Page 31 of Vengeance Becomes Her

Finally, the discomfort won out over her good sense and she blurted out the same thing that came to mind. “How are you and Silas so different?”

His mouth popped open in surprise at her outburst.

She continued on before he could form a response. “You have such opposing values and demeanors.” She grimaced at how offensive that might have come off.

But as always, Tristain was open and understanding. “Trust me, we’ve heard this our entire lives. What was flattering to me was demeaning to him.” He took a long drink. “Silas and I share a mother, but not a father. As you know, Silas is older than I am. Our mother left Silas’ father when he was only five. The man was a brute, harsh and restrictive, while our mother was gentle and loving. She grew tired of his poor treatment, and she found love elsewhere.” Another long drink temporarily broke the weariness that had crept across his face.

“So, she left his father for mine. I was born barely a year later, something Silas was not excited about. He felt like his family had been replaced with mine and he punished my mother for it. When I got older, he took it out on me.” A sad smile crossed his lips.

“What do you mean punished your mother?” Rhiannon couldn’t help herself from interjecting, Silas’ disdain for women suddenly made more sense and she was eager for the pieces to fall into place.

“I don’t mean physically, he was only a child. But for the first years, he refused to see her or any of us for that matter. Instead, he accompanied his father back here—his father was originally from Larindia. But within the next year, his father grew ill, and he was forced to spend more time with us at our home in Saldova. Eventually, his father couldn’t take care of him any longer and he was forced to live with the people he’d been taught to hate.” He let out a laugh that was anything but humorous. “He liked to say that his father was dying of a broken heart, which tore my mother apart. But in reality, the man was a relentless drinker, poisoning himself from the inside out during their entire marriage. And when she left, it only worsened. But again, Silas was only a child, he didn’t fully understand.”

Rhiannon restrained herself from reaching out to grip his hand that tapped anxiously against the thick wooden table top.

“Once his father passed, he was intent on making all of our lives miserable. My mother and father were sympathetic to his pain, they tried to welcome him back into the family. But Silas was hell-bent on remaining an outsider. It didn’t help that he was jealous and resentful of me just for existing.”

“Why? You were only a child?”

“He disliked me from the moment I was born. My father was of noble birth, which always made Silas feel inferior, even though I never saw us as anything but equals. I tried so hard to befriend him or at least treat him with respect, but he took every opportunity to be spiteful and mean.” Tristain rubbed the condensation on his glass, his eyes focused solely on the bubbles that danced at the top.

“He never told me any of that. Quite the opposite, actually. He told mehewas of noble birth.” She paused as she recalled more memories. “He also mentioned his conniving and jealous brother who made his life miserable.”

He winced, his brother’s betrayal sinking further.

“The way he talked about you—or his fictional version of you rather—is part of the reason that I had so much disdain for you. I guess I should apologize for that. But even if he had portrayed you as a saint, I doubt my initial reaction would have beenany different.”

Tristain gave a half-hearted shrug. “I’m not surprised he would make nobility part of his false persona to lure women in. For Silas, there was nothing more desirable than power. As you well know.” His face fell.

She couldn’t resist the urge any longer. She leaned slightly forward, resting her hand over his. “His insecurities and the path they led him down aren’t something you should feel responsible for.” She tried her best to convey sympathy in her gaze. She knew her own behavior toward him was part of the reason he now looked so guilty for the pain his brother had perpetuated.

He only nodded beforecontinuing on.

“I know what he’s done is unforgivable and I know he must pay for his crimes, I just wish the circumstances were different. He was taught hatred at such a young age, sometimes I wonder if he really had any chance at a happy life at all.”

Rhiannon sipped the last of her drink, deep in thought. As much as it hurt her to think about Silas, she needed to understand him better so she could figure out his vulnerabilities. It didn’t seem like he had many, she was convinced he was dead inside at this point. She firmly believed his humanity was gone.

He heaved a heavy sigh and threw back the rest of his drink. “I think the final straw was the betrayal he felt when he fell for that woman from the tavern.”

Rhiannon couldn’t deny that her interest was piqued. “You truly believe Silas loved her?” She had thought he had loved her. Now, she had a hard time believing that he was capable of such a thing.

Tristain nodded. “I know it must be hard for you to imagine. But I’d never seen him so distraught over anything when he told me what he’d done. He was mourning even if he did feel validated in his choice to kill her.”

Rhiannon huffed in annoyance, hearing about Silas being a victim was the last thing she’d tolerate. She raised her hand, signaling for another round of drinks. “I have a hard time believing your brother had such a rough go of it. Falling in love with a beautiful woman hardly rationalizes murder.”

“I agree. Rhiannon, I’m not trying to justify what he’s done. I’m trying to help you understand why this is so difficult for me.” His eyes pleaded with her for understanding and patience, both of which she was short on.

“Tell me again what she looked like. Elaborate on the most beautiful woman you’d ever seen, please.” She was embarrassed by the note of bitterness in her voice.

Tristain’s lips perked into a knowing smile. One of his dimples popped up as he teased her. “One ofthe most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.” He held her gaze a moment too long and Rhiannon felt her heart jump under his assessing stare.

She brushed off the flattery and urged him to continue with a flick of her hand.

“She almost glowed from within. Knowing what I know now, I should have found it odd, but I never would have guessed it had something to do with magic. She was almost ethereal. Her hair fell to her waist in rich orange waves, her eyes were as green as emeralds, and her skin was the lightest ivory.” His eyes grew distant as he conjured the image in his mind.

As the image came together, Rhiannon couldn’t help but think of the woman she’d conjured in her mind. She wanted to believe it was a coincidence, but with magic involved she had a hard time convincing herself. She was trying to rationalize the impossible, but in her world, she was no longer convinced that anythingwas impossible.

Before she could inquire further, the barkeep set their drinks down with a thud. She was disappointed to see two dark ales. “Wait, this isn’t what we were drinking.”“You don’t come get your own drinks at the bar, you get what you get.” The barkeep shrugged and walked away.

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