“She’s a liar,” Sylvia continued. “Has she even told you about her past? About what she did?”
Katherine stayed low, focusing her eyes through the smoke until she made out a hazy figure. She cleared another hole in the air with her magic, staring down until she met Silas’ eyes. He was hiding behind a pillar, his back to the center of the room, where Sylvia stopped, her hands glowing red.
Silas’ gaze flipped between Katherine and Sylvia. As if he was deciding who to attack. Who to trust.
And then he stepped out of his hiding place and into Sylvia’s line of sight.
“She mentioned it. But more importantly, my parents told me about yours.”
The sparks in Sylvia’s hands grew angrier as Silas spoke, but he didn’t stop.
“About how you always thought you were above everyone. How you refused to let anyone get close to you because you didn’t think they deserved you. How you walked away because you couldn’t stand the idea that they had more power than you.”
“I did not walk away,” Sylvia snarled. Her face twisted in anger as she lunged at Silas.
And then Katherine jumped on her back, slamming her hand over Sylvia’s heart and throwing all of the magic she could right into Sylvia’s chest.
“No,” Silas said, as Sylvia fell to the ground. “You didn’t.”
Sylvia’s body crumpled, going lax at Katherine’s feet. Katherine dropped her grip and backed away, her chest heaving. “By the powervested in me as the Executrix of Aestas Coven,” she said, even though Sylvia didn’t seem conscious to hear it, “I am taking you into custody.”
Katherine stopped as Silas slashed into his palm again.
“What are you doing?”
Silas’ eyes were cold as he turned toward Katherine. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m ending this. For good.”
“No, you’re not.”
Silas’ jaw clenched. “What do you want me to do here, Katherine? Let her live so she can cause even more chaos? Has she not ruined enough lives already?”
“You’re supposed to follow that handbook you love so much! Arrest her. Take her to trial. Not fucking murder her.”
Silas laughed, the sound hollow. “You think she deserves a trial after all she did?”
Katherine’s jaw clenched. “I think that’s what the law says.”
“Because you always follow the rules, right? That’s what Sylvia taught you?”
“Can we not try to be better than what we were taught?”
“Is that not what I’m doing?” Silas gripped his caster tighter, blood dripping on the floor. “Everyone’s always telling me to get off my ass and do something. To make a difference. To make thingsbetter.” Silas looked up at Katherine, his expression raw. “Tell me things wouldn’t be better if she were dead.”
Katherine stared at him, her heart breaking. She could see every cut that had been made to him, body and soul. Could see the spots where the man she’d come to care for had been irrevocably changed. Could see how he’d become the burning flame standing before her, sure that the only solution to his unending anger was a life for a life.
“You can’t turn yourself into a killer.”
Silas stared at Sylvia’s body, blood squeezing out of his clenched fist. “I already am one.”
Panic surged as the gold rune solidified on Silas’ hand and crested as the air turned bitter, the sign of a strong cast.
Of a killing blow.
He was going to ruin his life. He was going to ruin everything that made himhim. He would never be able to come back from this.
Katherine felt the magic swirling, saw his aim solidifying, and she couldn’t let it happen.
She lunged toward him as the gold rune glowed bright. Then the world exploded.
