My blood runs cold, and ice fractals drift in the air around us. "They're looking for thetelum."
He nods, examining one of his wrists for whatever reason. "Maven has brilliantly downplayed her abilities since arriving. If she continues to act like an atypical wallflower, perhaps they won't bat another eye in her direction. But now that we've seen her lose her temper…"
Watching Maven demolish the rival quintet, it was obvious that she's a living weapon.
The same one my parents are so desperate to find.
But I see where Silas is going with this. "We can't let anyone else see how powerful she is."
"She had a dangerously strong response to Baelfire getting hurt," he goes on, and then something like affection crosses his face as he smiles at his own wrist. "And according to Bael, when Crypt came back injured last night, Maven looked like she was going to kill the first person who so much as breathed wrong in his direction."
The idea of anyone being protective of the Nightmare Prince is laughable. But if she was that mad, it must mean she's…protective of us.
Well, of them.
But still. Maven tried so damn hard to deny the quintet entirely, so the thought of her getting pissed off for any of us has my chest warming. The ice on the window starts to thaw, dripping steadily as I look away from Silas.
"And she came back safely from that little rescue mission?" I ask tightly, trying to act nonchalant.
"She did. I wanted to give her more time to sleep, so I haven't had a chance to ask her about it this morning." He pauses and then grumbles, "I also didn't want to walk in on the off chance Crypt is naked in there."
Dear gods. She actuallysleptwith that unhinged freak in there?
"He better not be messing with her head."
"We'll remove his if he does."
Silas finally stands and then pauses, staring at something on my wall. I realize it's the portrait I decided to finally hang up recently. The blood fae's face darkens with warning.
"Who is that?"
He's deeply annoyed at the idea of me hanging up a picture of some random girl, which makes sense. If any of the others were pining after someone who wasn't Maven, I would be beyond irritated.
But it's a picture of Heidi, my half-sister. Of course, Silas doesn't know that because he's never heard of her. No one here has. She was kept hidden away by her dad and my mom, who both deserve gold medals for being the most uncaring, negligent parents in the universe where Heidi is concerned.
Heidi turned twenty-one last summer, but I would rather sell my soul to Sachar, judge of the Beyond, before I ever see my sister set foot in this school. My parents were all for sending her here to let her sink or swim alone. They had the gall to remind me that weak legacies aren't "meant"to survive. It was a godsdamned miracle that I convinced them to let me be their point of contact here in exchange for keeping Heidi hidden safely away in the rural town she's grown up in.
Because we all know she wouldn't survive a day here. Heidi is a shifter, but she's one of the few remaining who isn't an apex predator of any kind. I've kept her at a distance all our lives for her own good, but I still know what my sister is like. She's sunshine personified. She'd probably let a fellow legacy stab her and then apologize for spilling blood on their shoes.
"I saw how Maven looked at you yesterday," Silas murmurs dangerously. "She doesn't hate you, not even with the shit youpulled to hurt her at the inn. It's possible she might even care for you. And if she does, and you're in here drooling over some tramp?—"
I freeze his mouth shut before he can unwittingly say another word against my sister, giving him the same withering look I used to use on photographers who tried to get handsy.
"I don't drool over anyone because, in case you forgot, my curse would fucking kill them. Now get the hell out of my office."
Silas uses magic to unfreeze his mouth. He moves toward the door but sighs and looks over his shoulder. "I mostly came to assure you that she returned safely last night. I know I would be spiraling if I couldn't check on her. None of us envy you."
His expression is almost…kind.
Which is way too fucking weird. If he and Baelfire hadn't told me all about Maven killing the changeling, I'd be positive this wasn't the real Silas Crane.
"If you're even thinking about pitying me, I'm going to give your dick frostbite," I warn. "Just get out."
He snorts in amusement and finally leaves me alone.
The Immortal Quintet are like helicopters today, watching all legacies. They hover in the halls, check into classrooms, and in general, freak everyone the fuck out.
Their hired hands are equally annoying, and when I see one of them staring at our quintet from beside the doorway during Fiend Studies, I stare them down until they get the shivers and leave.
