“Right.” I pushed my sleeve back down before pulling the map away, not wanting to give Silas the chance to take charge again.
Within a few steps, the beginnings of the Shalleys came into view—the dark, dense floor of the forest shifting into the mountains' tan, hard ground.
Silas’s footsteps caught up to me, adjusting their stride to match my own. I noticed him in my peripheral vision but said nothing. The quick steps of Claire and steady gait of James soon followed. When I glanced over my shoulder, I was surprised to find Lord Farmount gliding behind James, his steps silent.
Claire asked James about the healing properties of his Magister’s power, and I eavesdropped until Silas spoke.
“I want to apologize,” he said.
I pressed my lips into a line and waited.
“I don’t know what happened back in Ramni, but I shouldn’t have reacted that way.” He craned his neck and mumbled something to himself before continuing. “I shouldn’t have even tried to…” He stopped, clamping his mouth shut.
I whipped my attention to him. “Tried to what?”
Silas’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. “You know.”
His cheeks turned pink and adorable from embarrassment, and I found myself falling for Silas all over again. “Why shouldn’t you have tried to kiss me?”
Silas swallowed again before focusing on his feet. “I’ve never been sure about how you feel about me. Before, I was some strange guy bringing you food and coming into your house. Now, I’m …” he trailed off again, studying his hands as if remembering his actions under the willow tree. “I don’t know what I am.”
My throat constricted as I glanced at the map to make sure we were heading in the right direction. Silas had gone through a lot of changes within a short amount of time. He had been without a heart and emotions for years, and within a few hours, he regained half of his heart and was helping protect Decim from the Beast who had taunted him years ago. It must be hard.
“It wasn’t that bad,” I mumbled, tugging my ear, softening to him.
Silas perked up. “What?”
“You coming over every day.” I scratched my cheek as his chestnut eyes glistened with delight. I held his gaze for a moment before tearing my gaze away. I had to focus.
“I would have done the same thing all over again if I had to."
Are you sure Silas means that? the voice interjected before I could answer. If he did, why did he try to hurt you?
“Come on, kids. Let’s save it for another time when we don’t have to save the realms,” Claire interrupted, flinging her hand in the air.
I jumped away from Silas, then hurried a few paces ahead to give us some distance.
“Ridiculous,” Lord Farmount sneered, appearing silently by my side. The scrape of metal vibrated off the trees as Silas pointed his sword at Lord Farmount’s chest.
“If we offend you so much, why are you here?” Silas growled with a deep voice that wasn’t his own.
The edges of the sword glowed dark crimson as Silas’s grip tightened around it, his knuckles white. His shoulders tensed as he leaned forward, ready to attack.
My gut turned to stone as I recognized the same look Silas had from the willow tree. What was wrong with him?
“Silas,” I said before two daggers appeared in each of Lord Farmount’s hands.
“Why are you here, hero?” Lord Farmount taunted, clutching both of his daggers, readying to throw them. “You’ve been absent for years. Why start caring now?”
The glow of Silas’s sword dimmed, but his position didn't waver. His eyes glassed over. They darted between Lord Farmount and me, a battle raging behind them.
Was he thinking that something was going on between Lord Farmount and me? I moved far away from the lord, and Silas lowered his sword, the glow dissipating from its blade. His glassy eyes never left Lord Farmount.
James stepped between the two men and shoved them away from each other. “There’s a more serious matter than who is the stronger man right now. If you two were smart, you would stop this nonsense so Addie can think clearly and not be distracted by idiocy.”
Claire applauded James. “Well said.”
Silas crushed his eyes shut and shook his head. When he opened them again, they were back to their warm chestnut color. Straightening, Silas secured his sword in its sheath once more. The muscle in his jaw twitched as he held out his hand to Lord Farmount, offering peace. Lord Farmount’s gaze cut to me before he secured his weapons. He glanced down at Silas’s offered hand before crossing both arms over his chest.
