CHAPTER FOUR

Rhiannon clung to the new memories she’d uncovered like her life depended on it. In a way it did.

It was not lost on her that merely a few hours ago she had contemplated suicide—even acted on it, something she had never thought fathomable before—and the only thing that had stopped her was the shock of the stranger’s voice in her mind.

She’d never dismissed the existence of magic, but at the same time, she’d never witnessed any proof of it with her own eyes.

That is until she saw Silas use it against her.

The sooner she accepted that what she saw was undeniably real, the sooner she could start working toward getting answers. Still, it was difficult to wrap her mind around when she had no knowledge of such magic. If she couldn’t explain it to herself, she couldn’t very well convince anyone else of what had happened to her. And she needed that to happen if she was going to ensure he was held accountable for the attempt made on her life.

After seeing what Silas was capable of, there was no way in hell she could allow him to go on without consequences. She knew she was up against insurmountable odds when he had magic and she didn’t, but she would find a way to get justice for herself. She had to.

Part of her was afraid of him finding out she survived. It was clear he had intended to kill her. But she wasn’t a coward. She refused to spend the rest of her life remaining silent and always looking over her shoulder. And more than that, she wanted him to pay for what he’d done.

Her recent revelations drove her to finally go through Silas’ belongings that had been left behind in the table beside her bed. Rhiannon eyed the dagger wearily as she pulled out theleather-bound journal as well as the matching ruby necklace and earringshe’d given her.

She sat on the bed, placing the jewelry beside her and focused solely on the journal. Her hands shook with anticipation as she opened it. Silas’ clean scrawl covered the pages that were all about her. Page after page of manipulation described in excruciating detail. Her eyes raced across the neatly written words that described their interactions. Behaviors she reacted unfavorably to, conversations she was closed off to, her interests, her insecurities, her desires—it was all there. Or at least Silas’ interpretations of them.

Rhiannon doesn’t respond well to being told what to do. Suggestions must be made carefully.

Rhiannon is receptive to touch and affection. Physical contact can be used to lower her guard. Flattery and praise also seem to be effective. This can be useful in taming her behavior.

Rhiannon craves the attention of men, likely due to the loss of her father. It also makes her more cautious about becoming attached. This is a weakness that can be leveraged if I tread carefully.

Rhiannon desperately wants to be loved, convince her that you love her. She may be scared off easily though. She must be the one to broach the subject. Do not rush into telling her you love her.

Heat flashed across Rhiannon’s skin as humiliation and self-loathing rose within her at Silas’ observations. The pages went on and on, but she couldn’t read any more. She didn’t need to see any more evidence of how oblivious she’d been.

Rhiannon grabbed the jewelry and the candle holder from the table and opened her front door, placing the necklace and earrings on the stone slab. It was valuable. She could get a sum for it if she traded it in but she simply wanted it destroyed. Now.

Crouching on her knees, she brought the candlestick down on the stones and metal until it shattered apart into unsalvageable pieces. Her breath came sharp and fast as she stared at the destruction laid at her feet. She thought she’d feel better, but she didn’t. Angrily, she swept the pieces from her doorstep and into the dirt, burying them before going back inside.

The more Rhiannon thought about it, the more the betrayal settled deep into her bones. After all their time together, he’d been so callous. He’d used her. And he’d claimed her life as his own. Like he was entitled to it.

She couldn’t escape the memories of their relationship as they replayed in her mind. But now instead of sorrow and heartbreak, they made her furious. Every day that she sat with the truth of his betrayal, the brighter her righteous anger burned.

The rage she felt toward him was enough to consume her, but she did her best to keep it contained. She needed to have a clear mind to get to the bottom of things, so she made an agreement with herself. During the day, she would do her best to focus on finding answers, there had to be some way to bring him to justice. At night, she would allow herself to lean into her anger, nurturing it into a force that was strong enough to carry her forward no matter how difficult it was to get out of bed in the morning.

There was one problem with her plan, though. She could only make so much progress when she couldn’t even go to the library to research. And even then, Oakhaven wasn’t a very superstitious place. They didn’t encourage belief in the unseen. She needed access to everything she could find on ancient magic and myths and she’d be hard-pressed to find it.

However, she’d collected old books with beautifully worn covers for almost her entire life. It was her favorite hobby. She was sure she could find something of use in her own extensive collection.

Rhiannon spent the next few days searching her personal library for anything and everything that might give her answers or at least a starting point. The books she found were considered folklore and myth, but those who wrote them went into great detail about how they believed different types of magic worked.

There had to be a source, the user had to know how to wield it, and they had to use it with intent. But it seemed like that was where the similarities ended.

The division between green magic and black magic was just the start of it. There was magic for all different purposes. Spells that were used once and power that was possessed until the wielder’s passing. Magic that sustained life and some that led to death.

For all her reading, the only thing she’d learned for certain was that it was black magic that Silas had used. The source of his power and how he harnessed it were still a mystery to her.

She replayed what she could remember over and over in her mind.

A deep-set pain that felt like her heart was constricting.

The fight leaving her body as she lost control over her ability tothink clearly.

The exhaustion and weakness that overcame her.