Page 43 of Salem’s Rise

His gaze flicks to the restricted shelves, then to the pilfered book still in my hand.

“It looks like you broke into my uncle’s house to steal from him.”

“Okay, you’re right.” I sigh. “It’s exactly what it looks like.”

I can already see the sequence of events unfolding. He calls Lucien. Lucien calls the university. I am expelled from SFU before I even finish my first month of classes. Josh remains missing, Eleanor remains dead, and every answer I’ve fought so hard for disappears behind gates I’ll never be allowed through again.

I glance toward the door, wondering just how quickly I could reach it. I’m fast. Silas is a starter on the lacrosse team, sure, but I’m not too shabby either. If I get the jump on him, I might have a chance. Maybe if I⁠—

“Don’t,” Silas says.

“I wasn’t going anywhere.”

“You were thinking about it,” he says.

“Are you going to turn me in?”

His eyes move over my face, unreadable. “That depends on whether you plan to explain why you’re here.”

“You already know why.” I lift my chin. “It’s for Josh. I’m looking for books he read before he disappeared. I need to understand what happened to him.”

“And naturally, you decided burglary was the next logical step in your plan.”

“I tried the campus library first,” I say.

“A shocking display of restraint.”

“They told me most of the Salem’s Fall occult collection Josh was studying was transferred here.” I gesture toward the shelves. “Professor Endicott said that’s what Josh was researching before he disappeared. My roommate, too, before she was killed. Apparently, she was helping Josh with his game research.”

Something subtle passes through his expression at Professor Endicott’s name.

“You spoke to Bea?”

“Last week.” I nod. “And now she’s suddenly on an indefinite sabbatical, whatever the hell that means.”

“You suspect foul play?”

“It does seem rather suspicious everyone who seems to know about these books winds up disappearing, dead, or on sabbatical, don’t you think?” I ask, unable to keep the sarcasm from my voice.

For a moment, he says nothing. His eyes narrow as he looks back at the book I’m holding. “You came with Rowan, then,” he says, jaw clenching. “He’s a reckless fool.”

There’s more fury in those four words than he’s directed at me since finding me beneath the table. I don’t understand it. I’m the one who stole the book. Why is he so angry with Rowan?

“This was all my idea,” I say, not wanting to implicate Rowan. Snitches get stitches and all that, but more importantly, Rowan has turned out to be a friend. I’m not about to get him in trouble with Lucien or the university. “He’s here meeting Lucien. They have university business to discuss. He had nothing to do with this.”

Silas lets out a humorless laugh.

“You must think I’m a fucking imbecile,” he says. “So what was the plan? Ashcroft plays hero, keeps my uncle occupied, and you steal whatever you can carry.”

I have to give the guy credit. He’s far smarter than you’d expect with that pretty face of his.

“I’m… borrowing.”

“Borrowing?” He snorts. “You snuck in through a back door, hid from the owners, and lifted books from a priceless restricted collection of ancient texts.”

“Gee. When you say it like that, I guess it does sound bad,” I say.

“It is bad.”