Chapter 30 · Cracks in the Lie

"Who gave it to you?" Silas didn't shout. He didn't have to. The low, vibrating rumble of his voice hit me right in the chest, pinning me against the cold stone wall of the library.

I gripped the crumpled note in my fist, my knuckles white. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He leaned in, his chest nearly brushing mine. I could smell cedar and something sharp, like ozone before a storm. He didn't touch me, but the heat radiating off him felt like a physical weight. He reached out, his hand slamming against the wall right next to my ear. The thud echoed through the silent room.

"Don't lie to me, Ivy. Not today. Not after everything," he hissed. His eyes weren't just gold anymore; they were burning, the pupils slit like a predator's. "The note. Give it to me. Now."

"Why do you care?" I snapped, tilting my chin up. I was shaking, but I refused to let him see it. "Maybe someone actually has the guts to tell me the truth about you. Maybe you're not the misunderstood savior everyone wants you to be."

Silas let out a sharp, dark laugh that didn't reach his eyes.