Lowering my hands to Silas's sides, I moved to press my palms against the wall on either side of him without drawing his notice. Placing my weight on them, I pushed off of it only to be halted by the press of his arm that was prepared to crush my hopes. It pulled me closer, pressing my cheek further up his chest that was flacking dried blood that I was sure was sticking to my skin like macabre glitter.
"I don't know why you brought me here, Rowan, but it couldn't have been to make everything worse." I had no doubts that that was exactly what a fight breaking out between the two of them would do.
Although learning he had lied about Silas had shattered the tentative trust I had begun to place in him since he had flown out a window after me, it didn't ruin the impression I got that he liked to avoid trouble. The polar opposite of the woman who birthed him. Which meant, he avoided her whenever possible too.
I held a bated breath for an acknowledgment that I was hoping would lead to de-escalation and was left waiting when my words didn't earn so much as a glance.
I felt the hostility in the air crackle before Rowan spoke. It wasn't to me.
"Let go of her before I make you." The threat was a remix of Silas's thrown back at him.
When I felt a quiet chuckle rumble to life under me, I had to tense my body to keep it from reacting.
I knew Silas was handsome. It would be a blatant lie to anyone who could see to even try to deny it. He carried the same unearthly beauty that I found in most fae faces, but his... I couldn't place a finger on what it was, but something about him had me wanting to draw closer. So much, so that as my eyes returned to his neck, following it up to take in the curl of his lips, I found myself straightening and leaning in. An action that was brought to my attention when Silas's amusement was cut short at the soft brush of my lips across his skin.
I jerked back an inch, blinking at his collarbone in alarm. When had it become so hard to tamper down the rearing head of desire? Especially for someone who would want nothing to do with me if he had the choice? I had more dignity than that...
Or so I liked to tell myself.
Yet here I was, having inappropriate thoughts at an inappropriate time about a man who, given his condition, I was sure hated me now if he didn't before.
At the brief brush that had me quickly pulling back, Silas's eyes dropped to meet mine. I sucked in a breath of alarm at how dark they appeared in the low light.
"Don't," I hissed in a whisper, seeing the challenge in his eyes before he could issue it. "Just let me go."
Following the other fae's lead, Silas acted as though I hadn't spoken at all.
"You sure?" He stupidly taunted Rowan. "You didn't fair well the last time you ventured in here alone. This time, you're friends aren't even around to help."
A muscle jumped in Rowan's cheek. "I'm sure," he said, crossing his arms and widening his stance in a way that had nervous sweat slicking my spine.
But that wasn't what had me stiffening in utter fear. No, what had me doing that was when I felt Silas shift beneath me, his muscles tensing, coiling like a snake preparing to strike. He turned, shifting me down to place me on the ground beside him. I shivered as the cold seeped from the dirt and into me. Suddenly, instead of needing to move away from him to de-escalate the situation, I clung to him to keep him from escalating it.
He brushed me off with ease as he rose to his feet, relying heavily on the wall for support. I didn't like that almost as much as I didn't like seeing the sight of his blood everywhere. A little too much for someone I knew so little. I tried to follow him up, but a heavy hand landed on the top of my head to push me back down before I got far.
