Page 38 of The Sin Binders Ascent

I brush past him, except he grabs my arm, just enough pressure to keep me grounded, not enough to be possessive.

His grin slips, just a fraction.

“You looked like you needed an out,” he says, voice quieter now. “So I made one.”

I freeze. My throat knots. Because that’s the thing about Silas. He does everything wrong for all the right reasons.

“You’re annoying,” I mutter, walking past him toward the stairs.

He practically skips to catch up. “But lovable.”

“Debatable.”

“Dangerously handsome?”

“Delusional.”

He beams. “See? Progress.”

And somehow, somehow, my chest loosens, just enough to breathe.

He follows closely, just a shade too loud, a shade too warm. I’m halfway up the stairs when I feel his presence shift, not playful, not teasing. Just...watching. Like he’s waiting for the exact second I crack so he can glue the shards together with glitter and duct tape and call it healing.

His voice softens behind me. “Luna.”

I don’t stop.

“Are you okay?”

I do, then. Just one step from the top, my hand gripping the banister like it’ll hold more than my weight. The wood’s cool, smooth. Unlike the heat crawling up my spine, the throb behind my eyes.

“No.”

It slips out before I can cage it. Quiet. Honest. Rawer than I meant it to be.

Silas moves up beside me slowly, like I’m a spooked animal and he’s somehow decidedhewon’t be the one to startle me, though he’s startled everything else he’s ever met.

“Yeah,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck, “didn’t think you were. That’s...kind of why I threw myself at your feet with lies and a fake soul crystal. Y’know. As one does.”

I finally glance at him. Glitter smudges one cheekbone, like a careless comet burned him on the way down.

“I just,” I start, then stop. Swallow. “They don’t trust me.”

He winces. Not because I’m wrong, but because I’m right.

“Yeah,” he mutters, gaze dropping to his boots. “They’re assholes.”

“So are you.”

“True,” he says brightly. “But I’m your asshole.”

A laugh almost breaks free. Almost.

I lean back against the banister, arms crossing over my chest. “They act like I’m going to crawl into Theo’s bed if they blink too long.”

“Well, youareirresistibly hot and terrifying. That’s always been a dangerous combo.”

“Silas.”

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