And Then There Were Four by Lilith Carrie

Drawing after drawing Silas showed me the images of Bjorn and many other people explaining how the twos' life played out. How they bared many children, but in the great war, something happened that changed Anna's life forever. "Anna loved Bjorn, but when their eldest daughter died, Bjorn lost himself. His daughter was everything to him but his best friend killed her. A man he trusted, and Anna would have died too had Bjorn not got there in time to save her." The look he gave when he said Anna would have died was heartbreaking, and I realized he definitely knew her on a more personal level. However, if that was the case, then that meant he was far older than I expected. "Silas, you knew her personally, didn't you?"

Lifting his gaze to me, he opened his mouth, "I did."

"That would make you over a thousand years old!" I gasped trying to wrap my mind around how old he really was. However, laughter left him as he shook his head no.

"I'm definitely not that damn old, but I am a few hundred years old."

"That doesn't make sense, Silas. She lived here a thousand years ago," I replied, trying to understand what he was saying. The math didn't add up, and as much as I wanted to know about her, I had to understand the truth behind him. "Look... why don't you let me finish what I'm telling you first before you assume things," he suggested causing me to nod, deciding not to continue asking him any more questions.

"Good, as I was saying... Bjorn lost his mind, and when he did, Anna fled with the rest of her children, hiding them around the world out of fear that they may be hurt in his rage. Now, Bjorn didn't take kindly to what Anna did... he saw her as a traitor, and wanted back what was rightfully his. So he sought to battle with her to find them, and then forced her into submission."

Thinking back, I remembered Priscilla, a woman I saw as a grandmother, telling me similar stories about two people named Bjorn and Anna. "They were the reincarnated version of Geri and Freki?"

Silas's eyes widened at my words as a smile spread across his face. "Yes... so you do know them?"

"No," I laughed, shaking my head. "I just remembered a story my grandmother had told me a long time ago. About the wolves of Odin..."

Opening his mouth, he didn't speak and simply scoffed with a smile. "Yeah... Odin."

I was curious why he remarked the way he did but chose to stay silent hoping that when he was ready, he would tell me what it was he was hiding.

"Look, it's been a long day, and there

is so much about that battle you should learn. Why don't you take this book with you, Cassie. Read what you can about Anna, and then Kean fill in the rest where you have questions."

"Silas, what's wrong?" Confusion washed over me, wondering why he was suddenly acting the way he was. He had been so eager to telf me the stories before and now he simply wanted to end the conversation.

"Nothing, Cassie... I just remembered I forgot to take care of something."

Silas looked at me for a long moment as he stood to his feet and handed over the book to which I took and placed it into the black leather satchel at my side. There wasnta point in carrying on the conversation if he didn't want to have it, and so when he turned to make his way for the exit,I stayed quiet.

Silas was more mysterious than I could have ever imagined, and every part of me wanted to know the secrets he was hiding.

After all, why was it so important I learned about Anna?