Trapped In Sin: Ava’s Story

Beneath Azrael's Mercy

Ava POV

The clink of silver against the porcelain plates filled the dimly lit dining hall. I sat rigid in my chair, painfully aware of the weight of every movement around me, and every breath. Azrael sat at the head of the table, his pale fingers curled loosely around a steaming cup of black coffee. His brother, Cassian, was seated beside me, looking far more casual, though I could tell from his watchful eyes that nothing went unnoticed by him.

I poked at the poached eggs on my plate, my appetite was lost to the crushing atmosphere. I didn't dare say a word since I've entered, Azrael hasn't spoken to me either— he just gave me one cold sweep of his eyes that said everything and nothing all at once. I honestly appreciated his silence because I had no desire to talk to him. The blissful silence was disturbed by the soft sound of approaching footsteps.

A man dressed in a dark blue suit entered the hall and bowed low at Azrael’s side. “Apologies, Master Volkov. There’s an urgent matter at the company that requires your attention.” Azrael didn’t sigh, he didn’t groan or show irritation. He simply rose from his seat, every motion was fluid and precise. He adjusted his cufflinks with a metallic click before turning his gaze to me.

“I expect you to behave. Don’t test my patience, Ava.” He warned. The irritation in his voice did not go unnoticed.

I nodded profusely, Azrael gave me a long, assessing look before he started walking out of the hall. I stiffened as he walked past me; his presence was still lingering even after he disappeared through the tall doors. I sighed a breath of relief when the doors closed, I could finally breathe again.

Cassian stood up next, stretching like a cat before nodding toward me with a big smile on his face. “Come on, I’ll show you around the house. You might as well make use of the prison before he locks the gates.” He said cheerfully, like he didn't just say something outrageous.

Well, that was comforting. I bit my lip and decided to follow him, my heart was pounding as we walked through the endless corridors. The castle was old—older than anything I’ve ever lived in, there were beautifully designed mosaic floors, creaking wooden doors, and stained glass windows that threw strange colors across the floor. It felt like I was walking through someone else’s dream.

Cassian kept glancing over his shoulder to make sure that I was still following him. I stayed behind him and looked around the castle as we walked to wherever it was that he was taking me. As we stepped into a sun-drenched corridor, he turned to me and said. “You don’t need to be afraid of him all the time. Azrael’s… always been like this, cold and distant. He was never the nurturing type.”

“I’m not afraid of him.” I lied. I hated it when people could see straight through me.

Cassian huffed a dry laugh and shook his head in disbelief. “You should be, honestly. But not like that. He doesn’t—” He paused before he continued. “He doesn’t trust people, and he never has. You just happened to get pulled into his orbit at the wrong time.”

I didn’t answer. What was there to say? I didn’t choose this, none of this. And yet here I was, a prisoner, being fed gourmet meals with a side of threats.

We stepped outside into a walled garden that looked like it had been carved from a fairytale. there were beautiful stone paths that twisted through blooming rose bushes, ivy crawled up the marble statues, and a fountain trickled softly in the center of the garden. It was quiet, and it looked peaceful. I was compelled by its beauty.

A woman stood by the fountain, brushing petals from the sleeves of her sundress. Her midnight hair shimmered under the sun and made her look like a celestial being. She looked up as we approached the fountain, her blue eyes widened as they landed on me. the woman rushed to Cassian and jumped up to ruffle his hair. I stood there awkwardly staring at the pair.

“Cass.” She said, turning her head to me for a brief second. “You didn’t tell me we had a guest.” She mumbled, but I heard her.

Cassian grinned. “I didn’t want to spoil the surprise." He turned to me and smiled. "Ava, this is our sister, Hannah. and Hannah, this is Ava.” I smiled awkwardly at her because I wasn't expecting to meet the whole family tree in one day. Hannah looks so much like her brothers, and beauty definitely runs in their family.

Hannah pushed Cassian away like he meant nothing and walked closer to me. She smiled and extended her hand. “You must be very special if you're still alive under Azrael's roof.” I was confused by her statement, I hesitated before taking her hand, but I was surprised by the warmth of her touch and the genuine curiosity in her smile.

“I’m Ava.” I said the first thing that came to my mind, and I felt stupid after I said that because she already knew my name

“So I've heard.” She said, looking me over like I was a priceless jewel. “You are very beautiful.”

My cheeks instantly flushed red, I was unsure whether I should thank her or run.

Hannah's smile faded just a little. “You look just like her.” She whispered as if she were in pain, I furrowed my brows in confusion. Cassian shifted uncomfortably beside me and cleared his throat.

Hannah's smile came back like it never left, and she looped her arm through mine. “I'll show you around the castle, Ava. My brother has a lot of work that he needs to get back to.” She gave Cassian a weird look as if daring him to oblige. Cassian put his arms up in surrender, and that was all Hannah needed to start dragging me along with her.

And for the first time since I arrived at this creepy castle, I felt something that wasn’t fear. It was the whisper of a possible alliance and a dangerous hope.

We walked slowly through the winding garden paths, Hannah's arm was still looped through mine like we were old friends. The air was perfumed with roses and the smell of the damp earth, and for a moment, the silence between us felt calm. But my mind refused to follow the peaceful rhythm of the garden. I couldn’t stop glancing over my shoulder, half-expecting to see Azrael appear from the shadows, with ice in his eyes and a threat on his tongue.

