Page 6 of The Sins of Silas (The Otacian Chronicles #2)

Chapter Six

LENA

T he sun was just rising when Elowen shook me awake, the sky a blend of light blue, pink, and gold behind the myriad of puffy clouds.

“Rise and shine!” she sang in her usual upbeat tone.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes as she retreated, blinking to clear my vision. Elowen had always been a morning person. Even though Mother and I would get up early on Thursday mornings back in Otacia, I always enjoyed it when I could sleep in.

She and Hendry had taken the second watch, so she was already awake and alert. Now, it was time to travel through Half-Life Pass.

I grunted as I brought myself to my feet, rotating my neck and wincing from the unsavory sleeping conditions. I didn’t bother changing into the loungewear packed by Ayla; none of us did. It would be safer to utilize those when we found an inn to stay in. Plus, I didn’t feel like changing in the forest.

Silas, Hendry, and Edmund were already up, loading the horses again, and I glanced over to see Roland open-mouth snoozing.

“He’s a heavy sleeper,” Edmund commented with a half-smile, his emerald-green eyes glinting with entertainment.

“And that’s saying a lot, coming from Edmund,” Hendry added, which earned him a playful nudge from the blond soldier.

I couldn’t help the smile curving on my lips.

I think I’m growing to like those two.

Silas refused to look in my direction, and what I now called his signature scowl was plastered on his face.

Did my death really take away that sweet, playful man? Was he always this somber?

I sighed, feeling pain in my chest at the thought. I strode over to Roland, peering down at the slumbering man. His brown hair was tousled, and his face was relaxed. Despite his jaw hanging open, he looked…stupidly cute.

I nudged him with my foot. “Wake up, sleepy head,” I crooned.

He winced, swatting me away. “Just…a few minutes,” he grumbled.

“I don’t think so.” I nudged him harder. “Up.”

He cracked an eye open, then gave me a devious smirk. “You look especially sexy from this angle, Ginger Snap.”

My eyes constricted, and I placed my boot on his chest, causing him to let out an ‘ oof .’

“You look especially unsexy with drool on your face.”

He narrowed his eyes, his smile growing, and replied, “How can I not have drool on my face when I’m picturing you sitting on it? ”

My eyes flared, and I withdrew my foot before swiftly kicking him in his side. He let out a grunt, then busted out laughing.

I groaned and turned away, pulling my lips to the side to try and conceal my grin.

What a character.

As I was striding away, Silas hollered to Roland, “Get off your ass and quit behaving like a child!”

Roland rolled his eyes and stood, gathering up his bedroll. “You’re no fun, Silas,” he muttered.

Once we were all packed, with stacks of fresh-cut wood secured to our horses, we mounted our rides and started the trek through Half-Life Pass. Merrick demanded that Viola ride on Hendry’s horse with him and promised he’d be fine walking. They compromised by Viola insisting she’d shift during the latter half of the day so Merrick could rest. The Pass was too bumpy and uneven to ride quickly, so it wasn’t like Merrick walking would slow our pace.

The opening between the two large mountains was thin, and I could tell by Elowen’s shaking that the healer was nervous. Edmund’s vine-like thumb stroked her leg, and she leaned into him.

I found myself marveling at the narrow passageway. The sedimentary was a medley of colors: rust, browns, violets, and silvers, the ripples having their own distinctive hues. It amazed me that the Gods and Goddesses had such an eye for beauty and were so imaginative with their creations.

My thoughts flicked to the Half-Lives, the creatures that supposedly resided here. They were one of the many beings that had gone extinct, spiritual beings that could travel between our world and that of the Gods. Some said they were messengers of Ravaiana, while others believed they were Valor’s subjects, slaves of the Underworld.

Who really knew? So much of our history had been wiped out when Solen La’Rune, Silas’s great-great-grandfather, had our mystic temples raided and shut down. When the banishments and prejudices really began. Even the books Igon had were but a fraction of our legacy.

I sighed at the state of our world. If Oquerene really was real, I wondered if any Half-Lives happened to survive and resided there.

Four hours later…

“Do we have enough gold for me to get my own horse, Your Highness?” I pinched Roland’s thigh, and he hissed.

“C’mon, riding with me isn’t so bad,” he purred into my ear. He rolled his hips into my backside, subtly enough no one would notice but not so subtly that it had my toes curling.

