Unholy

Unholy Cardinal Sin Kady Ash Published by Kady Ash, 2023. This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental. UNHOLY First edition. April 17, 2023. Copyright © 2023 Kady Ash. Written by Kady Ash. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Dedication CONTENT WARNING One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen Twenty Epilogue Other Books by Kady Ash About the Author Sometimes things fall apart so better things can fall together, and sometimes they fall apart because a man twice your age wants to raw-dog you. Either way, win/win, amirite? CONTENT WARNING This is a fictional world with a fictional religion. This is not meant to depict any existing religion or their followers. With that said, this particular made-up religion has some extremely harmful beliefs, and the one that is explored here is no exception. I’d like to point out that I wrote this not because I agree with those beliefs, but because I understand firsthand how harmful some real-life beliefs can be, and I don’t believe anything is black and white. With that said, this is a standalone m/f romance with an extreme age gap (twenty-two years), a completely inexperienced heroine, a tiny little bit of sharing, dub-con, total power exchange, Daddy kink, and a whole lot of forbidden steam. Please be kind to yourselves. One Luna Vale Sainthood Church is all I’ve ever known. I’m Vicar Sheridan’s eldest and only daughter, homeschooled my entire life and raised in a house of worship with my younger brother Michael and our parents Harry and Susan. We all have the same brown hair with matching eyes, always dressed to impress no matter where we go, and everyone respects my father. I’ve never known anything but going to church — whether that was for actual services, helping my mother with her duties as a servitor, cleaning the benches or baking in the kitchens. I spend about six days a week there, and when I’m not there, I spend time with my boyfriend Gavin Boxley. He’s a former acolyte, poised to be the youngest servitor in our church and promised to me. He’s everything I should want in my betrothed, yet when I look at him, I don’t feel much at all. My mother was promised to my father when she was younger than I am, and she tells me that love comes later. Love is like the plants in our garden; you water them, give them your time and energy, and they flourish. If you don’t, well... they wilt away and leave us, and can you really blame them for going away? Mother also says how happy a home is depends on the wife. The Saint wants us to serve, to take care of our men after a long day and put them above ourselves. But Gavin is not my husband. Not yet anyway, so putting his needs and desires above my own soul doesn’t feel right. He wants something I’m not allowed to give. I’d be the town whore, ruined, stained, never to find anyone who would want me. I would end up just like our Aunt Bessy. Old, alone, unloved. Marked forever as tainted with an inverted cross burned into my neck, just behind my right ear for all to see. Condemned for eternity to The Shade, where no one but The Demon himself would touch me. Eternal damnation for a few fleeting moments of pleasure. Gavin just has to be patient. “I don’t understand, Gav. Why don’t we just pick a date for our wedding? Then you know exactly when you can have me. We’re eighteen now, our fathers would be pleased.” I cross my hands in my lap as I watch him pace my room, his hands shoved into his pockets as he passes my open door. The thought of actually marrying him terrifies me, but I can’t show that to anyone, so I keep that buried along with the other wrong or dirty feelings The Demon tempts me with. Gavin’s dirty blonde hair is messier than usual, falling over his pale green eyes as he narrows them at me. He doesn’t want to pick a date yet, he isn’t ready for this any more than I am — but there is something he does want, and it’s the one thing I cannot give. “You know how these things work, Evangeline. Even if we set a date right now, they’ll expect an engagement party and some ridiculous affair where I spend half my inheritance on cakes and decorations. I don’t want to wait that long. Why won’t you at least let me kiss you?” he demands, whispering sharply so we aren’t overheard. “Because kissing is opening a door I’m not ready to enter. I made a promise to The Saint.” I hold up my purity ring and point at it, making him roll his eyes. “Grow up, Eve. You’re an adult, you don’t have to listen to everything your Daddy tells you now. There’s no way all this bull about magically appearing marks sending us to The Shade is even true. The Saint doesn’t care what you do with your body. He doesn’t care about you at all, so why do you listen to them? I’m sure not going to, so if you don’t love me enough to even kiss me, I’m out of here.” I can’t believe my ears. The Gavin I know would never speak like this, and he would never push me like this. I thought my virtue being so important to me would be appreciated by my future husband, but I can tell I’m wrong. “But our fathers—” “Are old men who have no right to tell us who to marry,” he interrupts. “It’s not like we signed a contract. They just wanted us together because they think they can control us.” “Well, do you