Page 269 of The Sins of Silas

Era's tearful gaze slid to Silas, then to mine. “You…you two were…” she whispered, backing away. “Oh, my Gods. I'm a fool.”

My guilt-ridden eyes filled with their own tears. “Era,” I began, walking to her. “I am so sorry—”

She slapped me across the face, and Silas grabbed her wrists. “Be angry with me,” he insisted. “Not her.”

Her face twisted in contempt before her glare shifted to me. “I considered you my friend,” she spat, lip raising. “Both of you can go to hell.”

As I lowered my hand from my stinging cheek, she stormed out of the room, leaving down the passage herself. My eyes drifted to Merrick, the Empath shaking his head as he left to follow her.

I swallowed down my shame as I turned to Silas. His eyes were still wide and reddened. “Are you okay?”

“I…I need to go somewhere to think,” he whispered, then left out of the passageway. I went to follow him when Viola grabbed my arm.

“That’s why you saved him, why you trusted him so easily.” She held her forehead. “Gods, Lena. I can’t believe you kept that from us this entire time.”

I turned to the group, taking in everyone’s wide-open eyes.

“I found out a couple of nights ago, but seeing it all is still crazy,” Roland added.

“You knew?” Elowen asked him, then tilted her eyes to Torrin. “As did you and Merrick?”

Dani winced, raising her hand. “And me.”

Viola whirled to her, and the Warlock gave her an apologetic smile.

“I’m so sorry for lying to you all. It wasn’t easy…I just knew how it would sound.”

“So, youknew him when we were younger…” Hendry voiced.

“I did.” I smiled weakly. “He actually told me about you and Edmund when we were younger. Told me how you were his best friends.”

“This is so crazy,” Edmund said. “I mean, I always felt this weird chemistry between you two, but—”

“Merrick figured it out and didn’t say anything…” Elowen whispered.

I sighed. “I know my and Silas’s history is surprising, nor am I proud of how I've handled things. But we should be focusing on the fact that it was King Ulric who killed the Queen…that he is a literal God.” I fetched Kayin's necklace from the ground, clasping it back around my neck. “This could be huge in convincing those in Otacia to turn on him.”

“That is if they believe us,” Roland expressed with crossed arms. “We saw it firsthand here, but if we had just been told it, we would have had trouble believing such a thing.”

“If it came from Silas—”

“The kingdom views him as a traitor,” Hendry said bluntly. “They may even think you’ve used magic to warp our minds, that you control Silas and want the crown for yourself.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“It is, but you know how it is in Otacia. Since the Prince has betrayed his father and sided with the Mages, I can only imagine what story is being spun now.”

“Our families,” Roland whispered, voice trembling. “Gods, we need to get them out of there.”

“Amatta was a human, yet Ulric raised her.” Edmund's eyes drifted to his carbonado arm. “I thought that humans touched by the Undead's magic died, and that was that?”

A clericanswered for me. “If touched by the Undead's magic—one of his creations—yes. But a necromancer themself can raise anyone they'd like.”

“There were gaps in the memories.” I voiced to the cleric. “We didn't see anything from Igon's early life, and it felt like there was fuzziness in between.”

“Yes,” one of the clerics responded gravely. “It seems those are memories they wish to remain unseen. They must have taken measures to block it from this spell.”

I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Damn seers.”

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