Page 195 of The Sins of Silas

Dani tilted her head to the side, a smile creeping across her face. “This have anything to do with you being in love with Lena?”

I choked on the smoke, then whirled my head toward her. She let out a chuckle, bringing the rolled herbs to her lips. “Sometimes I’m convinced everyone is fucking blind except me.”

I tightened my lips and frowned. “How could you tell?”

She ran her hand through the ends of her long, cobalt hair. “The way you two are constantly fucking each other with your eyes is the biggest giveaway.”

I winced, and she continued, “How quickly she was willing to forfeit her life for yours in Forsmont and vice versa in the battle a few days ago.”

My heartbeat quickened. “You haven’t said…haven’t told—”

“No.” She placed her joint in the glass bowl set before us. “Human, Mage, Warlock, what have you—our feelings are complex. Difficult. I don’t hold judgment toward you for feeling a certain way. Feelings like that…it’s not something we can control.” She leaned on her knuckles as I took a final hit, mild euphoria coursingthrough my veins, and watched as I placed my dagga in the glass bowl. “I want to be with Viola, even though she’s with Merrick.”

I raised my brows. “You don’t say,” I said sarcastically, and she playfully slapped my arm.

“Yeah, I know I’m even more obvious than you.” Her smile faded. “So, what happened?”

Guilt wracked me. My shoulders slumped, and I just shook my head. “I just…I don’t know what to do.”

“Why did you marry Era?”

I frowned. “I was required to be married. I connected with her that day and just went for it.”

“That day?!” Dani asked incredulously. “You met and married herthat day?”

“Proposed the same day,” I corrected. “Married the next.”

“Shit,” she chuckled, her eyes red and glassy from the drugs. “You humans are odd.”

“Royalty is odd. Normal humans don’t do it like that…usually, anyway.”

“You ever been in any relationships before her?”

My whole body tensed. “Does it matter?”

“Well, if you haven’t had any experience, perhaps you are being led by lust.”

I gave her a lazy smile. “I’m plenty experienced.”

She raised her hands, a grin on her face. “Just checking.” She laughed softly, then sipped on the drink that the bartender gave her—free of charge, it seemed—as the man offered her a flirtatious wink. She returned it, and when he stepped away, she rolled her eyes.

“So…Vi, huh?”

“She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” She shrugged, sipping the drink and making a pleasantly surprised expression at its apparent palatability. “She’s strong. Smart.” She sighed. “Merrick is great, but I don’t feel they’re that into each other.”

“Really?” I asked, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms.

“To be honest, I think he fancies your wife.”

My playful grin disappeared. “What?”

“Don’t go saying anything. It’s just a feeling I get. Then again, your wife has that sort of elegant beauty. He’s probably just in awe of it.”

I chuckled. “Are you?”

“She’s stunning. Not my type.” She winked, then purred, “Don’t worry, I won’t steal her away.”

I laughed, but despite the drugs coursing through my system, my emotions came flooding back. Why does the thought of her being with someone else not bother me that much? Yet the thought of Lena with Roland, with Torrin, with both RolandandTorrin…

---