Zoya's P.O.V
I felt a chill run down my spine at the revelation. "Black magic?" I questioned, my voice barely above a whisper.
Cam nodded solemnly. "Rumors say she dabbled in dark arts, Zoya. She's manipulative and cunning. She might seem like she wants to help, but be wary of her intentions. She knows how to use people for her own gain. She can ruin your relationship with Ezra if she sees that she can use Ezra to her advantage, the same way she’s using Silas now…"
"Silas?" I asked, unable to see the picture Cam was trying to paint for me.
Cam's expression darkened. "Silas is a pawn in her game. She's using him to get closer to the pack, to exert influence through him."
Listening to Cam's warnings, I let her words sink in, the weight of her concerns echoing in my mind.
But my reaction wasn't one of anger or immediate distrust towards Anika. Instead, a different train of thought formed in my mind.
"Cam," I began, my voice thoughtful, "how old is Silas?"
Cam's eyes widened slightly at my unexpected question. "He's…twenty-seven," she replied cautiously.
A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "Then he's not a child, Cam. He used to be an Alpha, the leader of his own pack. He's capable of making his own decisions, and he's experienced enough to recognize right from wrong."
Cam's gaze held a mixture of surprise and consideration as my words sank in. "I'm not saying he's not capable, Zoya. But Anika has a history, a dangerous one. I don't want you to be inadvertently pulled into her schemes."
"I understand your concern," I said, my voice earnest, "but painting Silas as someone who can be easily manipulated isn't fair either. He's been through his own trials, and I believe he's learned from them. If he's involved with Anika, it's his choice."
Cam's lips tightened, her worry etched on her face. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Zoya. You've been through enough."
I reached out and placed a reassuring hand on hers. "I appreciate that, Cam. But I'm not a child either. I'll be cautious, just as you've advised."
As we locked eyes, a silent understanding passed between us.
While the danger was clear, so was my determination to make my own choices and decisions, guided by both my instincts and the lessons I had learned.
Silas might have his own reasons for his actions, and it was my choice whether to trust that he believed he was doing the right thing or not, just as it was his choice whether to align with Anika or not.
In the end, our individual paths intertwined, but we both had the power to decide where they led. And while Anika played a part in the presentation of choices, she was not the one to be blamed.
“Trying to portray Anika as the villain makes Silas sound like an immature child who is nowhere near the capability of being the Alpha,” I told her, trying not to sound admonishing because I also understood that she was only looking out for me, and I didn't want to make her feel bad for it.
Cam let out a deep exhale. “I guess…” she relented. I thought that was the end of it and was about to shift the topic to asking her for help to meet Anika again, but then she asked, “Why do you think only Anika can help you?” She held my gaze. “By the way you just phrased it…it seemed like only Anika can help you with whatever it is that’s going on.”
She continued, “Why not Ezra? Or me? Or anyone else in the pack?”
Cam's question lingered in the air between us, prompting me to carefully consider my response.
I leaned back in my chair, my gaze drifting out of the window, where the early morning sun cast a warm golden glow across the landscape.
"It's not that I don't trust Ezra or anyone in the pack," I began slowly, my thoughts coming together. "But the truth is, the pack was incredibly attached to Lily. She was part of them, a beloved member. It's only natural that their emotions are tangled up in her memory."
Cam's brow furrowed in understanding as she absorbed my words. She didn’t speak or react as I thought she would at my implications, so I thought I should continue, “And, I mean, that’s not exactly a bad thing… But…”
I sighed. “I hope I don’t sound like a psycho bitter girlfriend, but I think that everyone might be biased in their own way…”
Cam’s frown deepened, so I quickly waved my hands, “Again, that’s not a bad thing! And it’s certainly not something I would hold against you all. If I were in your place and I was told that someone – who was practically an angel when she was alive – had done something… terrible to herself… I wouldn’t believe it either.”
“Wait,” Cam said. “What are you trying to say?”
I debated whether I should say it or not. How would she take it? Would she react negatively and immediately push the idea away or would she hear me out like I hoped she would?
Would she get angry at me? Push me away?
There was only one way of knowing.
I took a deep breath, trying to prepare myself for the backlash. I laced my fingers together. “I just… Lily was so pure and so well-loved, wasn’t she? So everyone would find it difficult to accept that… as my theory goes… that no one killed her… She might have done it to herself…”