Page 157 of The Sins of Silas

The Faltrunian soldiers gaped at their captured leaders, dropping their weapons and falling to their knees in surrender.

I felt no satisfaction in our win as my eyes flitted back to the girl in my arms.

This innocent child, bleeding out from a fatal wound, used her final moments to heal a cut on my face.

All she wished for was a mother and father to take care of her…for freedom.

I drifted my hand over her eyelids, closing them forever, tears pouring from my eyes for the first time in years as I held her lifeless body.

Chapter Forty-Three

LENA

The Mages had won. Dimitri had been captured, the castle had been secured, and the slaves had all been freed. But at what cost?

Overall, this battle was a success, but as I watched Silas cling to that young girl’s dead body, as I witnessed the sobs of both humans and Mages who had lost ones they loved, I realized that there really were no winners in war—just those who suffered a little less.

Roland and Edmund had successfully detained the council, though Edmund had a nasty black eye from being punched. They were lugging them down with the help of a few Mages when my eyes skated to my Soul-Tie.

Silas’s eyes were focused on the girl, his entire body stiff yet shaking. He was crying. His face was blank, but the tears wereflooding out. When his eyes rose to meet the man who killed Saoirse, I could tell one emotion overpowered them all.

Rage.

I could see it in his eyes as he went to place her on the ground. Saw it when his gaze locked with the kneeling man who took Saoirse’s life.

No one interjected when Silas stood, lifted his sword, and stepped toward the man.

“Pl-please—”

The man’s words were cut off by Silas’s sword plunging into his chest. He choked, panicked eyes shooting toward his fatal wound.

Silas’s face held no expression. He withdrew his blade, watching as the man slumped to the ground in a growing puddle of his own blood.

Part of me was surprised he didn’t torture the man, but the other part understood. He didn’t deserve a moment more of living, even if those moments were unpleasant.

Silas’s eyes went to the human council members being led out of the castle in cuffs. His eyes darted to Roland, then Hendry. “You two, with me.”

The two men nodded, then moved toward the Prince.

Silas moved forward, but the Mage restraining Dimitri held out his hand. “Their deaths belong to us.”

Silas came to a halt. “I don’t wish to kill them. I wish to extract information.”

“This is kind of our specialty,” Roland said with a dark smile aimed toward the King.

The Mage debated, looking at his companions, before agreeing. They all headed inside the castle.

My eyes went to one of the Mage women with long hair—still cuffed. “Why were the children out here?”

She choked on a sob. “Dimitri…he threatened to kill Polly if the rest of us didn't rush out of the castle,” she cried. “She begged us to stay, told us she was okay with dying…he slit her throat right in front of us.”

“No…” I shook my head, my hand covering my mouth. “I-I promised her she would be free.”

“It was clear Dimitri was going to kill us all anyway, so we ran as fast as we could. I…I couldn't keep track of all the children.”

My eyes went back to Saoirse, her body, among others, littered on the ground. Many began to lift their dead, bringing them to the graveyard behind the castle.

But Saoirse had no one. How did this little girl have no one?

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