Page 70 of From Frost to Flame

Chapter Fourteen

Lex

Lex groaned as he satup and realized he was in a dark tent, lit only by a lantern. “Silas?” The room spun so violently that he had to close his eyes to keep from vomiting as he spoke. “Silas? Are you here?”

“I’ll come to you.” He hurried over in just his black underwear and sat next to him. “You should lay back down.”

“You’re okay.” He smiled up at him. “I was so worried.”

“You don’t need to worry about me. How are you? Are you still sick?”

“I’m drained, but not sick anymore. I think I just got up too fast.” He looked at his wrist wrapped in fresh bandages.Always so sweet.He paused, looking at the face of the compass. A crack like a lightning bolt cut across the front.

“Your flames did that,” Silas explained. “Your family thinks you are wielding Tartarus flames.”

Lex listened as Silas walked him through the theory of how he was pulling his power from the earth. He supposed it made sense, but it made him feel a twinge of shame.How rage filled was I to pull from so far away? How desperate? How broken?“Where on earth are we? It’s so hot,” he asked to avoid getting lost in the past.

“We’re in the tunnels under the Sapphire Lands, according to your family. I imagine it’d be hard for Arden to follow us here.”

Lex blinked a few times as memories of slicing Arden’s throat flashed in his mind, blending with memories of Michael. “Silas, I killed Arden. I think. It looked like I did.” Tears welled in his eyes. “I didn’t mean to, but he was going to hurt you.”

“Hush, it’s okay.” Silas wiped the tears off his cheek for a moment, then recoiled his hand as if he was unsure. “Listen, you did what you had to do and that’s okay. I’m grateful that you helped me, but from now on, you can’t be reckless. No more flames. No more fighting.”

“I wasn’t reckless; I saved you.”

“You could have died. What if your flames hadn’t worked on The Ravenous One? She would’ve torn you to shreds for trying.”

“But they did work, so it was helpful.” He pouted. “I will be careful moving forward, but I won’t sit back and watch you get hurt.”

“Whatever. Forget it. Be stubborn if you want.”

Something’s not right,he thought as they sat in silence. A thick, oppressive cloud of shame and guilt so heavy he couldn’t breathe.He’s still hurting.“Should we talk about what happened in the fog?”

“Do you want to end this?” Silas asked bluntly. “Us trying again, I mean?”

“What?” The question was a knife to the heart. “Why would you ask me that?”

“I saw how afraid you were. I saw you run away from me. So, there’s no point in denying it or drawing it out if you want to walk away. I won’t blame you. My own people were terrified. I’d just rather end things now than pretend we could be something.”

“I was afraid for you, not of you,” Lex said quickly. “Also, I didn’t run from you. Why do you keep saying that?”

“I saw you turn and go looking for your family,” he said, looking away. “You were trying to get away from me.”

“That’s not what happened.” He shook his head. “I was watching your past and then I went looking for you. But you kept sliding further away and I couldn’t reach you. I called you, and I thought you heard me. And then I was attacked by Arden and...and I killed him. Then, I got to the prism, and I was so scared she was going to take you from me.” He took a breath and laced his fingers in Silas's. “I don’t know what she showed you in that prism, but I promise, I came after you. Read my thoughts. Search my heart. Do whatever you have to do to believe me. I wouldn’t leave you. You know me better than that.”

Lex shivered at the frigid mental touch of Silas slipping through his thoughts.

“You didn’t leave,” he said slowly, his eyes searching Lex’s with confusion.

“Exactly. I’d never leave you.”

“Fine. You didn’t run, but why would you stay? I’m The Ravenous One’s son. She’s called that because she is the consumer of souls, and I followed in her footsteps,” he said, looking down at their hands. “I led to the death of an entire clan. I came into your life, and you got stuck with the compass. I’m going to change and when I do, I’m going to hurt people because I always do. I’m a curse. It’s safer if you get away from me.”

Lex paused at Silas's words. “Safer? Is the fact that she’s your mom what you were protecting me from this whole time?”

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