He held Emma in his arms, their foreheads touching. "I heard what you did today. The way you stood up and saved someone, the way you acted without hesitation… it shocked me, but it also made me proud. "Emy, you handled everything as well as anyone could have. Don't blame yourself. This was never your burden to carry. It was an internal struggle of the Violet Obsidian Clan. Edric was simply unfortunate, born into a cold-blooded therian family where survival was always going to be brutal." Emma listened but didn't quite agree. Her heart ached even more for Edric. "I'm Edric's huntress. His problems are my problems. How could this have nothing to do with me?" If it involved Edric, it involved her. Silas couldn't help but smile at her answer. "If Edric heard that, he'd probably start crying. I'm truly envious of him. Maybe even jealous. That you'd defend him like this, even at a time like this." That snake's really lucky… Silas, as clever as he was, had never dared hope Emma would one day defend him like this. "I'm your huntress, and you're both my suitors. If anything happens to either of you, of course, I'll stand up for you." What, was she supposed to sit back and let another female protect her suitors? She brushed her fingers over Silas' cheek. His skin was softer than hers, smooth, flawless. She really didn't know how someone could look like this. Silas looked at her with a gentle, unguarded smile, deep blue eyes warm and shining. He cupped her face, his voice soft and drawn with affection. "Then, Ms. Tibarn… may I have a kiss?" Where did he even learn to say things like this? How could he be this smooth?!Emma leaned in and kissed him first. His hand settled at her waist, drawing her closer, their bodies pressing together. Unlike the intensity of the day before, Silas was impossibly gentle now, as if she were something fragile, something precious. His lips brushed hers again and again, careful, lingering, coaxing her to melt. Emma's eyes turned hazy, and she was just about to sink into him entirely when a rich floral fragrance bloomed across her tongue. Something cool and sweet, like clear spring water, slipped down her throat and spread through her limbs. Her exhaustion vanished instantly. Her mental power filled to the brim. Even her heart felt lighter. She had never felt her body this comfortable before—weightless, as if she might float right out of herself. "What did you just feed me?" Emma looked at him, genuinely curious. "My flower," Silas answered with a smile. "Not one from today. One from before. I saved it. That was the last one."He just… gave it to me? The lingering sweetness on her tongue made her chest tighten. "Isn't that wasted on me? I wasn't even hurt." "How could giving it to you be a waste?" Silas' tone held no room for doubt. "You are its best purpose. Giving it to someone else would be a waste. Emy, my ability is almost depleted. I need to go into dormancy for a while. If you need me, just tug one of my leaves. That will wake me." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Ms. Tibarn." As his body dissolved into flickering blue light and sank into the deep blue vine inside the flowerpot, Emma felt she had forgotten something she meant to ask. Outside, Edric's voice broke her thoughts. "Emma!" The bedroom door flew open. Edric rushed in, panic in every movement. He held her tightly, his chest trembling. "Emma, are you hurt? Were you scared? I'm sorry. This is my fault. I didn't protect you. I should have protected you." Fear, guilt, self-blame, all of it wrapped around him so tightly he seemed like he might collapse under the weight. His purple-black eyes were bloodshot, bruised shadows beneath them. Who knew how long it had been since he slept? Emma's heart clenched. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek to his chest, letting the frantic pace of his heartbeat speak for him. "Edric, I'm fine. Really. I wasn't scared at all. You don't even know how incredible I was today." She pulled back and animatedly demonstrated the motions. "I just moved in, blade up, one clean strike—handled her instantly. I probably looked amazing. Even Corvin said I was impressive. I even took out the emergency crystal Drake gave me, and then suddenly, a phoenix appeared—" The phoenix! She froze.That was what she forgot to ask Silas.