Hannah noticed my unease. “Are you expecting someone?” She questioned with a raised brow.

I forced a tight smile. “Maybe.” I shrugged.

She didn’t press for more details, she just kept walking with me by her side, as the hem of her dress brushed across the stone path. “You don’t have to tell me anything.” She said as we left the garden. “I’m not here to drag secrets out of you, Ava. Just… know that I’m here. If you ever need to scream, or throw something very expensive at a wall—I have a list of vases that I can highly recommend.”

I giggled at that, It slipped past my lips before I could stop it. And Hannah grinned like I just made her the happiest girl in the world. “There it is. I was starting to think you were entirely made of tension.” She nudged my arm playfully.

“I might be.” I spoke through giggles. “I haven’t had a reason to relax lately.”

“Well, you're in the Volkov house now, that won’t change. But we do have good wine and gossip to make up for it.” She said in a mocking tone and winked at me.

She led me towards the side of the estate that I haven't seen yet, we walked until we arrived at a wide stone archway that opened into what looked like a fairies' paradise. A big Manor was near the castle, my eyes drifted to all the beautiful flowers that surrounded the Manor. It looked so much more alive compared to the dark castle behind it. The tension curled back into my chest, I honestly don't know what to expect here. I was dragged out of my thoughts when Hannah spoke. “This is the staff wing, most of the servants live and work here. Since you going to be staying, you might as well meet a few of them.”

I nodded, swallowing down my nerves.

As soon as we entered the Manor, the air immediately changed. The corridors in here were narrow and a lot more cozy, and the scent of freshly baked bread and herbs drifted in my nostrils from somewhere nearby. The sound of voices echoed faintly, accompanied by the rhythmic thump of footsteps and the sound of chores being carried out.

As we got closer to what I can only assume is the kitchen an older woman in a vibrant yellow dress and a white apron tied loosely around her waist literally popped out of nowhere, her arms were thick with flour, and she had a warm smile on her face. Both Hannah and I jumped in fright when she showed up. Hannah laughed and turned to me. "This is Mairead, and she is the head cook in the castle."She turned back to Mairead with a smile. "This is Ava."

I smiled at Mairead, but her smile turned into a frown as she looked me over with sharp, assessing eyes. “She’s too skinny." She declared to Hannah. “I’ll fix that.” I felt my cheeks get red, I don't know whether I should feel happy or feel offended. I thought I was built perfectly fine.

“I’m not—” I tried to defend myself, but she cut me off with a wave of her hand.

“You are.” Mairead said without hesitation. “You’ve got that starved look, food is power, girl. We’ll start with stew and something sweet, do you like honeycakes?”

I blinked at her in bewilderment. “I—I don’t know.” I answered truthfully, there's a lot of food I haven't tasted, and a lot of places I haven't been to. Thanks to Esmeralda.

She gasped like I had just confessed to murder. “Well then, that’s a crime in this Manor. I’ll bring some up for you.”

And just like that, she was gone, storming off towards the kitchen like a general preparing for battle. “She terrifies most people, but she’ll feed you until you forget your own name.” Hannah said with a bright smile, I definitely could tell by the way she looked at Mairead that she has a strong connection with the old woman. But I didn't question it.

As we walked past the kitchen that was swarmed with ladies, we bumped into a young girl who looked very timid. She bowed her head, but she wouldn’t meet my eyes. "This is Elise, she works with Mairead in the kitchen." Hannah announced, before she leaned closer to my ear.

“She thinks you’re a witch,” Hannah whispered, loud enough for Elise to hear. “Azrael doesn’t bring people home unless they are cursed or dangerous.” She snickered, and I gasped.

I tried to ease the tension by smiling at Elise, but she just nodded once and hurried off with a muttered apology.

Hannah took me to the garden that was inside the Manor, and we met a man who Hannah introduced as Tomas, he was one of the groundskeepers, who grinned at me and bowed like I was royalty. “Welcome to the asylum, Miss Ava.” He said with a wink. “ I hope you survive longer than the last guest.”

I froze, and my heart jumped into my throat. “The last guest?” I whispered with wide eyes.

Hannah smacked his arm, and he burst out laughing at how dumbfounded I looked. “Don’t listen to him. That woman ran off because she couldn’t handle Azrael’s temper or our soup.” Hannah said through giggles.

“I’m not sure which is worse.” Tomas added with a shrug, and I couldn't help but smile.

We kept walking around the Manor and meeting people along the way, Hannah was waving and chatting with everyone we passed, and as I watched her, I couldn't help but wonder how she was related to a monster like Azrael.

“You are good at making people feel like they're not in a haunted crypt.” I teased when we were finally alone. Hannah smirked. “That’s because I am the haunted crypt.”

That earned another laugh from me, and this one was stuck in my chest like a flicker of warmth that refused to die. When we finally walked back into the quiet courtyard, the sun was higher, and the garden was blooming brighter. But I still felt that low hum of dread beneath everything. I honestly didn't want Azrael to return, the place felt so peaceful without him.