I followed her with my eyes, noticing Mary and Rebecca standing by, unsure of what had happened. Rebecca gave Mary a look before following Phoebe up the stairs. Mary looked back at me and gave what I swore was a small flick of the corner of her lip, before she followed suit.
“Girls,” I muttered, settling down into the parlor seat again, now alone to watch the fire and wait.
53
THE POISONER
My body quaked from the dampness of my clothes, despite sitting in front of the small fireplace in our room.
I inspected the ring. It was an outdated kind of soul, by a few hundred years at least, one with an entire life of experience.
Inside, there was the smallest of inscriptions.
Ad infinitum—etiam post mortem
Silas poked at the fire, adding more wood. When he finished, he sat down on the floor by my side. There was a certain nostalgia overwhelming me. He and I in front of a fire, sitting on a pelt rug.
“What do you think?” Silas spoke.
“About what?”
“The corrupted. Do you suspect any other places?”
“I don’t want to think about it. All I know is we are back where we started. No answers.” I rested my chest against my knees as humble fire danced before me, not nearly as warm as the bonfire.
He pinched at my coat, peeling it off my shoulders. “We don’t need to think about it,then.”
“I’m sorry, you know,” I whispered.
He studied me, unsure if he heard correctly. “For what?”
“For what I said.”
“You talk a lot; you’ll have to be more specific.”
“You know what I mean.” I glared at him before looking at the fire. “Back at your Nest, the one in London.”
“I deserved it.”
“You didn’t, though,” I snapped. “It was unnecessarily cruel. I didn’t want you to look for me after.”
“Come here.” He pulled me into his chest and squeezed tightly. “There is not a single thing you could say that would make me abandon you.”
“I wish I could say you were on my mind, but I didn’t expect you to come,” I whispered, pinching the fabric of his shirt and studying the threads. “It seems that I forgot. Out of sight, out of mind.”
“Then maybe it is time we jog your memory.” Silas raised my chin, our noses nearly touching. He froze, watching me through lowered lashes as if to get one last look before kissing me.
“Tell me you would never betray me.” I smoothed my hands up his chest and over his shoulders, my fingers tangling in his hair.
“Why would I?—”
“Say it.” I balled my fist in his hair. “I need to hear it from you.”
“I would never in my wildest dreams think to turn my back on something as deadly as you.” He ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “To betray you would mean a life without you, which would be no life at all.”
I clung to his damp shirt, and he cupped my face in his hands.
The gentle touch nearly made me whimper.
