Page 121 of The Sins of Silas

Silas's eyes shifted between mine. “They are both monsters,” he said quietly.

My gaze softened at the sight of torment behind his eyes. I released his arm from my grasp. He stared for a moment longer as if debating to say more before ultimately treading away.

Chapter Thirty-Three

LENA

“LikeI said before,” Dani said the subsequent daybreak, “I don't trust these bastards. Not one bit.” Her eyes flicked to Vi. “We should spy. Turn into flies and follow in case anything goes awry.”

“Turn into a fly?” Viola asked anxiously, crossing her arms. “I've never turned into something so small before. I don't know if I can muster that much energy.”

She pulled her lips to the side. “Okay, fine. How about a bird?”

Viola nodded slowly. “A bird I can do.”

The Warlock's gaze drifted over us all. “I'll be able to sneak in with you guys. Vi can watch from the outside. If they seem chill, great. Otherwise, I have a way of getting you out if things go bad.”

“What, just tearing off heads?” Roland questioned. “Faltrun's army is triple that of Forsmont, and this time, we don't have yourkind here to help us.” His worried gaze went to Silas. “What do we do if they wish to turn you in? Keep us prisoners? Kill us?”

Silas sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Dani spoke instead. “I'll be bringing in my magical inventory. If I need to, I can cast an invisibility spell. I could slit necks without being seen.” She roughly patted her bag. “I will have a lot in my arsenal.”

“How can a fly carry a bag so large?” Hendry asked after chugging from his waterskin. It's clear that even he, the calm and collected one, was anxious about this endeavor.

“The best way I can explain it without confusing you is this: whenI shift, it's almost as if my other forms are in a closet. I can dress them up as I wish, and when I switch, they keep the same clothes on.”

“Where do you go?” Elowen asked. Her gaze shifted to Viola. “Is it like that for you, Vi?”

Viola smiled at our friend. “That's a good way of putting it. I've never tried the body of another, so I never tried dressing them up.”

Dani threw her hair up in her high pony as she spoke. “If you wish to appear as someone else, not just a different version of who you are, you can wear exactly what the person you're trying to imitate is wearing. It's not the same for us Warlocks.”

Viola cocked a brow. “Because you can only shift…not innately cast illusions.”

“Bingo, babe. Again, this is a perfect example of how Mages are more powerful. You can combine your shifting gift with your illusion magic.” Dani grinned, then motioned at herself. “Come on, now. Try to turn into me.”

“What?” Vi took a step back, her purple braids bouncing against her back. “I've never—”

“You can do it,” Dani said confidently. “And think, if you can shift yourself into one of the guards, that could prove incredibly useful. Plus, it doesn't take as much energy as being a large or teeny creature. C'mon.”

Vi took a steadying breath, focusing her vision on the Warlock. Our entire group studied her, Silas especially, as if waiting to see if this power was really true.

After examining Dani for a few moments, Viola exhaled, squeezing her eyes shut before her body morphed into another. In but a blink of an eye, there were two Dani's standing before us.

“I'll be damned,” Merrick muttered, his thumb dragging against his lip ring.

“Do me next,” Roland pleaded, a wide grin on his handsome face.

Viola turned to him, chuckling. Even her laugh was Dani's. She focused on Roland and then did the same, tuning into the sexy soldier beside me.

“That is crazy,” Edmund breathed, eyes darting between her and Roland.

Viola's hazel eyes—Roland's eyes—drifted to Silas, focusing only for a moment before she turned into him next.

His mouth fell open at the sight, staring directly at his doppelganger. “Say something,” he instructed in awe.

“Something,” Viola spoke, and I got chills at the sound of Silas's voice coming from her lips.

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