Page 277 of The Sins of Silas

Kismet insisted to Lucretia that Nereida should help our cause. I knew from what Valter told me that the two held equal power. Thankfully, they agreed to support our mission, and I said I would return to let them know when the time to fight came.

Lucretia was furious at first when she heard that Valter had already departed with Dani, but her lover was eventually able to calm her down.

The following day came, and I was grateful Kismet had rallied the Sea Nymphs. They worked to balance the tide in our favor.

We rode on a boat sailed by a handful of the Nereidian guard, considering Dani had teleported to Forsmont with Valter already. I missed our Warlock companion, but I knew we'd be reunited with her soon.

We said our thanks to the guard once dropped off on the shoreline and reached Temple Ravaiana by late afternoon. We decided to sleep there after scoping it out. Once again, no clerics lived in the temple, but blessedly, no dead bodies did either.

Silas breathed in as he gazed outside the windows in the sanctuary. Its design was identical to the other two we'd been to so far. “I feel…different here.”

Roland raised a brow as he stepped up to him. “You sense something?”

“What do you feel?” I asked carefully. Even I felt nothing.

“Perhaps it’s in my head, but I feel almost a…buzz.” He glanced around the infrastructure, then focused on the words written in the Titharan language. “Lena, can you read any of this?”

I fished outPotestas Verae Maleficisand began my translation just as I had before.

“Do you think it’s safe to stay here tonight?” Merrick asked, glancing out a window. “I fear Ulric will find us somehow.”

“I’m sure this place is as good as any.” Elowen grinned at him. “Plus, this is the home of the Goddess of Life. Surely, she’ll be watching over us.”

“We should gather some wood for our fire tonight,” Hendry stated, peering at the setting sun. “Before it gets dark.”

“I'll go with,” Edmund offered, kissing Elowen on the temple before walking over to his friend.

Merrick's gaze went to Era, who sat on a bench, rubbing her head and avoiding his stare. “I will, too,” Merrick mumbled, following the two men down the temple stairs.

I frowned at the words I had written with chalk on the temple's floor.

RAVAIANA'S DAUGHTER WILL SACRIFICE IT ALL SO HER SON MAY BE REBORN.

HE SHALL DICTATE THE FATE OF THE WORLD.

Viola stepped forward. “Ravaiana's children are the other Gods? A daughter and son…”

“And Azrae's daughter is the other…” I tapped my fingers on the floor, then stood, placing the chalk back in my bra. “But who are they? Where do we find them?”

The golden-eyed Prince spoke. “Ravaiana's realm is Oquerene, yes? Perhaps they reside there.”

I rotated my head to him, brows wrinkling. “You think it'll be that easy?” I whispered.

“I don't think getting to Oquerene will be easy, but perhaps once wedoarrive, things will get easier for us.” He tucked my hair behind my ear, then held the side of my face. “Come. We've been traveling a lot. You must be exhausted. You'll need your strength when you bring us back to the mountain in the morning.”

I rested my face in his palm, looking up at him lovingly.

“It's still so weird seeing you guys like this,” Viola mumbled, and when my eyes slid to her, I chuckled softly. My happy feelings faded the moment I locked eyes with Erabella.

She glared at me with contempt, and I quickly pulled away from Silas, packing my grimoire back into my bag.

ChapterSeventy-Seven

MERRICK

“You’ve seemed down lately,” Edmund commented. “And that’s saying a lot, considering you’re normally so doom and gloom.”

I glared at him, his signature sideways smile slapped on his face. I laughed through my nose, nudging him with my shoulder, and he chuckled.

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