“You have very shiny buttons,” Silas said softly. “It’s hard to resist.”
I hid a smile, then turned and shielded my eyes from the sun, which was just beginning to set in the distance.
“Now, your highness, would you please consider, maybe possibly, deigning me with your presence?” Silas gave an overly-exaggerated bow. Then he straightened, mischief written on his face. “If I ask you politely, will you please just sit your ass down and watch the sunset with me?”
I debated annoyance, but I could see the teasing in Silas’s gaze. He was genuinely trying to do something nice for me, and I was fighting him tooth and nail everychance I got—resisting him because that was what I did.
This whole experience—others doing nice things for no reason at all—was new to me. I wasn’t used to it, and my natural inclination was to fight back. It was really kind of sad, if I thought about it.
“Only if you sit your very fine ass down next to me.” I smiled back.
A soft chuff, almost a laugh, and he did sit that behind down next to me. “That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“Don’t take it as a compliment.” I tentatively swung my feet over the ledge. Sitting next to Silas, leaning against him, gave me a confidence to face heights that I’d never had on my side before.
“How should I take it?”
“A factual study,” I said. “I’m a doctor. I’m just commenting on your well-structured glutes.”
Silas grinned broader. “I’ve got other impressive anatomy if you’re interested.”
“I’m good, thanks.” I raised a hand and waved him off, my cheeks coloring. “I’ve passed all my exams. With flying colors, no more studying of the anatomy needed.”
“I was talking about my ears.” Silas tilted his head to one side. “I’ve been told I have very fine ears.”
“Uh huh.”
“What wereyouthinking?”
“Shut up.” I glowered.
There was something about Silas that was different from Simon in the way he looked at me, in the way he spoke to me, in the way hewaswith me. I could feel Silas’srespect for me, even throughout his teasing. I could feel the trust and belief flowing between us, even though our relationship was a fledgling friendship at best. I’d known him for mere days, and it felt like he saw more of me than anyone else had throughout my whole life.
The only thing holding me back from throwing myself full force into a friendship—or something else entirely—with Silas was the fact that he had an ulterior motive to keep me alive. He needed me to break his curse. He was still using me in some way, and I couldn’t let myself forget that on some level, I was merely a means to an end.
“What you did for the islanders today was a very good thing.” Silas’s voice was a low rumble, distant thunder. “It’s been a while since we’ve had something new and good on this island. Our people needed hope, and you gave them that.”
“Why is nobody talking about the curse?” I asked. “Even Irina and Henry, when I saw them today—she boasted only about how I delivered the baby in a complicated situation. Nobody mentioned the curse. It’s like people are ignoring it.”
“We kept that part quiet from the general public, and we asked Irina to do the same,” Silas said. “Ranger X and I agreed it was for the best.”
“Why?”
“We didn’t want to give the otherstoo muchhope.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You were able to spare Irina from the curse, yes,” Silas said thoughtfully. “But if word got out that we had a cure for it, then people might get reckless. We didn’t know if it was a fluke, or if you’d be able to repeat the cure.”
“I did repeat it,” I said. “I cured the siren.”
Silas rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately.”
“Maybe it wasn’t a fluke?”
“Inever believed it was a fluke,” Silas said. “But it’s more than that. We don’t know how much of the antidote Lily can create. We have limited ingredients, and she has limited time. Not to mention how healing people drains you. We can’t ask you to save everyone indefinitely, day after day. It’s not sustainable. We need everyone focused on a way to break the curse once and for all.”
“I don’t mind helping people, Silas. It hasn’t been too much.”
