Page 140 of At the Mercy of Midnight
Brinkley twisted his lips to the side, glancing between them. “Of course.”
Amelia blew out a relieved breath. “Thank you. This means so much to us.”
Silence fell again, this time more comfortable. They returned to their meals, and this time, Amelia began to eat.
After dinner, Amelia sent her messages by Wayglass, and then there was not much more they could do but wait for their response. All of their books, their resources, everything…was either back in Ivory City, or in Lunarian. Silas felt lost without having knowledge readily available at his fingertips, and he knew Amelia felt similarly lost. They had read through Bane’s journal. Most of it was empty, but the few pages he had written on described a ritual, drawing out the timeframe and incantation that was needed to perform the sacrifice.
Amelia had delved into any books she could find, looking for translations and ways to change spells to adapt the outcome. She was determined and fierce in her intent; that she would save Silas from the fate that had already been spelled out for him.
But time was running out, and it was becoming achingly clear.
Silas was seeing shadows in his periphery ever since the moon rose in the sky that evening, like he had one foot in their land, and another in the Midnight Realm already. There were days left in their time limit, and it was like it called to him. He felt the chill of it slithering down his spine, as though the ghosts that had been taken by the Realm were reaching for him, running their hands across his body. It sent shivers coursing through him, despising how it was like being called home.
The only time he felt calm and relaxed, was when he was next to Amelia, when they were chatting or reading quietly together, catching one another’s eyes.
They spent the evening practicing their magic in small bursts, before sitting down to browse through Brinkley’s books yet again. Most of them were fiction, but there were a few books filled with articles from his time as a journalist student.
The only thing of interest they had found was an article Amelia had stumbled upon about the threat of the growing Dead Zone in East Town and how the Rift was becoming a more dangerous place to venture through, with mentions of disappearances occurring more regularly. The article explored how more Waystones were being erected to mitigate the risk, reducing any need to pass through the Rift’s borders.
It hadn’t mentioned the bonded pair who had caused the Dead Zone.
Silas set aside yet another article clipping and leaned back in the chair, eyes closing with frustration.
“I know,” came Amelia’s voice from across the room.
He opened his eyes, focusing on her. She looked at him with a similar resigned expression he was certain mirrored his own.
“I feel so…fucking helpless,” Silas said angrily.
She shifted on the seat, leaning forwards. “We’ll figure this out.”
He didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing. He just looked at her, eyes gazing at the way her hair was loose and flowing around her shoulders. The way the light from the shifting flames in the fireplace cast shimmery shadows across her face. The way her dark eyes seemed to soften the longer he stared at her, drinking her in.
Thinking that these might be his final days to look at her, to be near her, gave Silas such a jolt to his heart that his body physically jerked.
He glanced away, clearing his throat. “I think I’m ready for sleep.”
Amelia breathed in deeply. “Me too.”
They stood in unison, before looking at each other once more. Silas moved for the couch, pulling a blanket from the back before glancing back to her.
Her mouth was pulled into a small frown, watching him. “You’re not sleeping out here,” she said in a voice that was both small, yet fierce. A rosy colour entered her cheeks slowly.
His heart thudded at the command, at the thought of spending the night holding her in his arms. Her gaze fell to him, intense and electric. He couldn’t look away as she blushed, looking so painfully beautiful.
Her stare felt like a touch, it was so concentrated, penetrating. His breath stuttered as he took her in.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she said firmly.
Energy crackled in the confined space, and he inhaled it, making him feel warm all over. As though magnetised, Silas stepped towards her, finding that he craved her touch, to pull her into his arms.
“Alright,” he said, dropping the blanket and following her up the narrow hallway to her bedroom.
They dressed quietly for bed, not sparing a thought for modesty considering what they had done and seen of each other the night before. The memory of her before him, writhing beneath him, moaning for his touch, frustratingly burrowed into his mind.
She sat on the edge of her bed, tugging a sleep shirt into place.
