Page 100 of The Sins of Silas

My smile began to fall as I studied her. Excitement and wonder bubbled in my chest as I marveled at her sparkling eyes, her cute nose, and her short blonde hair. My pale hands against her tanned face.

I had held her face.

It was an intimate gesture, and when I realized how I'd crossed a boundary, I cleared my throat, hands falling to my sides.

I wanted to read her desperately. But I wouldn't…because I feared what she felt. One way or another.

“I was so scared,” she admitted, tears blurring her vision. “I was shaking so badly. I feared I'd miss and strike you instead.”

I gave her a lopsided grin. “I'm surprised you didn’t,” I teased.

She nudged my shoulder, chuckling. “I'm serious, Merrick.” Her smile vanished. “If I had killed you…”

I couldn't seem to keep my hands off her. I held her shoulders, angling my head down to look at her. “In that situation, you would not have killed me, Era,” I insisted. “Either you would have saved me, or your arrow would've struck me at the same time as that man's sword. Perhaps it would have given me a quicker death.”

Her lip wobbled, and she shook her head. “I wouldn't have been able to live with it.”

My eyes bounced between hers, and I couldn't stop myself from tuning in to her feelings.

The warmth that flooded into me was like sunlight, revealing just how much she had grown to care for me. Her emotions were heightened…a medley of colors and sounds I couldn't organize. But the warmth was the strongest.

I knew I was pushing…being ballsy. But I had almost just died, so I decided to do what my heart told me.

I leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Well, good thing your teacher taught you well,” I murmured as I pulled away.

Her widened eyes, flushed cheeks, and rapid breathing could've meant multiple things, but I was too scared to find out what.

I knew my eyes had turned blue, not wishing to know how my kiss felt to her. I smiled at her before I strode away.

My eyes now slid back to the road ahead, my arms tightening around Viola. She rested her head on my chest.

Faltrun, thankfully, was only a five-day journey. Once the sun had begun to lower in the sky, Dani came to a halt, and the rest of our friends brought their horses to a stop as well. She neighed, and Viola and I took that as the signal to hop off of her.

In a flash, Dani shifted,wincing as she stretched her arms and let out a loud yawn. “Yep…I'm getting sleepy.” Her eyes, now appearing human, slid to me and Vi, then to El and Lena. “Mage practice starts in the morning.”

Lena frowned from her position on her and Roland's horse, Donut. I still couldn't believe he named their horse that. “What…out in the open?”

Lena gave us the rundown of Dani's hypothesis during our trek today. I didn't know if I believed her theory, but with all these threats we have faced, I'd be willing to try anything.

Dani's grin grew. “Yup. We have no time to waste.” She fished into her back, pulling out a pouch and grasping its contents in her palm.“Averte sonum intra hunc circulum”she recited as she walked in a circle, sprinkling what appeared like salt on the ground.

“What the hell are you doing?” I questioned.

“Yeah, I'm with Mare Bear—you're creeping me out, Dani,” Edmund trembled.

Mare Bear?!

I shot him a scowl over the nickname.

“Averte sonum intra hunc circulum. Averte sonum intra hunc circulum.”

Dani then began moving her lips. A smile was on her face, but no sound emitted from her mouth.

“Uh…Dani?” Roland's brows drew together. “Did you star as a mime at The Freak Show and not tell us?”

Her shoulders moved up and down as if laughing, and then she stepped outside of the salt circle. “Soundproofing spell. Good for many reasons.” She wiggled her brows at Roland. “Our glamouring spell is simple, only speaking the word once and tiltingour hand. The more advanced the spell, the more you have to chant.” Her eyes dropped to the salt that was sprinkled on the ground. “The salt acts as a magic binder, absorbing the energy and transmuting it.” She casually stepped back into the circle, speaking soundlessly, until she scuffed the salt with her foot, and her voice came through.

“‘Aversa Pars’is another way to shut off the spell, but sometimes just scuffing the salt works best.”

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