Page 42 of The Sins of Silas (The Otacian Chronicles #2)

Chapter Forty-Two

SILAS

B lood was streaming from the stab wounds in my chest, one still with the knife embedded into it, and I could hardly open my eyes as Dimitri rushed back into the room. He quickly shut the door, eyes widening as he beheld me.

I was surprised I was still breathing, honestly.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered, lowering to his knees and taking in my injuries.

“What, need me alive after all?” I choked.

Looking at me, I watched as Dimitri's appearance morphed into my purple-haired companion.

My pathetic lip trembled. “Viola?” I damn near cried.

She immediately placed her palm over the first bleeding wound, beginning to heal it.

“We…we need to get out of here,” I panted. “Where is Dimitri?”

“On the run. We'll find him.” She assessed my broken arm, noting the out-of-place shoulder on the other side. “I have to stop the bleeding at least,” she murmured. “I won't be able to heal your broken arm that fast, but I'll pop the other back in place when I'm done.”

I cried out as she quickly withdrew the blade piercing my chest, her glowing palm slapping over the gushing wound.

“Sorry,” she winced.

My dizziness had bile gathering in my mouth. “Why are you up here?” I rasped a few moments later. “What's going on?”

“The battle is in full force,” she admitted, her palm roaming over the next stab wound. “And I came to find you.”

“You came up here looking for me ?”

“Of course,” she answered as if my question was absurd. “That's what friends do.”

My breathing began to steady as she weaved my injuries back together. My heavy eyes fell to the bloody floor beneath me. “Friends…”

She offered a sweet smile. “My magic isn't at its best right now. Shifting this much has taken a toll.” She took a deep breath. “But I couldn't leave you. Plus, Lena insisted I find you, and she is my Supreme.”

I hesitantly glanced up at her. “Where is Lena?”

“In battle, I'd imagine.”

Only once my injuries ceased bleeding did she pull her hands away and begin releasing my chains. But it wasn’t until Viola finally noticed my back that she gasped, tumbling back, her hand flying over her mouth .

I winced, biting down on my busted lip. “Please,” I begged her, disgusted by the desperation in my voice. “Please, no one can know about my back.”

“Who…” she began, but in seeing the agony in my eyes, she refrained from asking. Her widened eyes filled with tears, and she nodded. “I won't say a thing. I promise, Silas.”

Once the chains clanked against the hardwood floor, she brought her hands to my shoulder. I braced myself, giving her a nod, and I swore colorfully as she set my arm back in place. I bit back a scream as I slid my broken arm through the armhole of a dark shirt—a long-sleeve button-up Viola found tucked in a dresser. Viola helped me cover up the place I kept hidden with no protest.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered, quickly buttoning my top.

“Don't be.” It was still hard seeing her through my swollen eyes. “I owe you.”

She gave me a smile back, and I groaned as she helped me up, assisting me as I limped out of the room.

We only descended the first staircase before I began coughing. Smoke filled the air, the smell of fire invading my nose. When I saw the state of the corridor before me, I loosened a breath.

The hallways had been seared, and every soldier had been turned to ash—I could tell by the charred remains that littered the floors.

My eyes skated down only slightly, and then I saw her.

Encasing her body, her flame glowed brighter than ever before. Hues of blue and violet this time, with sparks of electricity wrapping around her arms and legs, fusing her two elemental powers. When Lena's eyes found mine, she froze, her look of vengeance vanishing.

“Silas,” she cried, letting her magic rescind as she ran to me.

“Lena…”

When she halted before me, she lifted her fingers, examining my damaged face. Tears were spilling down her cheeks. “T-they said you were dead.”

I gave her my best attempt at a smile. “You can't get rid of me that easily.” My eyes slid to Viola, who was still helping me walk. “Viola saved my life.”

Lena gave her a grateful nod, then wrapped her arm around me. I hissed when she touched my broken arm. “We need to get you healed.”

“There's no time—"

“I'm healing you.” She shifted her gaze to Vi. “Go. We will join in a moment.”

Viola nodded, then rushed off.

Lena guided me into a room, shutting the door behind us, and quickly fished into her bra, withdrawing chalk. The room was off the hall, all empty due to the mayhem Lena had unleashed. She bent down and began drawing on the wooden floor.

It was a pentagram with symbols I couldn't decipher.

“Lena, there's no time,” I protested.

She ignored me.

“Stand in it,” she ordered after completing the drawing a minute later.

My arm throbbed, so I listened.

“Sana omnia vulnera eius,” Lena chanted, a golden glow traveling down to the pentagram. “Sana omnia vulnera eius.”

The circle began to glow as she repeated the words, and when Lena's eyes finally shot open, her pupils had vanished .

“Holy fuck,” I breathed, and my eyes peeked down. My pain disappeared, and my broken arm was able to move with ease.

Lena blinked, her glow fading, her pupils returning. “It worked. It actually fucking worked,” she exhaled, a half grin on her face as she grasped her knees to balance herself.

“You did too much,” I murmured, rushing to her and seizing her shoulders. “How did you know that spell?”

“I memorized it on the road. I wasn't sure it would work, but…” Her tired eyes lifted to mine, and then she pulled me into her arms.

I held her back, the feeling of her body pressed against mine providing the most satisfying comfort.

“I love you,” she whispered.

