Page 25 of The Sin Binder's Chains

“Not yet,” he muses, rolling his shoulders, eyes flicking lazily down the length of me, taking in the chains, the bruises, the way my body still fights to repair itself beneath the magic keeping me bound. “But we’ll get there.”

I chuckle, the sound low, ruined. “You sure about that?”

His sneer deepens.

And then, pain. The chains tighten, constricting around my ribs like a vice, the cuffs at my wrists burning hotter, their ancient runes slicing deep, raw agony spreading through every nerve in my body. I wrench against them, jaw locking as my spine arches, as the magic digs deeper, siphoning the very thing that makes me what I am.

Severin watches, head tilting slightly, like he’s curious. Like he’s learning. And I know, fuck, I know, he’s enjoying this. But I won’t give him the satisfaction of a scream.

I let out a laugh, a guttural, broken sound that escapes my throat like smoke. His gaze darkens, and in that moment, I realize this isn’t just about hurting me. He’s waiting for something. I grind my teeth, forcing my breath to steady. I ignore the way the magic eats into my flesh, how my power strains to fight back, to consume, to burn.

Severin sighs, shaking his head. “You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”

I smirk, grinning through the agony. “That’s my specialty.”

His jaw tightens. For the first time, I see it, the flicker of something just beneath his skin. Frustration.

So I press.

Lean in as much as my bindings allow, voice dropping. “What’s wrong? Not getting what you want?”

The chains snap tight. I groan, the sound nearly slipping into a snarl, but I refuse to let it break. Severin steps closer until he’s just inches from where I’m bound, his gaze cutting into me like a scalpel.

“I don’t need you to talk,” he murmurs, voice calm, almost thoughtful. “I just need you to suffer.”

I grin, breathless. “Then you’ll be waiting a long time.”

His smile is slow and cruel. “Not as long as you think.”

He tilts his head slightly, as if he’s listening and sensing something. My blood runs cold because I know exactly what he’s just realized—Luna. I can see the moment he understands that she’s coming. A slow, cruel smile spreads across his face.

“She’s coming, isn’t she, Riven?” His voice is soft, thoughtful, like he’s rolling the words over his tongue just to taste them. “For you?”

I keep my expression blank, ignoring the burn of the chains, the raw ache in my ribs. I won’t give him a reaction. I won’t give him anything.

He chuckles, low and dark. “How sweet.” He takes a step closer, watching me like I’m something amusing. “How reckless.”

I don’t flinch. Don’t let him see the way my blood thrums beneath my skin. Because I already know where this is going. I already know what he’s going to say next. And he doesn’t disappoint.

“I wonder,” he murmurs, “if she’ll bring my brother with her.”

I only grin, bloodstained and sharp. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Severin hums, circling me now, slow and calculated. “You think you’re shielding them.” His voice is almost sympathetic, as if he finds the idea quaint. “But I already know how this ends.”

He stops beside me, close enough that I can feel the unnatural cold rolling off him.

“She’ll come for you,” he says simply. “And I’ll take her from you. Just like I took the last one.”

The chains tighten.

The runes burn hotter.

And still, I laugh. Low and dark and wrecked, my head tilting just enough to meet his gaze.

“Then you should be afraid,” I rasp. “Because if you touch her,” I grin, leaning in, letting my voice drop into something lethal. “I will tear you apart.”

Severin just smiles. Like he’s waiting for me to try. Severin thinks he holds the power here.

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