And Then There Were Four by Lilith Carrie

Chapter 191: Secrets within the Dark

Silas.

Storming from her room, I made my way down the hall, reeling over the events that had just transpired. Cassie wasn't like any other woman I had ever encountered in my life, and I was completely enamored by her in every way. Not only had she completely taken over my mind, she had also captured my heart. Something I had sworn I would never let another woman do after Anna had died.

"Where are you going in such a hurry," a voice softly replied, stopping me in my tracks.

"Freya, do you always lurk in the shadows?"

Turning, I spotted the bright, cheerful smile of my long-time friend. Most people didn't know that Freya and I had such a close friendship, but at the same time, I wasn't one to tell people my business, and neither was Freya. "You know I like to stay on top of the latest gossip."

"Yes, I do," I replied trying to force a smile upon my face but too flustered by what I was going to do about my attraction to Cassie to make it look normal. "Well, I need to head to bed before the first trials tomorrow. Don't get into too much trouble."

"Says the man who just left a very important woman's room," she replied as I turned to walk away. I had been caught by Freya, and I knew there was no point in denying that I had just come from Cassie's room. Freya knew everything that happened within this damn palace, and as annoying as it could be... it was also very helpful.

Turning to face her again, I sighed as I reached up rubbing the back of my neck. "It isn't what you think, Freya. Please don't make a fuss about this."

"A fuss?" She scoffed with soft laughter as she raised a brow crossing her arms over her chest. "Come on now, Silas. You of all people should know that I don't make a fuss. I simply point out the obvious, and you, my friend, are completely in love with a woman that is supposed to be off-limits to you."

"I know this, Freya. I have tried everything I can to be distant from her and stay away..."

I groaned in frustration. "I just fucking can't."

"You must though, Silas. You know as well as I do that Odin will never allow you to be with her. Just as he wouldn't allow you interest in Anna. You're a guardian, and that is the only reason you have been allowed to stay here as long as you have."

Hearing her say what I already knew only made me angrier than I had already been. I knew my friend wasn't saying all of this to sway me from what I was doing, but more so like a warning to help protect me considering the consequences that would follow if I wasn't careful.

Taking a deep breath, I cast my eyes towards the ceiling, trying to think of what I could do to ease the situation, but at the end of my thought, the only thing left there was the love I had for Cassie. I wanted to be there for her, to love her in every way she deserved to be loved, and yet I was acting foolish thinking that I could be that person for her.

"What would you have me do, Freya?" I asked, setting my eyes upon the graceful woman in front of me, "Cassie isn't going to just let me go."

Freya was silent for a while as she stood there seemingly lost in her own thoughts going over everything I had just said. It wasn't like her to be this quiet, and yet as she opened her mouth, I was surprised by the advice she gave. "If it is Cassie's will, then all I can say is be careful."

"Seriously?" Shocked was an understatement at the moment. I couldn't believe this was the advice the great Freya was giving when usually she would have told me to stay clear no matter the cost of it.

Yes, she cared for Cassie because to Freya, Cassie was the future of this realm and many others. However, at the same time, she was also not someone who wanted to cross Odin. She was the smartest of any of the gods I had ever met, and I took her advice very seriously.

"Yes, seriously, Silas. Perhaps Cassie will take more after her mother than I thought."

"More after her mother?" I repeated furrowing my brows, "what do you mean?"

Laughter escaped Freya's lips as she shook her head wagging her finger from side to side. "Come on now, Silas. You know exactly what I'm talking about, and if you don't, I might have to question your intelligence.' There was no doubt in my mind as to what she was referring to but at the same time, it wasn't something I had wanted to admit in the past. I knew that Lucas was her original mate, and when her mortal form died, that mate bond had been broken. However, when I saw them interacting as of late, it was safe to assume that it was still there even though it should have been possible.

"Cassie having more than one mate would change everything. She would have to choose to select that life, and there is no way that she will. The girl doesn't even want to be in this place, and with her position... she can't have more than one consort, Freya."

"Yet, it's still a possibility," she muttered, shrugging her shoulders.

"Not with me, Freya. Cassie has to marry royalty. That's why everyone in attendance has some type of royalty in their blood."

