Silence Falls (Sequel to Promise the Sky)

Chapter 7

This stubborn naiveté is infuriating. She’s deliberately refusing to understand.

“So you want to know how it happened?” I spit, “You want to know how he died?”

“Yes!”

For a minute there is silence. We battle with our eyes, her glare cutting into me, and in the background that godforsaken city continues to burn.

“I wanted to be honourable, to use a blade instead of magic,” I snap, “but in the end I couldn’t do it. I turned the water in his blood to steam. I didn’t even have to touch him. I didn’t even have to look at him.”

She says nothing. She’s too angry for sympathy, too angry for regret.

I sigh, all hostility draining instantly.

“I came to this city so I could fix myself but I’m just going back to Sinead even more broken than I was before.”

“Oh yes,” she hisses, spiteful. “Sinead.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know full well what that’s supposed to mean.”

She stands up too, face contorting nastily, and treats me to one final stare. I respond with an expression equally bitter and she purses her lips in frustration.

“Fine,” she snaps, skirts floating out as she whirls away.

For a second I think she’s going to storm off but she only manages two steps before she whirls back around again.

“I don’t have to take this from you, you know,” she says, marching right back up to me. “I could make you want me. You’re not the only one whose magic has grown you know.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Melissa hisses furiously. Arm darting out so quickly I don’t have time to react, she wraps slender fingers firmly around my wrist. Her magic begins to pulse thickly through my veins and it feels… good.

“Stop it,” I snarl, slapping her away.

“Exactly,” she says, releasing me. “See what I can do now? I’ve done it before, I could have whoever I wanted, but I choose not to because I like you.”

I pause. This is something we’ve not admitted before and it doesn’t seem quite right to do it now.

“You like me?”

“Of course I like you, you’re wonderful.”

She huffs, unable to look me in the eye. I don’t know what to say.