Page 65 of The Sins of Silas (The Otacian Chronicles #2)

Chapter Sixty-Five

LENA

W e lay there for a while, our limbs tangled together, Silas playing with my hair as we gazed at each other. We didn’t have to worry about being caught, rushing, or keeping quiet.

Silas glanced over to the door to the right of the fireplace. “I believe there’s a bathroom in there.”

He stood, and I eyed his firm backside as he wandered over, peeking into the room. He turned, offering me a smirk.

“What?” I asked with amusement, propping my head up with my fist.

He stepped inside, and after a few seconds, I heard the sound of a faucet going.

A bathtub.

I was shocked there was running water, but then again, something about this place seemed off. Unreal.

“Is it warm?” I called out .

“It is.”

I sat up and took in the environment of the room. The flames in the fireplace still crackled, illuminating the room with its warm glow. A painting of the night sky hung above it. I turned my body and stood, walking over to the window to the left of me. Moving the dark blue curtains, I saw how snow completely covered the window, cold air leaking from it. There had to be at least eight feet of it piled up.

I worried for my friends, wondering where they were and if they'd found shelter.

I heard Silas turn off the water, and I continued staring at the window as he walked up beside me.

“How are we going to survive this?” I whispered.

He kissed my shoulder. “One day at a time, Flower.”

I turned to him. “And our friends? Do you think they survived?”

His jaw flexed. “I hope so. I still don’t understand how the weather changed so drastically.”

My thoughts drifted to Immeron's words back on Mount Rozavar before we embarked on this journey.

“…the trial that awaits at The Valley of Awakening. I don't know much of it, but there is a border between regular land and that of Nereida. It is said to show those who cross through it the truths of themselves.”

My gaze fell to my hands, still in disbelief that the frostbite had vanished. Silas held my chin and lifted my gaze to his.

“Take a bath with me?” he asked.

I smiled, then squealed when he scooped me into his arms and carried me to the bathroom. Because of the lack of light, I could barely see as he placed me into the hot water. I let out a soft moan as I lowered myself further in. The porcelain tub was deep, and the bubbles, paired with the scent of orange and vanilla, comforted me.

“I have a request,” Silas said as he held a candle to me. I let out a soft laugh as I brought my fingertips to the wick, lighting the candle and revealing Silas’s beautiful face. He grabbed a few more, and after I lit them all, he placed them in different parts of the bathroom.

He smiled at me as he lowered himself in, and I couldn’t keep away from him. I went forward and lifted my soapy hands to his face, pulling his lips to mine. He laughed against my mouth and placed his hands on my hips, pulling me on top of his lap.

I started kissing his neck, and he moaned softly. I could feel him stiffen underneath me, but as much as I wished to make love again, I stopped kissing him and held him tightly, resting my head on his shoulder and letting out a sigh.

He lightly brushed his hands up and down my back, his cheek resting on the top of my head.

“We never had the opportunity to bathe together in my room in the castle,” he murmured. “But I had dreamt of it many times.”

“What, my cold shower wasn't good enough for you?”

He laughed, leaning down to whisper in my ear. “I did enjoy fucking you in there…even if we were freezing our asses off.”

I leaned my head back, raising a brow. “Even when we heard my mother return, and we had to pretend it was just me in the shower?”

“Oh, especially then.” His smile grew. “I enjoyed watching you attempt to converse with her through the door while my cock was inside of you. How uneven your words were as I moved in and out.”

I shook my head, then kissed his mouth, running my hands through his black hair. “You deviant. ”

“You loved it.”

“I did,” I admitted, feeling his length brushing my sex as I straddled him under the water.

“How can I go on after this?” I asked quietly, my hands trailing up his back, caressing the skin that had seen such abuse.

“What do you mean?” he mumbled.

“How can I return to pretending like there’s nothing between us?” I pulled away. “How can I be happy when you are with her? When I can’t openly show my affection? When I shouldn’t be showing affection at all?” I dropped my eyes. “It isn’t right to continue doing this when you are with someone else…even though I want to so badly.”

“I know…I know,” he whispered. “I need to figure out how to end things with Era. I know that.”

“You'll actually leave her?” I asked quietly.

He nodded, kissing my temple. “It certainly can't go back to how it was before. I don't know how she will take it. I don't know how anyone will.”

“I don't want to pressure you if you aren't ready,” I insisted.

“I am more than ready.”

“You say that,” I said quietly. “But I know you care for Era, Silas. I know that you love her…just as I love Torrin.”

His brows lowered, a deep sigh releasing from him.

I shook my head, eyes dropping. “I tried to get him to try again with me…we kissed on the sand last night.”

“You wanted to be with him?” Silas asked softly.

I nodded, guilty eyes lifting to meet his. “As far as I could remember, it was he who I lost my virginity to. He and I have this history between us…” I shook my head, tears filling my eyes. “It just kills me to hurt him.”

“You are the one who isn't ready,” he realized.

I leaned my head against his chest, holding him tight. “I am ready. I never wish to be intimate with anyone else again in my life. I want you and only you. I just…telling the others is what makes me nervous.”

Silas held me tighter. “Then we don't have to. We can be committed to one another in private while we navigate the unknown.” He paused. “I'll admit…I am nervous about ending things with Erabella. She gave up everything to help me. Committed treason…and to leave her without her title…”

“Then we wait,” I whispered, tilting my head up and kissing him slowly.

“I won't sleep with her again. I swear it.”

“I know. I won't sleep with anyone else again, either.”