My jaw slackened at her soft words, my entire body going rigid as if she had actually frozen me with her ice magic. “Lena…”

“You don't have to say it back. I just had to tell you. I just needed you to know.” She withdrew, beaming at me with unreleased tears pooling in her eyes. “Now, put on your armor. Let's take Faltrun as our own.”

The battle was pure chaos. The Faltrunian generals were shouting orders—orders that were quickly drowned out by the cacophony of combat. Not only did every soldier in the kingdom come out to fight, but its citizens did as well. By the way that the people here looked at those of magical decent, it was clear their hatred ran just as deep as it did in my own kingdom.

This would not be a simple conquering, but as the Mages here fought with desperation to regain their freedom, their magic overpowered the humans. Sprinting outside, I grasped the first discarded sword I could find. I was stopped in my tracks by a body on the ground.

The body of a child. A young Mage boy.

Lena's eyes widened at the sight of the corpse. “I-I told them to stay inside…the children were supposed to remain inside!”

Bile rose in my throat, and my eyes darted around.

Where is Saoirse?

Panic rose inside me at the thought of that little girl out in this combat, alone, afraid.

“We have to find Saoirse!” I panicked.

Lena agreed, and the two of us charged forward, fighting against any and every soldier who crossed our path.

She was ethereal as she moved, exuding a confident aura I never saw in her before…one I had hoped she'd come into one day. She moved like the wind, searing as she took down those who opposed her, those who threatened her kind.

She was a beautiful whirlwind. A force to be reckoned with.

She was everything I dreamed of and more. A spitfire, a siren.

I hissed as a blade just barely missed decapitating me, distracted by Lena's captivating beauty. Blood coursed down my face, leaking from a cut trailing down my once smooth cheek.

Great. Now both sides were fucked.

I bared my teeth as I engaged in combat, taking down soldier after soldier after soldier.

Hiding behind a house, my eyes caught the sight of several children huddled together, shivering and covering their pointed ears.

I hurried to them, scanning over each face.

She isn't here .

“Where is Saoirse?” I asked them quickly but gently.

A young boy, probably ten, sniffed. “S-she went to fight! She wouldn't listen!”

My heart stopped, and I quickly rotated, skimming the crowd.

When I saw her, everything stilled.

I watched in horror as Saoirse's eyes blew wide, an arrow piercing through her little chest. She held a dagger in her tiny hand, Boots in her other.

She was trying to fight.

The man shook as he held the bow aimed at her, lowering his weapon fearfully as he recognized what he'd just done.

“What did you do?!” I howled, racing up to her and scooping her into my arms. Her dagger slipped from her grasp. I craned my head up at the monster before me, who stood frozen. “WHAT DID YOU DO?!”

I held her, tears spilling down her cheeks. “H-help,” she cried.

My eyes darted down to her. “I know it hurts." I quickly assessed the damage.

Fuck…she was gushing blood.

“ELOWEN!” I wailed. But the healer was lost in battle. I doubted she could even hear my cry.

Saoirse clutched onto her bloodied kitten, her lip wobbling, her body trembling with adrenaline. She was losing too much blood.

By some blessing, I caught the pink-haired healer rushing to me.

“Help her,” I pleaded as she knelt on the ground beside us.

Elowen’s big blue eyes were filled with tears as she waved her hand above the injury.

“L-Lena did a spell. It healed my broken arm— ”

“It’s pierced her major artery. There's no time to perform such a spell.” Her glossy eyes raised, and she mouthed, “ There’s nothing I can do. ”

No.

I watched in torment as she withdrew the dagger crafted by Immeron.

The one that could take a life painlessly.

Saoirse was shaking violently in my arms, Elowen behind her, charging the weapon with her magic.

“I’m…scared,” she wept, her voice so small.

“Don’t be.” I tried my hardest to give a smile. “My friend is going to heal you, okay?”

Elowen’s face crumpled as she rubbed the top of Saoirse’s head, bringing the dagger to her neck.

“You will be just fine,” I whispered, stroking her cheek.

I blinked repeatedly as Saoirse lifted her teeny hand, Boots in her other, and placed it on my face. Placed it over my fresh cut.

A golden glow emitted from her little palm as she used her magic to heal the cut on my cheek.

Despite the pain, Saoirse smiled, her eyes threatening to shut. “I…I knew you’d save us.”

My face crumpled the moment she uttered those words, the moment right before Elowen dragged her dagger across Saoirse’s neck.

Saoirse didn’t scream as her throat was cut open. Didn’t cry out. I knew that the magical weapon had eliminated all of her pain while it took her life quickly.

The vitality behind her watery eyes withered until her vacant eyes stared back at me, that slight smile of hers fading to a straight line as her hand slipped from my cheek .

Elowen broke into a sob as she withdrew her bloodied blade.

My whole body was shaking.

I saw it then: Roland and Edmund were lugging the council members down, tied up, and at their mercy with the help of a few Mages.

Walking out behind them was Viola, in her true form, Dimitri restrained and in her grasp.

We won.

The Faltrunian soldiers gaped at their captured leaders, dropping their weapons and falling to their knees in surrender.

I felt no satisfaction in our win as my eyes flitted back to the girl in my arms.

This innocent child, bleeding out from a fatal wound, used her final moments to heal a cut on my face.

All she wished for was a mother and father to take care of her…for freedom.

I drifted my hand over her eyelids, closing them forever, tears pouring from my eyes for the first time in years as I held her lifeless body.