Page 118 of Forging Darkness

“Is something wrong?” I ask.

“Yes. No. Not really. It’s just . . .” He plows a hand through his hair. “This is my fault. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

I blink back at him.

“What do you mean? You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

He fidgets with his hands, his eyes downcast. “Yes, I do. It wasmyidea to go after Steel. You never would have ended up in that place if we’d only gone to someone with authority first. Thinking we could handle this on our own was stupid.Iwas stupid.”

I’m not really a touchy-feely kinda girl, but I lay a hand on Grey’s shoulder, hoping to offer him some comfort.

“Grey.” I wait until he lifts his gaze and then give his shoulder a squeeze before letting my hand drop. “We all made that decision together. Just because you brought it up first doesn’t mean that everything that went wrong after is your fault. Silver was gunning for me. If she hadn’t taken me then, she would have found a way eventually.”

Greyson’s eyes harden when I mention his sister’s name. “If I ever see her again, I’m going to kill her.”

Whoa. I mean, I get it. Silver has done plenty to earn her brother’s scorn, but Greyson’s not bloodthirsty. Concern furrows my brow.

“There’s something you need to know about Silver.” I pause for a moment, unsure how to proceed. “She’s not a Fallen.”

His head tilts and mouth pinches. “I know. She’s a Forsaken.”

I’m going about this all wrong.

“No, I mean she’s still in there. As in, it’s still your sister, kinda. The Fallen that tried to possess her never took over. Or at least not fully.” Pulling my bottom lip into my mouth, I bite down, debating if I should tell him she might be able to be restored. He should know, but there’s a solid chance it’s going to give him false hope. Sucking in a breath, I release it slowly before going on. “I might be able to bring her back.”

Greyson is already shaking his head. “No. That’s not possible. She’s gone.”

“That’s what I thought about Steel too.”

I take a few short minutes to give Greyson a high-level recap of what happened to Steel and how I was able to restore him.

“If it was possible with Steel, it may be with Silver as well,” I finish.

His face is washed in awe. “Emberly, that type of power is . . . unbelievable.” He takes a few seconds to let it set in, and then a line appears between his eyes. “Have you already told the Council?”

I nod. “I just told Malachi.”

He presses his lips together and the crease between his eyes deepens. “I guess it was unavoidable.”

“You think I should have lied about it?” I’m surprised.

“No, no, it’s just . . . that’s a powerful ability.”

I shrug. “It may have been a one-off.”

“I guess time will tell.”

I sway a little when the plane bounces from turbulence.

“Shoot, you need to rest. I’m sorry. The room is right through here.” He points at the door to my left. “We can talk later. I’ll make sure you won’t be bothered until we need to get ready to land.”

“Unless you hear something about Tinkle. I’ll expect one of you to wake me for that.”

The ghost of a smile settles on his face. It’s not much, but it’s something. I know he’s carrying guilt he shouldn’t, and this news about Silver will be a lot to digest. “Yeah, for sure. Now get some rest.”

“Will do.”

Greyson leaves, and I turn the handle and enter the room carefully. Keeping the lights off, I slip off my borrowed sneakers and slide between the covers. The sheets feel like clouds, soft and cool. It’s been several days since I’ve slept in an actual bed. Three, I think, but I’m not even sure. I’ve become soft at the academy and crave a real mattress now.

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