James lifted his hands in surrender and turned to me. “It’s getting late. We need to find a place to make camp. We don’t want to be exposed in the mountains at night.”
Nodding, I studied the map, hoping to find such a place. As I scanned the page, a ticking pulsed in the back of my mind. It wasn’t painful, only annoying as I tried to concentrate on the text. The map grew fuzzy as the ticking continued. Bringing the book closer to my face, I focused on the mountains. A series of caves were drawn, from what I could decipher—about a mile into the Shalleys.
I let out a breath and lowered the text. Thank you, I thought to Eman, but only silence answered. In its place, the ticking continued.
Blinking a few times, I tried to find the direction we were to go in, but the ticking grew worse, making my vision hazy.
“Here.” I offered James the pages. “There are caves up ahead. We should reach them right before nightfall if we hurry.”
James hesitantly took the book. “You would tell me if something was bothering you, right?”
Would you?
I can’t, James, because I’m not sure what it is. “Of course,” I lied.
He nodded once more before treading into the mountains. “Let’s get going.”
Claire followed him; her neck craned as she admired the mountains. Lord Farmount followed, giving me a once-over before he joined them. I found myself checking my appearance before I stopped and dropped my hand back to my side. Silas motioned for me to go ahead as he took the rear of our group. His lips were pulled tight as he kept his attention focused on the mountains ahead.
I wanted to approach him, but I wasn’t sure what to say. There was one thing I did realize, though: whatever was wrong with Silas was getting worse.
Chapter 14
The frigid air finally settled into a cool but comfortable temperature as we marched deeper into the mountains, the high peaks of stone blocking the wind’s wrath. We trekked through the Shalleys, scattering pebbles with each step. It was oddly quiet, the range void of any life. Up ahead, James and Claire discussed the creation of the mountains and how some peaks were rounded and others pointed. I was glad that they were getting along. Behind them, Lord Farmount lagged with his hood hiding his features.
Silas eventually made his way next to me. We walked side by side for a while, neither of us saying a word.
I had so many questions I wanted to ask him, but I found myself hesitating, afraid to ask.
You were never afraid of talking with the old Silas.
The old Silas would always give me a calm, but truthful answer. But now, I was scared that anything I said would cause this Silas to do something rash, maybe even hurt someone. I ached for my Silas. What had happened to the jovial Silas from the healing room? I wanted more than anything to break through this new Silas and find him again.
The sky fully darkened. The brightness of the moon shined upon the dirt, leading us along our lonesome path. As our feet stepped in time with one another, I focused on the path in front. Twice now, Silas had reacted violently to trivial things. I agreed that Lord Farmount was rude, but Steady Silas had never been so rash. And I still couldn’t figure out what had happened under the willow tree. Were these the effects of his heart?
Was the real Silas prone to starting fights so quickly?
These questions spiraled through my thoughts like leaves in an autumn wind until we reached the cave's opening.
As Silas and I
approached, a bright-orange glow from a fire pooled out into the evening, greeting us to our home for the night. James, Claire, and Lord Farmount had already entered and had quickly gotten to work on getting a fire going. My mind thought back to Lord Farmount, cutting branches from the tree for the roaring flames.
Eman was right about the lord, but was he right about choosing Silas?
The crackling of the flames invited us to accept its warmth. My feet throbbed, and my head might explode from all the unanswered questions piling up. I needed to rest.
But as I headed in, Silas grabbed my hand. I jerked away, immediately wrenching myself free. I wouldn’t allow him to trap me again. Not like the Fourth Choice, even if that wasn’t the real Silas.
Silas’s mouth hung open, his hand still extended from where he had grasped mine.
Lowering it slowly, he hung his head. "I’m sorry, Addie."
I cradled my wrist, trying to erase the memories of the burns from the Fourth Choice and the harsh grip from before.
He brought his hand to his head while pinching his eyes shut. "I don't know what's happening to me. These voices … I'm so confused."
