Page 99 of Saints & Sinners

No one touches her.No one.

I walked toward my desk before the door burst open, and Silas stormed in. “You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

I kept calm, not answering him. What could I say?

Silas’s eyes narrowed as he stared at me, trying to piece it all together. When his expression shifted, I knew he’d figured it out. “Oh,” he said, his voice low as he chuckled with disbelief. “You’ve more than kissed her, haven’t you?”

I didn’t move. Didn’t say a word.

“I knew it. Are you out of your fucking mind, Cain?” he snapped. “Do you even understand what could happen? That what happened to Matias—could happen to you? They’ll stripyour memories, your powers... you’ll be nothing, man. All because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants—”

His words hit a nerve and before I could stop myself, I closed the distance between us and slammed him against the wall. “And what about you, huh?” I growled, pushing him further up against the wall as he fought me. “Don’t think I don’t see the way you look at Veronica. You’ve loved that girl since you were six, so don’t test me Dunn.”

Silas’s eyes flared with anger, but he didn’t deny it.

Then, like a switch being flipped, white-hot pain flared up my arms, shooting through my shoulders and chest. The Binding Chains hissed against my skin, burning as the runes lit up. My muscles locked up, and my grip faltered. It was like my power had been sucked out in an instant, leaving me hollowed out and raw.

I staggered back with a strangled breath, clenching my teeth to keep from showing how much it hurt.

Silas clenched his jaw as he straightened his shirt. “Maybe I have. But at least I’ve never been stupid enough to get caught.”

“I didn’t get caught!”

“Yet. She’s human. She has less to lose than you do.”

I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. “You’re a fucking hypocrite, Dunn.”

“Maybe,” Silas shot back, his voice quieter now but no less angry. “But I am someone who doesn’t want to watch his best friend destroy himself. I mean, first your brother, now this? Do you really think Grace is worth it? Worth you ending up like Matias?”

I stared at him, my jaw clenched so tight it hurt. “You don’t know what’s worth it to me.”

Silas looked at me for a long time. “Fine,” he said finally. “Keep your secrets. But don’t expect me to stand by and watch you ruinyourself.”

He left without another word, slamming the door behind him.

I smacked a few CDs off my desk and shook my head as I stared at the empty space where he’d been. He thought he knew what I was risking, that he understood, but Silas didn’t know the half of it.

There were things I’d done that made a kiss with Grace seem innocent.

I sank onto the edge of my bed with my head in my hands. Grace’s face, her voice, and her smile filled my mind again. She was becoming my weakness and my anchor all at once. And the terrifying truth was, I didn’t mind risking it all for her.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Two weeks had passed since Matias’s title had been stripped, but the memory of that moment in front of the Angelic Council still haunted me. No one spoke about it—not in Sariel’s class, not in the dorms, nowhere. Yet, it replayed in my mind on an endless loop. I couldn’t shake the image of Matias collapsing after his essence was ripped from him, leaving him hollow and forgotten.

Hunter and I had barely seen one another since. Both of us were too afraid of drawing attention, too aware of the consequences if anyone suspected what we were doing. The Council’s judgment had been a stark warning, and deep down, I knew Joe wouldn’t let us get away with breaking the rules. I wasn’t even sure if he’d stop the Council from doing the same to me and Hunter if it came to it.

“Grace.”

I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts. Veronica was staring at me from the table next to mine, her chin propped on her hand, her eyes sharp. “Are you going to stare into space all day, or are you actually going to contribute?”

“I’m fine,” I muttered, brushing her off.

She arched an eyebrow.

I huffed. “Since when do you care if I’m fine or not?”

“Since you wallowing in self-pity is annoying me.”

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