Silvia wanted to weep as well for the suffering she now knew Michaela had undergone at Pontifex’s hands. A fierce need to avenge her dearest friend fisted in her belly. But above all else, she wanted to find her, and hug her close and promise to protect her. Wanted to tell her she knew the awful truth that she’d hidden for—how long? How long had this been going on? Silvia stilled, listening carefully to the city around her. Having given up Rico’s body, she would require another host within a day’s time. But at the moment the voices of the near-dead were silent. It happened sometimes, these pauses in available bodies. So, in her invisible state, she rushed to Bastian’s home in hopes of finding Michaela. Instead, she found only Sal inside, who no longer recognized her scent, but sensed her presence and chased her through the halls. “Hush!” she called to him. Though her voice was imperceptible to mortals, animals were more cognizant of it, and the dog went silent at her command, cocking his head as she moved on.
