three
Iwokethenextmorning wrapped in Silas’s arms. The warmth of his body beside mine, the quiet security of his presence, this was something I could get used to. It made everything terrible happening around me seem a little less awful.
I rolled over and studied his sleeping face. Except he wasn’t sleeping. His eyes were closed, his arms still around me, but the rhythm of his breathing told me he was merely resting. When he felt my gaze on him, his eyes opened at once.
“How do you feel?” he asked, his voice husky.
“Much better,” I admitted. “Even though I don’t really know what happened last night.”
Silas ran a hand through my hair, gently teasing out the tangled strands until they fell smooth beside my face. “You’re beautiful when you sleep.”
I grimaced. I hadn’t even showered after the ordeal at the festival. Any makeup I’d had on was long gone—probably smudged beyond repair. I surely looked pale and drained; I certainly felt pale and drained.
I shifted to a sitting position. “What was that thing? The crimson lycanthrope?”
“Similar to a werewolf,” Silas said. “Historically, this breed of lycanthrope is drawn to dark magic. Evil power. They’re a dark leader’s favorite minion.”
“And yet they’ve been banished from The Isle so long the Rangers haven’t been trained to defend against them. So how did you know what to do?”
“It’s complicated.”
“I’d like to understand you, Silas.”
He studied me, running a thumb gently over my cheek. “Even if I shared everything I could about me, I don’t know if I’m someone who can be easily understood.”
“I’m okay with that.” I reached up, resting a hand over his, still against my cheek. “I think we’re two grown people with pasts. I don’t need to understand everything about you. I just wantyou.”
Silas gave a thoughtful nod, like he found that reasonable. “My past is somewhat checkered. I’ve made some questionable choices that took me to distant lands. Lands where dark and dangerous creatures still roam free. As a Hunter, I’m no stranger to them. It’s in my blood. My training. My history. The Rangers protect this island, which is why they study the threats tothisisland. I’ve fought in other lands, so I’ve studied the threats there as well.”
“Until now, the wards have kept creatures like the crimson lycanthropes out. Do you think it’s my fault that they’ve returned? Because I destroyed the wards?”
Silas chewed on the thought. He didn’t look surprised. It seemed like this was something he’d already considered. “I think it’s possible the wards are in a state of settling. When you became queen, a new set of wards descended over The Isle.”
“Like a reset.”
“Yes. And I suspect that the old wards had been modified or amended slightly over time, altered to fit the specific needs of The Isle. Yours might not include those same modifications. Yet.”
“I wish I didn’t feel like such a clumsy idiot,” I said. “I destroyed the wards, and now the new ones have issues. I supposedly have all this power, but I don’t know how to use any of it. Some days I feel like I’m doing more harm than good.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re doing the best you can. You wouldn’t hand a med student a scalpel and expect them to perform surgery without any training, right?”
“Of course not.”
“So you need training, which I’ve already arranged. You’ll start this week.”
“What sort of training? With whom?”
“First, breakfast. Then details.”
“And maybe a shower,” I added. “And clean clothes.”
Silas smiled and brushed his thumb across my lips, looking like he wanted to kiss me. But before he could, a knock sounded at the door.
“Why don’t you shower and get dressed. Take your time,” he said, standing and moving for the door. “I’ll handle this.”
I didn’t know what he needed to handle, but I wasn’t about to argue with the idea of hot water and clean clothes. I took my time showering and changing into shorts and a long-sleeved shirt, then I gingerly made my way to the small living area, not sure what I’d find this time around. Silas stood there, deep in conversation with Ranger X. They both looked up when I entered.
“What is it?” I asked. “What’s happened now?”
