Page 181 of Bitten & Burned

“Of course!” she said. “I’ll be back when she responds!” She hurried off down the corridor, the heels on her boots clicking as she went.

I’d gotten my books, so now maybe I could read a little, have lunch with Thalia, head to the fish market for Fig, then go back to my apartment, lie down with Quil and Vael, and then… we’d go see Silas.

Simple.

I picked up the next letter in the stack and began reading.

I was ruthless. Letter after letter, I scanned the text, seeing if it needed my response; if it did, I kept it, if not, I trashed it.

I was so deep into a notice about another scholar borrowing the Marquis codex that I didn’t hear footsteps at my door. Or perhaps, he’d just appeared there.

Either way, his voice snapped me out of it.

“You always did keep your office neater than I keptmine…”

My heart leapt into my throat, and I gaped as he stepped inside completely immune to the wards. “Silas?”

“Rowena, you know, I thought I might be the first one you sought out when you returned to Caer Voss, but I was sadly mistaken. You came here.” He looked around. “You know, I was offered a job here as well, but I turned it down. I did, however, place most of these wards myself. Little-known fact about me.”

I gulped back the bile that crept up my throat.

“You removed your amulet,” he said softly, eyes falling to my collarbone where it normally fell. “Finally took it to your father, did you? What did old Ambrose Marlowe have to say about it?” he asked.

“Not much,” I replied tersely as I went to reach for my bottom drawer. I kept pepper bombs there. For possible threats. Nothing was more threatening right now. I couldn’t hex him, but I could do something.

Silas tutted. “Uh-uh, I would do that.”

I froze.

“Every cursebreaker knows about the bottom desk drawer failsafe, Rowena. I taught it to you. Besides, you’ll want to hear what I have to say first.”

I set my jaw, eyes flitting to the open door and hoping like the hells Collette would come back.

I slowly let my hand fall back to my side.

“Good choice. You always were a smart girl, Rowena. Now about the amulet… your father did see it, didn’t he? Don’t answer, I already know.”

I swallowed down the lump that was rising in my throat.

“He told me it wasn’t bloodstone. It’s dyed selenite. Garbage.”

Silas chuckled. “I thought it served well for my uses. Selenite holds any spell or charm. Curse or hex. Just depends on how you use it.”

“Why?” I blurted, tears dripping down my cheeks.

“Why what?”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “I never once got any sort of feeling that you thought of me as anything but a student. A protegee. I… And now you’re sending freaks hopped up on bloodroot to capture me… to hurt me… torapeme? Why? What did I do to deserve this?” I whipped up my skirt to show him the mark, bleeding through a bandage. Seeping down my leg. “What? Silas? What did I do?”

“Lower. Your. Voice.” He hissed. “You’re starting to sound hysterical.”

“You know damn well I’m not.”

“But they don’t. Your coworkers. Who will they believe, Rowena? Your mentor with all his accolades? The one who got you this job? Or you, the poor, hexed cursebreaker with a bloody wound and vampires for mates?”

I swallowed thickly. “Thalia’s coming. Thalia believes me.”

“Yes, and how is an herbalist going to help you, Rowena? Gods, if anything, my being here when she gets here will put her in more danger. Now, if you’re through throwing a fit, I’d like to actually talk to you. That’s why I’m here. On neutral ground.”