Chapter 11 · She Can Hear Me

"Stop pretending you're alone in there, Silas."

Vivian didn't just say it. She stepped into his personal space, the tip of her obsidian dagger grazing the silk of his collar. The cold metal pressed against his windpipe, forcing his chin up.

Inside the mental void, Ella screamed. *Get back! Get the hell back!*

Silas didn't flinch. He didn't even blink. He just looked down at the assassin with that bored, arrogant expression that made Ella want to punch him from the inside out.

"I have no idea what you're implying," Silas drawled. His voice was like velvet over gravel, smooth but dangerous. "Are you here to kill me or flirt with me, Vivian? Because your breath is getting a little too close for a professional hit."

Vivian’s eyes narrowed. She didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned in further, her chest almost brushing his. The tension was thick enough to choke on.

"You're lagging," she whispered, her voice a dangerous hum. "Your reaction time is off by a fraction of a second. You're fighting someone for control. Who is it? Some pathetic spirit? A cursed parasite?"

*She knows,* Ella thought, her panic spiking.