Page 279 of The Sins of Silas

I brought my hands to the wound, instantly soaking my palms, and blood began to stream out of my mouth.

I stumbled back, falling against one of the tree stumps.

Choking. I was choking.Dying. I knew instantly this wound was too harsh for me to survive being separated from Elowen or Lena.

My vision was blurring, but I saw Edmund thrust his sword into another soldier’s chest and heard him wail as he took down the last of the men who'd attacked.

Halstedian armor.

Edmund ran to me after successfully killing the men all on his own.

“Fuck!” he roared, falling to his knees in front of me.

“Go—” I managed to choke out, blood splattering out of my mouth.

His eyes darted between Hendry’s body and my neck. “No, we need to get you to El. S-she can—”

I grasped his arm, forcing his wide eyes to mine. Tears slid down my face as I shook my head.

Edmund knew I wouldn’t make it, and I knew it too. Tears fell down his cheeks, and he clasped my hand in his. I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

“I’m so sorry,” he wept. “I love you, brother,” he whispered, and the bastard made me cry even harder. I clenched his arm as hard as I could to let him know that despite everything, I loved him, too.

There was so much I wanted to say—so much I still wanted to do in my short life.

A woman I wanted to love fully that I didn’t get the chance to.

I spoke to Edmund in my mind, even though I knew he wouldn’t hear me.

Take care of my sister…and tell Era that I love her.

As Edmund sobbed, backing away before running toward my friends, a small smile crept over my face as I realized how happy I was to have met them all.

The world began to go black, and I shut my eyes for the final time, thinking of Erabella as I slipped away.

Forever.

Chapter Seventy-Eight

LENA

We were setting up our bedrolls when Edmund rushed up the steps, panting. Blood stained his clothes.

“What the fuck happened?” Roland exclaimed just as Elowen rushed to him, assessing if there were any wounds.

His chest was rising and falling. “I’m sorry,” his voice broke, his face crumpling. “I-I couldn’t save them…”

Viola and Roland rushed to the windows, eyes darting outside to check for threats.

I gaped at him, noting that Merrick and Hendry were nowhere to be seen. “Save them?” I asked lowly.

“Where is Merrick?” Elowen’s voice trembled as she grasped his shoulders.

Torrin's face crumpled, his hand flying over his mouth as he read Edmund's mind.

No.

Elowen's bigblue eyes skated over Edmund’s face, searching for an answer. “Where is Merrick, Edmund?!” Elowen shouted, shaking him.

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