I dropped my wrist to my side. “What voices? What are they saying?” Was Silas hearing the same voice as me? “What’s happening, Silas? What’s wrong?”
Silas kept his eyes shut. “They’re saying terrible things. Things I know aren’t true, but I just don’t know …” He slammed his palm against his forehead, reminding me of Lyle when I had left him in Ramni the first time. This couldn’t be Ophidian, could it? How could Ophidian get inside Silas’s head? Surely he wasn’t that powerful.
"I know," I replied, wanting to reach out to him and hold him close, but my feet refused to move. "There's a lot that's happened in a very short amount of time."
Silas opened his eyes and lowered his hand. The intensity in his gaze left me speechless. Swallowing, he took a step toward me, his voice low. "Addie, I need you to know that I’ve always been yours."
My pulse thrummed, and I lowered my gaze. He was so certain.
I fidgeted with the ends of Lyle’s sweater, the image of my brother and Claire holding hands entering my thoughts. What would Lyle do in this situation? Did he and Claire have problems before their relationship budded? Or did it work out effortlessly?
“I decided to give my heart to you a long time ago," Silas continued, taking another step closer. "But I need you to know that you don’t have to choose me."
I pinched the hem between my fingers. Of course, Claire and Lyle had problems. They were both perfectly stubborn, and that’s why they were amazing together.
Silas took another step. My body was keenly aware of his tall stature and broad shoulders within arm’s reach.
“I don't know what your old heart felt for me,” he confessed. “And I know from your hold on my heart, how this new one feels.” Silas caressed my face. The calluses from his fingertips were softer than feathers as they held my cheek. My eyelids fluttered closed, relishing his touch. “But you’ve never said how you feel.”
The warmth of his touch erased the horrors of the Fourth Choice. My new heart held more emotions for Silas than my old heart ever did. If I cared for the old Silas, couldn't I care for this one, as well?
I laced my fingers through his, drawing him closer. Without hesitation, Silas brought his warm lips down upon mine, kissing me softly. My heart raged with emotion, beating so hard it hurt. His lips were soft and inviting, not demanding and hard as siti Silas. I yearned to be closer to him. I tied my arms around his neck, crushing him against me. His strong hands gripped my waist, gliding up my spine. A shiver ran through my body. I wanted more and more of him, but after a moment, he pulled away. I flushed, realizing how quickly I had gotten lost in the moment.
"Are you guys going to come in or not?" Claire called, a snicker following her question.
Silas let out a breathy chuckle as he stroked my cheek once more. I never wanted his fingers to leave my skin.
"We better go inside," I said, reluctantly releasing him.
Silas gave me his crooked grin before leaning in and giving me another kiss. My heart soared.
Standing straight, Silas coughed before offering his hand to me. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as I laced my fingers through his.
When we entered our home for the night, Lord Farmount sat stoking the fire in the middle of the cave with James next to him. Though the fire was already large, James rubbed his hands together, allowing streams of white light to pour from his palms to further ignite it. The flames burst forth, doubling in size.
Lord Farmount jerked away from the growing fire, but once he noticed us all watching, he scoffed and stalked to the back of the cave.
James chuckled as he continued to feed the flames with pieces of wood until it was big enough to warm us all.
Though we were all exhausted by the day’s events, no one was able to sleep. I took a seat next to James with Silas settling next to me.
James handed the book back to me as he retreated from the fire. “Is it saying anything new?” He held out the bundle of twigs to Silas.
When I opened the pages, they were blank.
“They’ve been that way since we got here.” James nodded at the text. “I wasn’t sure if you would see something different.”
My heart warmed at James’s faith in me, but if the pages had been blank since we arrived, that probably meant that we wouldn’t need the map again until tomorrow. I started to close the cover, then stopped as new words formed.
Probar se Duodecim forti resurge
I waited as the translation read: “A warrior will rise to prove herself to the Twelve.”
