“I think I'd miss you even if we’d never met,” Azrael whispered as his fingers trailed the side of her face, leaving an alluring warmth.
Anna’s throat became dry, “We shouldn’t have met then―”
“No,” he said, “Even if it means losing everything, I would rather have you.”
They were destined to fall from the start. A forsaken bond. A hopeless cause. And yet, in that stolen moment, Anna didn’t care anymore, neither did he.
* * * 
Anna is a human in a world where her kind is treated like dust, while Azrael is the demon duke infamous for his ruthlessness and bewitching looks.
On a fateful night, her life gets entangled with him. Azrael takes her as his fiance, however, theirs is a relationship formed over a contract; a marriage of convenience.
In a land where the hatred between humans and demons runs deeper than blood, she can not let her guard down. 
Anna harbors no feelings for the handsome duke, nor for his kind. Though that doesn’t stop her heart from stuttering whenever he’s near, nor the ghost of a familiar fear to surge at the sound of his voice.
But he’s always near.
Telling her what to do.
Making her feel warmer, hotter than he should.
* * * 
To yearn for someone who is forbidden to you is a terrifying feeling. To burn from desire and never speak of it, to have a secret that is horrible to almost everyone, to hide something that could ruin everything.
This is a story carved in hidden desires, inked in blood, and sealed with a fatal sin. Will Anna make it out alive? Or will her heart lead to her downfall?

The Duke's Secret Sin

Anna stretched her arms above her head and let out a relieved sigh as she laid back above the fresh, moist grass and under the warm sun. 


After a long time of this and that, all the preparations regarding the tea party were finally completed. There were only a couple of days left now and Anna was both excited as well as a little nervous. 


Her anxiety drove her to read a thick book called 'The Social Butterfly: An Art of Winning Hearts.' She remembered little of all those long boring texts but at least there was some form of satisfaction in her heart. 


Despite her initial worry, the preparations went on smoothly. 


It only took a few days for her to get used to the study sessions of Miss Merida. Effie was no longer required to work all the time as a slave because of Anna's request, and Emma proved herself to be a very reliable friend. 


Anna's smile faded as she glanced at Emma, "Why is Grisleworm so silent?" 


The Young Tinkerer