Her eyes darted to mine with judgment at my words. "If you remember correctly... you are royalty, Silas."

"Don't speak of it," I snapped in reply. "That part of my life died with me the day I came here.'

Shrugging her shoulders, Freya looked down at her nails and smirked. "All I was simply hinting at, Silas, is that anything is possible. In all honesty, I'm curious to see what is going to happen with her. I have a feeling she is going to make things extremely interesting over the next few weeks."

"What do you mean?"

Her eyes cut up to mine as she scoffed with a smile once more. "Oh, come now, Silas... you, Lucas, and now Prince Finnick... you know what they say about Finnick. When he wants something he will do anything to obtain it."

I was quite aware of that little bit of information about Finnick, and it was something that worried me completely. Tomorrow, the first game was about strength, and though they were using Viking methods to show the strength of each warrior, I wondered if Finnick would find a way to ensure he finished in the top ten.

Which was where he needed to be to continue to the next round.

Surely he wasn't a match for a shifter... he was only Fae.

"He won't pass the round tomorrow, Freya. Prince or not, I have seen the men working in those fields the past few weeks. He doesn't have half the stamina they do."

"Don't be so sure of that." She laughed. 'He is Fae... crafty and intelligent are his two leading factors. Something that the majority of those in this realm lack."

True as that might have been, I also knew that Thor's children were another obstacle. "Thor's boy... what of him?"

Quiet for a moment, she seemed to glance around as if wondering if there was anyone who could be watching before she spoke. "They are going to play dirty that's for sure. However, they don't stand a chance when it comes to outwitting the Fae or Cassie."

"Cassie's judgment is all over the place, Freya. I worry that she doesn't have what it takes to get through the next few weeks. She seems confident one moment, and falling apart the next."

Freya nodded in agreement as she stepped closer to me. "Yes, I know but you have to remember... mentally she is only eighteen years old. She is still a child in some ways, and because of that, she needs people around her who can help guide her."

"No, what she needs are her parents." I scoffed, rolling my eyes, "something I can't give her."

Again, Freya was quiet for a moment as she bit upon her bottom lip thinking. "Perhaps she does, but in the meantime, she needs a support system she can count on. It may be useful to suggest this to Odin when you see him tomorrow. After all, it would give you more reason to spend time with her."

She had a point, and though that also was a risk, it was one I could possibly make work. The ability to spend time with her was something I longed for but wasn't able to do. Since the moment she changed, I was forced to take my situation more seriously...

I was forced to stay away from her.

It had been the only way that I'd been able to keep myself sane.

Sanity wasn't something that you wanted to lose in a place like this, and I already knew what Freya's opinion would be on that matter. "You're overthinking things, Silas."

"No, I'm not." The quick reply to her comment made her chuckle, 'I'm serious."

"So am I, Silas. You need to be careful, but at the end of the day, the choice on what you do is only for you to make. I'm simply a watcher."

"Speaking of watching..." I replied, 'what shady shit have you seen over the last few days."

Again, she shrugged her shoulders with a mischievous smile. "A girl can't reveal all her secrets, Silas. However, I can say that tomorrow is surely going to be interesting. Who knew that men could be so competitive." "I could have told you that, Freya."

As the sound of laughter filtered from somewhere down the hallways in front of me, I knew that our conversation needed to be cut short. Freya had things she was doing, and honestly, I needed to get back to what I was doing. The both of us quickly sharing a look was the only goodbye we needed before we made ourselves scarce within the halls and departed quickly.

Hastily making my way down the halls I headed toward my room. The black and steel door loomed in front of me as I quickly entered and took in my lush surroundings. For hundreds of years I had been here, and every corner of the living room was covered in books and scrolls of the past.

Stuff that I had gone through over the years to find a way to make sense of what had happened in my past and the fact that Freya had brought it up in conversation, I was now stuck thinking about it. The day I came here seeking asylum was when I gave up being the man I was meant to be.

No matter how much people may have wanted me to be different, I couldn't.

The death of my past was what led to my future, and if Cassie was to be the woman that people wanted her to be, she couldn't do that with me at her side. I was nothing but a plague that would destroy her life, and I refused to be the one to see her fall because of my own failures.