Taken

Chapter 12 (Part 1)

The next morning, I woke up with a groan as the light filtering in through the window stirred me rather than the sound of shouts and chaos like the previous day. I hadn't gotten nearly as much sleep as I needed. My body felt as heavy as my eyelids did and I knew before I even moved a muscle that it was going to hurt to get up and out of bed.

Letting out an exhausted sigh that had more to do with my mental state of mind rather than physical, I gritted my teeth and dragged my aching body from the bed. The process involved more grunts and groans than I had expected. The physical exertion of yesterday morning's chores had taken a toll on my muscles and had my side hurting more than it had the previous morning. Grabbing undergarments and a change of clothing that Hilda had been kind enough to get me yesterday, I got changed, inspecting my injuries and the gold and silver marks in the mirror as I did. While the redness had faded from the sliver mark, it seemed to have increased around the scabbed cuts on my side. I frowned as I took in the one that I was sure had needed stitches it wouldn't get.

Lowering the loose shirt down with stiff fingers that were wrapped in the bandages Hilda had brought me last night, I considered tucking the fabric that fell midway down my thighs into the brown trousers I had on but decided against it for comfort. Slipping wool socks onto my feet, I eyed my boots streaked with dry dirt where they sat by the door. They had looked cleaner when they were wet after I had hosed them down after finishing in the garden yesterday. Cringing at the thought of stepping on a stray piece of glass from last night, I slipped my feet into my old ratty boots. The familiar feel of them surrounding my feet was the only semblance of normalcy I had left.

That and the ache of healing bruises.

Making my way into the hallways and down the stairs, my steps were light, my weight focused on the balls of my feet to minimize the sound of my footfalls. The effort of keeping my movements as silent as possible had been conditioned into me, an unconscious habit now after spending the majority, if not all, of my life, trying to remain unseen and unnoticed. At home, it was best to draw as little attention as possible. Nothing good ever came with it.

My careful steps in the broken in boots did as intended, even if it wasn't my intention to. The hushed conversation coming from the kitchen continued uninterrupted by my approach, causing me to slow.

Just because I couldn't hear their argument this morning, didn't mean it wasn't occurring.

Struggling to make out their words, I tip-toed closer, assuming the same position I had the other day just outside the kitchen, only this time it was with my back pressed to the wall. I didn't try to peer inside and risk being spotted. Not when there was still so much that I didn't know.

"How many?" Hilda asked, her tone serious.

"All of them. I have no control over them," Silas hissed. I could picture his clenched jaw. "I can't even control Autumn's strings anymore. Not to mention how much my capabilities have grown. So much that my winds ripped a tree from the earth and nearly tore down Calico's house. It happened after I wasted far too long tracking a boar only for its trail to go cold. The unstable and uncontrollable flairs seem to be linked to my emotions."

My brows furrowed at what he was saying. Hilda had said that wasn't possible, not without the Blood Stone. The one that was warming the inside of my chest as they spoke.

"You mean anger?" Hilda asked dryly.

He let out an unamused grunt. "I caused the pipes at the tavern to explode. Which worked in my favor because I had just set a drunk fool or two trying to pick a fight on fire."

"Silas! What if someone saw? Do you know how fast word would spread?" Fear drenched Hilda's outrage.

"One of the men I ignited was a Summer Fae. Anyone who saw would have blamed the drunk idiot for setting himself and his friend ablaze. As for the pipes, there is no way to link them back to me. It could have been anyone, specifically the Winter Fae I saw enjoying pints of mead."