He had been doing this for nearly the entirety of our trek. It was driving me wild…and not particularly in a bad way. Roland had this way of bringing light to dark situations.

Silas shot Roland a warning glare. “Knock it off,” he demanded.

I couldn’t see Roland’s expression, but I felt him tense behind me. “Prick,” he huffed under his breath, certainly quiet enough that the Prince did not hear as he and Erabella’s horse rode forward.

I laughed through my nose. “Oh, come on, he isn’t that bad. ”

“You’re supposed to be on my side, Ginger Snap,” he whispered.

“Is that so?” I rolled my eyes playfully, though Roland couldn’t see. “Tell me more of this Weapon, Prince,” I asked loudly, changing the subject and nudging our horse forward so I could speak with Silas.

He cocked a brow and looked back at me, the corner of his lip raising as he replied, “I can’t trust you fully, not yet.”

Roland snickered. “ 'He isn’t that bad' . Is that what you just said?”

I pivoted, narrowing my eyes at Roland before diverting back and giving the Prince a glare for reciting my quote. “Oh, it’s gonna be like that, is it?”

Silas shrugged, his wife frowning at me from her spot in front of him. “You open up to me; I open up to you.” His golden eyes danced in triumph. “Seems only fair, wouldn’t you agree?”

I scowled at him. “Fine.”

He returned an equally unpleasant sneer. “Fine.”

“Get along, you two,” Edmund teased.

Hendry's horse halted abruptly. “Whoa…what the fuck is that?” Hendry breathed.

My eyes darted over, and a small gasp escaped my lips as we came to a stop.

Along the rock hung several skeletons, and eerie as they were, the most terrifying exhibition was the bodies that hadn’t fully decomposed. A man and a woman. Dry, dead flowers were laced around their limbs and their torsos. Bite wounds were noticeable on what was left of the skin on their necks.

They were shriveled up…but their teeth still remained. These bodies couldn’t be older than a few weeks .

Edmund tightened his grip around Elowen’s waist, his jaw clicking as he studied the horrific display.

“I’d take that as a warning,” Roland said, his tone deep and serious. “I’m surprised there’s not more blood.”

That was a good point. There was no evidence of blood staining the sedimentary rock or anywhere on the ground.

“Seems these vamps aren’t wasteful,” Merrick commented, his nose crinkling from the dreadful scent of decay. He angled his head to the side. “But why the display? Why warn off their food supply?”

“It isn’t a warning,” I whispered.

Silas quickly turned his head, his golden eyes meeting mine. “It’s to show us what’s to come. A promise.”

I nodded gravely, and our eyes lingered for a moment longer before Silas turned his gaze back toward the bodies.

“Let’s get away from this place,” Viola murmured from her spot behind Hendry.

With that, we moved onward, my gaze lingering for a moment longer on the two individuals who’d died not that long ago.

Why the flowers?

Day one was complete, and we were once again setting up camp. The sky was orange, and as I noticed the temperature cooling, I felt dread at the thought of being in this place in the dark. At the thought of those corpses.

We were all sitting except Erabella, who was taking a bathroom break, and Viola, who was standing nearby. She kept a tasteful distance from where the Princess was but remained close enough in case she heard anything amiss.

I held my index and middle finger out, staring at the flame I conjured. It danced above my fingertips. A decent amount of wood was tied to the horses, but we still needed to be frugal.

My eyes flicked to the sky. I’d light our fire just before dark.

Erabella was ambling back a moment later, and I decided I’d better empty my bladder before bed, too. I stood, and Roland lifted a brow.

“Need some company?”

Silas opened his mouth to scold him, but I responded first. “Yeah, you wanna wipe my ass for me?” I quipped.

He snorted. “Wipe it, smack it, fuck it—”

“Roland,” Silas growled.

“What? She’s clearly immune to my charms,” he stated with a smug grin.

I was already walking away, laughing. “You are an idiot, Roland Aubeze!”

I was shaking my head, and just as I was about to round the corner for some privacy, my eyes caught movement…a moment too late. Instantly, my hands flew upward, grasping the arms of the person now holding a dagger to my neck.

I gasped for breath as I witnessed the soldiers charging in from behind him.

Otacian soldiers had followed us in here.

“THEY FOUND US!” I shouted just before the blade stole my breath.