Starve This Sin

{ Chapter Four }

Eva felt .. comfortable. There was no stiff floor, no wood beneath her, but cushioned velvet.
Her skin felt brighter, cleaner, breathable and refreshed.

Had she died? Had he killed her?

Eva's mind still twisted and spun with vertigo from Ben's mental assault. She couldn't bare to open her eyes.

Unsure of how long she had just been laying perfectly still, she began to register noises.

There was a fire going near her, she could hear the alternating crackle of the infinitely blessed logs.
She could even sense the low hum from the magic that ran through the castle walls, something she knew was there but had never noticed before.

So, she was still in the castle. She wasn't dead.

Placing a hand on her forehead, she sat up slowly.

Feet shuffled from across the room, making Eva jump too quickly, dizziness rushing her again.

"It's okay, you're okay," a female voice assured, she had stopped approaching. "I was instructed to give you some food and some water. They are on the table to your left." And she rushed away, steps receding farther into a back room.

Eva hadn't even seen her face, eyes locked shut to stop spinning. When she opened them, she found herself in a grand room. There was sparse furniture, dark fabrics cloaking the walls, this wasn't the dungeon. Where was she now?

Food, there was food. Her stomach turned in anticipation as she moved for the table, seeing the meat and greens. She ate quickly, too quickly, feeling ill half way through. She finished it despite the growing pain, knowing she needed a whole meal. The water was gone quicker than the food as Eva sat back down on the red sofa.

Somewhere, she felt healed. Her dizziness lessened.

Scanning around the room, she realized she was in some sort of guest room in the castle, she must be. Ben had brought her here instead, which only confused her.

Ben.

Her head swam once more, remembering the way her mind flickered within his power's grasp. All about white witches, why would he think of all people it was her who knew anything?

Maybe his suddenly less painful treatment was a testament to her innocence. But wouldn't he have killed her if he realized she knew nothing?

Or possibly, it was a trick to gain her trust. Maybe he hadn't cleared her innocence at all. As she remembered, some force, immeasurable and strong came ripping from her spine and shoving him out in her panic. Maybe he hadn't finished searching.

The pain of that ached in the back of her mind. It had left a permanent dark pool in her skull, a piece of his magic that he could return to later if he needed, and Eva could feel it taking up unwarranted space.

The prince had magic. Not gifted, royalty elder magic that was bestowed on his family. But pure, conjured magic which was illegal for the royal family to possess. But he worked it effortlessly.

While the kingdom was spreading rumors of indulgence and idol activities to explain the Prince's behavior, he was learning to become a Sorceror.

There was no doubt in Eva's mind he was working with Solanyn, a rebellious Sorceror who swore terror on King Hannon often and preached of an infiltrated kingdom that lacked leadership. His magic was similar, of dark gray clouds and red lightning. He had been outcasted at birth due to the forseeable evil in him and was raised in the harrowing woods by elder witches, he was a man everyone feared.