Page 57 of The Oath We Give

“Breathe for me, Hex. Breathe,” Silas murmurs in a low whisper, concealing his voice from the wind as if she is listening, waiting to tell secrets to the sea. “We are going to find her.”

There is a clicking sound, a shuffle of fabric moving to be heard behind my shut eyes, before I feel his fingers tug, pulling my pants up on my hips. Strong hands that feel so powerful yet so fucking gentle with me.

Like I’m fragile. Like I’m not dangerous for someone like him.

“She’s the last good thing I have left. I can’t lose her.”

“I promise you,” he says as his fingers thread something through each loop, encircling my waist entirely. “When you open your eyes, we are going to keep searching, and you’re not going to think about what happened with Stephen. You are safe.”

A belt.

I feel it when he tightens it around my waist, the leather keeping my jeans up as he latches it in place.

I’m mixed between thankful and irritated.

My entire life, especially after my return to Ponderosa Springs, people have looked at me like this jigsaw puzzle, broken and unworthy of being put back together, too much work for them.

Yet, for Silas, I’m like glass.

The way he sees clear through me, able to see what I need without me saying it. As if when he looks me, he can hear every thought that passes through my brain.

“Relax and open your eyes,” he coaxes, dragging his thumb across my cheekbone. “Come on, open your eyes for me, Hex.”

I bite down on my bottom lip, feeling my eyelids flutter open.

Silas Hawthorne owns the termdead eyes.

They hold an unsettling stillness, like the windows into his world are devoid of emotion. Hardened beauty and sheer masculinity that he wears almost better than his fitted black tee.

What did he look when he was alive?

“Hex,” I breathe. “Why do you call me—”

“Coraline!”

My body jolts, electrified by the sound of Lilac’s voice screaming for me. I jerk my head toward where it came from, striding away from Silas’s touch and toward my sister’s voice.

“Lilac, I’m here! Where are you!” I shout above the howling wind, eyes frantically searching the tree line.

I think my mind is playing tricks on me, that it was only my imagination, but I see her tumble from the trees, catching her footing in the tall weeds as she turns her head to look for me.

When she finds me, the world seems to slow down for a second.

Our feet pound against the ground as we sprint toward one another. We don’t stop, not until her body slams into mine. My arms wrap around her neck, palms holding the back of her head, holding her a little too tightly to my chest.

The relief that washes over me is instant. A balloon deflated.

She smells like sweat and dirt, but the relief that washes over me is instant. I tell myself I’ll never take this for granted, the feeling of her in my arms. Her safety. I vow to myself I’ll never put her at risk like this again.

Nothing will stop me from doing what I need to protect her.

“I’m so sorry,” she sobs, body shaking. “I didn’t know, Cora. I swear I didn’t know.”

Just beneath the sound of waves, I hear Silas’s footsteps, standing just close enough to hear our words but also providing us a moment of privacy.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” I soothe, patting her hair down with my palms as my eyebrows tug together. “What happened, Li? What didn’t you know?”

This question elicits another cry from her throat, more tears and hiccups. I try to prepare for the worst, brace myself for whatever she needs to say, but she just cries, too worked up to speak.