Page 46 of At the Mercy of Midnight
Reaching the set of chairs where she sat, her chin finally rose, eyes leaving the book. They locked gazes for the first time, a breathtaking gut-punch. Her brown eyes held a depth that made him wish to understand her, despite not knowing her name at the time. They also held a coldness that stopped him in his tracks, relaying a clear message: she had no interest in engaging. In fact, he was almost certain if he had attempted to, she might have tried to brain him with the heavy book she held.
Silas looked at her now, recalling the moment and emotions she had unwittingly elicited vividly. It surged with fervour. A deep pang of longing. A sharp, twisting pull in his chest.
He didn’t need to wait long to conclude his assumptions.
Amelia was labelling a runed copper plate when she stiffened, hand tightening around her pen with an audible gasp. Her head whipped to him, blinking with confusion, a blush forming along her cheekbones.
Silas cleared his throat, keeping his expression neutral. He shifted away, busying himself with locating his protective gloves before touching the blades.
“What did you just do?” Amelia asked accusingly from behind him.
He fitted his hand into a glove and turned, flexing his fingers into the fit. “What do you mean?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t play dumb, Finley. You just did something. Whatever I just felt…wasn’tmine.”
“How do you know that?” he asked with a raised brow.
Amelia slapped her pen down. “Finley.”
Silas exhaled through his nose. “It was a test,” he admitted, voice neutral.
Amelia’s jaw clenched. “A test? Without saying anything?”
“I wanted to see if the bond could be manipulated,” Silas said with a casual shrug. “If a strong emotion could be used as a tether through the bond.”
Her expression darkened as she understood. “So,what, exactly? You thought of something intense to see if I would feel it?”
Silas hesitated. “Something like that.”
She folded her arms, irritation sharpening. “And you weren’t going to mention that before playing with my emotions?”
Sighing, he glanced away, rubbing at his chest. He could feel her rising frustration, a pressure against his ribcage. “I didn’t think it was important, I didn’t know it would work.”
Her foot tapped with annoyance. “Not important? Why did you even…” Amelia’s eyes sharpened. “Have you been feeling things fromme?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I pondered whether some things over the past few days had been influenced by the bond.”
Her blush deepened. Another pressure settled on his chest, this time embarrassment. Silas rubbed his sternum absently like he could brush the sensation away.
“I suppose you’re sure now,” Amelia bit out. “Well do explain your methodology. What were you thinking to send that feeling to me?”
A beat of silence.
Her brows lifted. “Finley?”
He searched for a reasonable lie, for a different memory to explain it. He came up short.
“You have to be kidding,” she scoffed, frustration razor-sharp. “You’re happy to test it without me, but not explain how?”
Silas tilted his head, quirking his lips. “It’s a fascinating tale, one I won’t share today. It’s clearly an excellent resource for testing the tether between us.”
Amelia huffed, muttering, “you’re infuriating.”
He chuckled softly. “So I’ve been told. By you. Many times.”
“Yes, well.” She picked up her pen and pointed it at him. “Next time? You tell me before you try anything like that again, or I swear I’ll find a way to make you feel something truly awful.”
His humour swelled, smile widening. “Duly noted.”
