Chapter 18

Silas asked me to meet him in the valley. He said he wanted one last goodbye, that he had truly let go. He also mentioned that the frostflowers were blooming there, my favorite. I hesitated, but in the end, I went. Maybe we really did need a clean ending. The valley was quiet when I arrived. Silas was already there. When he saw my blank expression, he said carefully, "Nova, maybe we can walk a little farther. The flowers are prettier over there." "No." I glanced at him, expression flat. "Say what you need to say. After that, we never see each other again." His eyes reddened. "Nova, we've been together for over ten years. Can you really throw all of that away?" I let out a short, bitter laugh. "What do we have left? Didn't you and Ivy and your little family grind it all away long ago?" "That wasn't my pup!" he blurted out, desperate, searching my face for any sign of hesitation. "I only recognize the pup you bore…" I felt tired, and I glanced at my watch. "Silas, I have other t