James read the words over my shoulder. “I don't need to tell you what that means, do I?”
I shook my head warily.
“For what it’s worth”—he gave my shoulder a small nudge with his own—“you’ve already proven yourself to me.”
As soon as he finished his sentence, the words on the page changed. The word Twelve disappeared and was replaced by an Eleven.
“Whoa,” I said, running my finger along the words.
James laughed. “It won’t be as easy with the others, trust me.”
“That’s unfortunate,” I replied, securing the book in my satchel.
Claire crouched next to Silas and offered him a small metal cup. “You need to drink this.”
Silas quirked a brow at the cup, then at Claire. “Why?”
“Because I want to poison you.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s an herbal blend from Sana’s garden that will help your body adjust to having a heart again. Lyle and I both had to drink it for a while after Addie placed her heart in us.” She pushed the cup toward him until he took it.
Silas swirled the liquid around. “Well, I trust Addie, and she trusts you, so, here goes nothing.” Taking a breath, he gulped the liquid down in one swig before handing the cup back to Claire.
“Oops, I think I mixed up my herbs, and that was my blend for trapping and killing rodents.” Claire whisked the cup from his hands.
Silas’s face paled. “What?”
“I’m joking,” Claire chuckled as she sat next to me. “Or am I?”
“Claire,” I scolded but laughed at Silas’s wide eyes. I linked my arm through his. “She’s not going to poison you.”
“Not yet, anyway.” She gave Silas a toothy grin, and he inched away from her.
James and Claire both laughed as I tried to contain my laughter.
“The last time I was in a cave,” Claire said, untying the twine that held her hair. Thick white strands spiraled around her shoulders as she massaged her scalp. “You broke me out of my cell.” The light of the fire flickered against her snow-white hair, making it glow orange and yellow.
I brought out a bag of dried meat Eman had packed and nibbled on a piece before handing the rest to James. “The last time I was in a cave, you helped me save Lyle.”
Her smile faltered slightly upon the mention of
him. Did she miss him as much as I did?
“I hate caves,” Lord Farmount grunted, his back still turned toward us. Though he tried to hide it, his shoulders were tense, and his head kept jerking back and forth, scanning the cave as if he were frightened.
Silas chuckled under his breath.
“What about you?” Claire asked, pointing a strip of jerky at Silas.
“What?” he asked.
She motioned with her hand, leaning forward. “The last time you were in a cave …”
“How do you know this isn’t my first time?” he asked, his lips twitching as he tossed more sticks into the fire.
“Do I need to actually mix up my herbs next time?” Claire threatened.
“Okay, okay.” He put his hands up in surrender. “The last time I was in a cave, I had fought through the Seven Choices and was ready to kill Ophidian.”
Claire spit out the tea she had just drunk. “What?”
“Are you serious?” I asked at the same time, the food in my hand dropping to the ground.
We waited for Silas’s response until James slapped his knee. “I think he wins!” he said with a chuckle. It was contagious enough to cause laughter to erupt in all of us.
As soon as it died down, everyone shuffled around, choosing their places to rest for the night. I grabbed my blanket from my satchel and spread it across my legs. Taking a few hard jars from my bag, I started to relax when something fast flew in my periphery, and a sharp point pricked my neck. I jolted up, lifting my hand to swat away whatever hit me. In the glint of the flames, drops of blood trickled down my fingertips.
My vision spun through the darkening cave. Lord Farmount was rolled on his side, unconscious, and only inches away from the fire. James had fallen backwards, and Claire was slumped on top of him.
“Addie,” Silas mumbled, falling to the ground. I lunged to catch him before he hit the hard wall. Clutching his head in my lap, I searched around the cave. Who could have done this so quickly? So stealthily?
A large figure, cloaked in a gray robe, materialized out of the shadows.
“Who are you?” I demanded, gently laying Silas on the ground before I stood, sounding more courageous than I was. “What do you want?”
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