Page 179 of The Sins of Silas

I drew him into a hug. “Your friendship has already offered me so much. I don’t ever want that to change.” I squeezed him. “And don’t think I’m not grateful for yesterday. After how that battle went, I think we all needed release.”

He squeezed me back, then pulled away. “So…is this it then? The end of our endeavors?”

I pinched his leg. “I’ll keep you posted. But for now, I just need to focus on myself. Focus on winning this damn war.”

He gave me an easy smile. “I’m always here if you need me.”

I kissed his cheek. “I'm always here for you, too.”

Some of the Mages wanted to stay in Faltrun and change it from the inside out. This kingdom lacked morality, and while I knew there had to be some who lived here that had a heart, speciesism wasn't something that could be changed overnight. I admired those who were willing to stay and better this place.

Others, like Torrin’s parents, wished to return to the people of Ames. To their home. To safety. I didn't judge anyone who wanted to be as far away from this place as possible.

The sun shone brightly that afternoon, and all of us were standing in the castle’s throne room. After a lot of consideration, Deana was named Supreme of Faltrun. I watched a glimmer form in Silas's eyes as he smiled, those of us in the room bowing to her.

My eyes skated to my father, who stood to the side with only a handful of Faltrunian guards behind him. The soldiers who had survived were given three choices: pledge their loyalty to the cause and remain a member of the guard, surrender their titles and stay within the kingdom, or leave entirely. Most surrendered, some left, and very few chose to remain in the army.

After Deana’s short coronation, I snatched Dani, pulling her to the side. “I want to teleport to Mount Rozavar.”

“Bloody hell,” she muttered, pupilless blue eyes focusing on me. “You just wanna jump right to it, huh?”

I crossed my arms, the corners of my lips turning upward. “I performedSana omnia vulnera eiuswith little difficulty.”

At Dani's gaping mouth, I told her how I memorized the spell while traveling and successfully performed it to heal Silas's wounds.

She offered me a lazy grin. “You sure are powerful, Supreme.” Her smile faltered. “But this spell isn't for the faint of heart. You will be utterly drained after.”

"I thought about it, and I wondered if I could somehow siphon energy from the handful of Mages who wish to come with us.Despite Elowen's healing, many of them are still weary. I wish to provide them a straight shot to safety, If possible.”

Dani pulled her lips to the side. “You can certainly siphon their energy. It's how us Warlocks have performed the spell in the past. The question is if you could manage to teleport us back after leaving all those people behind.”

“Can they not send me their energy while standing outside of the circle?”

She thought about it. “I mean, potentially. Without our innate abilities, we've never been able to do it that way. But it sounds…ingenious, really.”

I’d read of Mages being able to teleport with their own magic. Like healing or enchantment, it was a type of magic any Mage could learn. The problem was you’d have to be taught it, and I’d never met one who knew how. That, and the power it took, was far beyond the skillset of any Mage I knew.

“It takes significantly more energy to do it the Warlock way,” she continued. “But in a dire situation, it is worth it.” Her eyes locked with mine. “You’ve seen a taste of what expending too much of your power looks like. It’s not pretty. So, after you complete this, even with your people's help, you’ll need to lay off magic—just for a short while.”

I nodded my head slowly, my mind thinking back to the detailed pages. “The other types we’ve learned…I’ve had to reach into the same place where that specific magic resides inside of me. But if I don’t know where this teleporting magic comes from, what do I do?”

Dani hummed. “Teleporting comes from your entire body. It’s all of you. Now, while I am not an expert on Mage magic, I know that the hardest part for us in pulling off teleporting is handlingthe amount of power. I imagine for a Mage, being able to actually reach that level without a magical tether—in our case, the pentagram—is where the true difficulty resides.”

I glanced back to my father, who offered me a warm smile.

Mother would be able to see the love of her life again if I succeeded at this.

I would not fail.

ChapterForty-Eight

LENA

After my talk with Dani, I strode over to my father, who said parting words to his men before approaching me.

“We did it,” he said breathlessly. “So many years has this kingdom been corrupt…I can't imagine how it will grow.” He paused. “How are you doing?”

I smiled at him. “I'm holding up.” I nervously pulled at the hoop earrings in my ears, still awkward in his presence. My hand drifted to my side. “I’m going to attempt a spell…one that will bring some of my people to a place where others reside.” I paused. “My mother is there.”

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