My eyes slowly fluttered open, Silas’s arms holding me close to his chest. We had made love a handful more times after getting out of the tub, and I don’t know when I drifted to sleep nor how long we had been resting. I gazed up at him, sleeping peacefully, his youth more pronounced with his features so soft. His black hair was messy, and his lips were still swollen from our kisses. My heart warmed at the sight of him and the sound of his heart beating against my ear.

I realized this was the first time in our entire relationship that we had been able to sleep next to each other in bed. I had fallen asleep in his arms the first time we made love, but he was gone when I woke .

But here he was. My thoughts wandered to where my friends might be. I hoped they were okay, but I found myself not worrying too much because I was so happy lying here with him. If this really all was a test…surely my friends had succeeded, too.

Silas shifted beneath me, and in his sleep, he nestled in closer to me before his eyes slowly opened.

I stared into the pools of honey that were his eyes, and he gave me a sleepy smile.

“Good morning, Flower,” he murmured and planted a kiss on my forehead.

“Did you sleep well?” I asked sleepily.

“Better than I ever have.”

I grinned. “Me too.” I dragged my finger along the tattoos on his neck, focusing on the artwork. “Are these phoenixes?”

I had never truly studied the design, but now that I did, I noticed the feathers, the beaks, and the flame.

“They are,” he murmured. “My mother loved them. Of course, now, with all this prophecy bullshit, I’m wishing I’d picked a different tattoo.”

I continued stroking his skin. “I like it…love it, actually.”

He let out a hum. “Let’s just hope the God of Rebirth isn’t a dick.”

I giggled, and Silas kissed my lips softly. As he pulled away, my smile faded.

That sound…

“Silas…the birds,” I breathed as I shot up, taking note of the room filled with sunlight. Birds sang from outside, and when I pulled back the curtains covering the window beside the bed, I gasped .

Nothing but lush, green fields were in the distance. Not a trace of snow anywhere.

“My Gods,” Silas whispered as he stared off from behind me.

We quickly got dressed, grasped our bags, and rushed outside of the cabin. A warm breeze blew through as blades of grass danced, and the sun beamed down, warming my body.

“It’s like a summer’s day,” I whispered. “How—?”

A call in the distance cut off my speech, and when my head turned, I saw our group of friends running to us.

“Lena!” Elowen cried, sprinting for me.

When she reached me and pulled me into a hug, I froze before returning the gesture. Era ran up to Silas, hesitating before hugging him softly.

Silas and I made eye contact, his face lining with guilt, and I quickly glanced away.

I won't sleep with her again. I swear it.

“You’re all okay,” I whispered. When I met eyes with Merrick, who wore a pained expression, I furrowed my brows in question. He broke our eye contact almost immediately.

“We all got separated when we plunged into the water,” Edmund said, running a hand through his light blond hair. “Well, some of us. Merrick and Era disappeared also.”

“Something happened to my magic. It forced me back into my standard form, which is why you all plunged into the sea,” Dani said. “Thankfully, we've only been separated for an hour.”

I frowned. “An hour? That’s impossible.”

Roland and Hendry exchanged confused expressions while Viola crossed her arms.

“Well, how long would you say you were gone?” Hendry asked warily .

“At least a day and a half, maybe two.” I met eyes with Silas, who nodded.

“Yeah, it was certainly far longer than an hour. We almost got killed by this blizzard, and that’s when we found—” He turned, and his face went pale.

I glanced behind us and gasped at what I saw. Or rather, what I didn't see. “Where…where the fuck did the cabin go?!” I exclaimed.

“Uh…what cabin?” Roland asked.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “The cabin we just emerged from. What do you mean?”

“Lena…” Torrin's eyebrows drew together. “We just saw you and Silas standing out here. Never once did we see a cabin, and we’ve been walking in nothing but these fields this entire time.”

I looked over at Merrick. “How long were you two gone for?”

He clenched his jaw, his eyes swirling dark as he gazed at Era. She quickly averted his gaze and focused on me. “Only an hour or so,” she said, crossing her arms.

“Well, we were in the cabin. Otherwise, how would we have gotten these—” I gasped again as I observed my apparel. The new clothes I had adorned had vanished, and I was once again in the clothes Immeron and Ayla had gifted me.

Silas cursed under his breath as he realized his old clothes were on, too.

“What, were you guys wearing other clothes?” Viola asked with a raised brow.

“Yeah, what exactly were you guys up to?” Roland asked with a smirk.

I glared at him, about to throw a fireball at his head. “As Silas said, we were in a blizzard. When we got to the cabin, we changed into dry clothes,” I said calmly, definitely leaving out the fact that we warmed each other with our naked bodies. And I would certainly not mention the wild sex that followed.

Torrin’s eyes flared. “You got your memories back,” he whispered.

I swallowed. “Yes…whatever caused our magic disruption must've canceled the spell.”

Torrin nodded gravely, lowering his head.

I focused on putting up a mental wall. I hated hurting him. Roland was never attached to me, so the idea of me hooking up with someone else didn’t affect him. Even if he had also had feelings for Silas at one point.

My stomach twisted when I looked back at Silas once more, Era nestled in his chest with arms wrapped around him.

We might not have been able to be with one another right at that moment, but I would always be there for him as a friend. He trusted me with his darkest secrets. And he needed me just as much as I needed him.

Before Roland or anyone else could press on the situation, a sound emitted behind us. A light ringing. We covered our ears, turning to where it came from.

Standing in a line were people dressed in blue and white robes.

“Lena Daelyra,” a woman in the center called. “We’ve been expecting you.”

The background behind them warped, the long, plain valley shifting into a massive, marvelous city in the distance. Looming, sandstone buildings and pale blue rooftops called our name—called us home.

The woman's smile grew. “Welcome to Nereida.”