Page 88 of The Sins of Silas

I gently grasped her shoulder. “I think instead you should be asking yourself, what kind of soldiers would harm their own princess?”

She studied me with uncertainty, and my hand slid down her arm before holding hers I read her.

“I won’t force you to do something you’re uncomfortable with. Ever.” I squeezed her palm as tears filled her eyes. “If you do not wish to fight, find somewhere safe in the center of the castle and wait.”

Leroy rushed forward, ready to descend the steps. “You will not fight, and that’s an order!” he shouted at Emma.

She trudged along anyway. “I will defend my kingdom! I will not sit back when my power could be of help.”

Leroy halted on the steps, his gaze agonized as he took her in. “The children need you, Emma.”

Her lip trembled, but she kept her chin high. “If the kingdom falls, it won’t matter, and you know it,” she whispered.

“I’m fighting too!” Quin announced as he began following them.

Both parents turned around and said, “No!”

“You need to keep your siblings safe,” I interjected, and Quin regarded me with widened eyes. “You’re the best person to defend them if it came down to it.”

I thought of my own sibling. Elowen would be safe at the bottom of the castle.

She had to be.

Quin blinked, then nodded, following his parents’ orders to stay back.

I turned back to Era. “Why don’t you stay with them?” I offered, just as a loud boom filled my senses, causing the building torattle and us all to stumble. I grasped Era’s arms before she could fall.

“Fuck! They brought catapults,” a guard grumbled. Tears spilled down Era’s cheeks.

“Go,” I insisted. “Go hide.”

Her lip wobbled, and she nodded, escaping somewhere safe.

I rushed out to the balcony, witnessing an influx of Otacians flood in from the damage they caused to the front gate.

Thousands.Thousands.

They planned to overthrow this place.

I held my bow, loosening a breath and closing my eyes as I focused my ice magic on the enchanted weapon. I withdrew an arrow from my quiver, aimed my bow, and took a steadying breath as I aimed for one soldier, then another. Blessedly, this castle was stocked with arrows. So long as they were shot through my bow, ice would encapsulate the tips, making the shot more damaging.

I struck through one, then another, then another. But still, it was hardly a dent in the amount that had come rushing forward.

I gasped as I witnessed Warlocks begin to shift, turning into large mountain lions. Hundreds. They rushed for the surplus of soldiers, their large jaws closing around their torsos, their heads. Some had already been impaled with swords, shifting back into their regular forms before falling limp on the ground.

Regardless of who won this battle, it would be a blood bath.

Taira ran up beside me just as I fired my arrow. "What elemental magic have you acquired?" she asked quickly.

"Only ice."

She nodded. "Same." Her blue eyes slid down to the slaughter below. "I'm going down there. You should come with me. There are still plenty of soldiers that have not made it through their forcedentry. If we freeze the hole, we may be able to buy ourselves time to regroup."

"Just the two of us?" I asked nervously. Lena had ice, too, but as I glanced down, my friend was wrapped in fire, shooting her flames at the soldiers who advanced.

Taira's chest rose and fell. "It's our only chance."

I slung my bow back over my shoulder and agreed. I nudged Hendry just as he lowered his bow, his mismatched eyes narrowing at me.

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