 216
- Page 217
- Page 218
- Page 219
- Page 220
- Page 221
- Page 222
- Page 223
- Page 224
- Page 225
- Page 226
- Page 227
- Page 228
- Page 229
- Page 230
- Page 231
- Page 232
- Page 233
- Page 234
- Page 235
- Page 236
- Page 237
- Page 238
- Page 239
- Page 240
- Page 241
- Page 242
- Page 243
- Page 244
- Page 245
- Page 246
- Page 247
- Page 248
- Page 249
- Page 250
- Page 251
- Page 252
- Page 253
- Page 254
- Page 255
- Page 256
- Page 257
- Page 258
- Page 259
- Page 260
- Page 261
- Page 262
- Page 263
- Page 264
- Page 265
- Page 266
- Page 267
- Page 268