Page 117 of The Sins of Silas

He gnawed at his lip again, shaking his head as he sat up, running his hands through his short, dark hair. “We just have a past. That’s all you need to know.” I opened my mouth to press further, but Roland's serious gaze slid to mine. “I won't talk about it.”

Thoughts scrambled through my mind, but I couldn't come up with anything that made sense. Roland had to have done something to piss off Silas…but what?

I nodded slowly, my eyes raking down, studying thewings tattooed on his back and down his sides. Angel wings. There was so much about him I knew nothing about.

“What's the inspiration for your tattoo?” I asked, changing the subject.

His shoulders relaxed, clearly happy to be talking about something else. "I've always found the Angels fascinating—even if they don't exist anymore." He shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. “Plus, I thought it looked badass.”

I laughed through my nose, sitting up to run my fingers along his inked skin. “It is badass,” I agreed.

“Will you ever get any tattoos?”

I traced the feathers in his wings, goosebumps spreading across his flesh. “I'd like to. I'm just not quite sure what I'd get.”

“I'm sure you'd make anything look badass, Ginger Snap.” Roland kissed the top of my head, then nudged himself upward, leaving me sitting alone as he slid on his pants.

“Where are you going?” I pouted.

“I just need to clear my head.” He leaned down, kissing me gently on the lips. “Sweet dreams, Lena.”

My chest hurt as I watched him exit, feeling guilty for asking him about Silas. But still, why would that question cause him distress?

The following morning, we packed up our belongings, and as I mounted Donut, a horse I was growing attached to, Dani held outPotestas Verae Maleficis.

“I'd like you to do somereading,” she said as I petted the horse's mane. “I want you to learn how to teleport as soon as possible. Page two-hundred fourteen. You'll notice how that section of spells relies on Titharan symbols. The language.” She stretched her arms, preparing to shift. “You'll have the book to look at for reference, but familiarizing yourself with it will help.”

“Is this similar to the portal Immeron has on the mountain?” Roland asked as he lifted himself up to sit behind me. I was grateful he'd come back to sleep beside me later in the night.

Dani flipped her ponytail, grinning. “Yes, and no. A stagnant portal is far easier to conjure, especially with your ability to do so innately. Still advanced, but nothing compared to the power of being able to bring yourself directly to the mountaintop from here.”

I couldn't even fathom having that much power.

“Have you done it before?” I asked her, leaning back into Roland's body. He slowly caressed my thigh.

Her blue eyes softened. “No. I've never had the strength to. Only a select few Warlocks have succeeded in doing it. We're talking only the best of the best of our kind.” She placed the tome in my hand.

I glanced down at the book just as Dani shifted into the stunning stallion, and we all continued our journey further south.

I spent hours flipping through the ancient text. Notes were made in our language, so thankfully, I was able to understand most.

The symbols for the advanced spells all involved a sort of pentagram. Along its lines, various symbols were etched, all with different meanings. At the very beginning of this text, aglossary was present, and every symbol was listed with its purpose, along with the Titharan alphabet.

It was fascinating. Exciting.

As I read, I noticed plenty of mentions of Tithara, the Goddess of Wisdom. Apparently, the Goddess created these symbols as a way for the Gods' magical designs to communicate with their creators—to understand their roots better.

How, I didn’t know. That was just what it said.

As I read further, more information about the Gods and Goddesses spread throughout, I found something that caught my eye. I about toppled off of Donut.

First, listed was information I already knew.

Ravaiana – The Goddess of Life

Valor – The God of Death

Tithara – The Goddess of Wisdom

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