Tess's body dripped in sweat as more energy left her. Silas's body flew backward.

  "Conserve your energy." Gabriel warned. Tess stood up straighter. For about twenty minutes she had been practicing fighting without the use of spells. The whole exercise was draining any energy she had left. Today was Wednesday. The battle was in three days. Tess was more nervous then she had ever been before. Everyday seemed to be an impending doom. She could sense it when she looked at the angels and Gabriel was beginning to have a shorter temper. She looked back at Silas as he got off the ground.

  "Concentrate on a way to attack your enemies with just the right amount of energy. Pull energy from things around you if you must." Silas looked at Tess and she knew he could sense her weariness in practicing every single day until the battle. Tess hadn't been sleeping well either. Visions of death and darkness haunted her in the sleeping and waking hours.

  "Maybe we should take a break." Silas said quietly to Gabriel. Gabriel looked at Tess.

  "Fine, we can't expect humans to have stamina compared to ours." He said and dismissed her. Tess glared and took a step forward, but Silas was at her side.

  "Don't take it personally Tess. He's under a lot of stress." Tess uncurled her fists.

  "I know, but it's still annoying," She sighed and wiped the sweat off her forehead, "I don't know how much longer I can take this." Tess complained. Silas elbowed her.

  "You managed to knock me on my butt, I think you are doing all right." Tess laughed, but she hadn't missed the nervousness in Silas's voice too. She wished she could see his thoughts, but even if she tried with her powers, he would block her out. He had done that a couple of times, like he was afraid of what she would see. She was afraid to ask him, something that had never occurred up until this week. But then again, she didn't want Silas seeing her thoughts either. Nightmares were always lurking close behind when she slept and they all centered around Silas. Everytime she would get so close to saving him before Akbar would end his life with a fatal stab. She never told Silas though. If he knew, he would never forgive himself for causing the nightmares. Tess had also been thinking about the talk with her father. The more Tess stayed around Silas the more she could see that he was infatuated with her. The way he looked at her, she could see the tenderness in his eyes. Instead of flattered though, Tess was scared. This closeness could effect the battle. Instead of making good choices for the whole of the army, they could both be making choices for each other. That could result in disaster.

  "Tess?" Silas asked. Tess looked up at him, not realizing she had retreated to her own solitary world.

  "I'm fine." Tess reassured him. Silas looked at her, concern obvious.

  "Stop disappearing on me Tessie, it worries me." He whispered so no one else could hear. Tess sighed.

  "I'm sorry."

  "Breaks over!" Gabriel shouted, he threw a sheathed sword at Tess.

  "Now let's practice with a blade."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Silas sat on Tess's bed while she returned the Seer's book to its spot on her dresser. They had been working on simple, but important spells. They were verbal so it didn't use up any of Tess's energy, which was good since she would need it tomorrow. It was Thursday night and tomorrow morning the army would be heading out to Naliak. Gabriel wanted to scout the land before the battle Saturday. Silas had never been to Naliak himself, but this was not how he had planned his first visit would go. Silas had been in battles before, but none that were this important. He had tried to keep his thoughts hidden from Tess, not wanting to scare her. He knew more then once she had tried to search his thoughts, but he had blocked her out. She seemed a little hurt, but understanding. She was hiding her thoughts too, which worried him to no end. The upcoming battle was causing strain on their relationship, something Tess and Silas didn't want. Of course, Gabriel seemed pretty pleased about it. Tess sat back down on the bed with a tired sigh. He could see the dark circles around her eyes. She wasn't getting much sleep anymore. Even with the use of a sleep-aiding spell she never slept as long as she should have. It was draining her, unlike Silas, who could go days without sleep. He had already done that a couple of times this week. He would watch Tess silently, bidding her to have good dreams instead of nightmares. He had heard her mumble his name last night, but when she woke up she said he wasn't even in the dream. He wondered if she was lying.

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  "How's your leg?" Tess asked. Silas rolled up his pant leg, revealing what was left of the injury. The two-inch pale scar was all that could be seen from the previous wound. The tonic had worked amazingly, besides the fact that Silas wanted to hit something every time he put it on.

  "The tonic Remus gave me worked perfectly."

  "That's good." Tess smiled a little. Silas almost sighed in relief.

  "I wish you would smile more often." He said. Tess exhaled.

  "I'm sorry, it just seems as if there is little to smile about anymore."

  "You being here with me is enough to make me smile." Silas stated and he was being genuine. He was relishing every waking moment with Tess. The angelic law had been pushed to the back of his mind.

  "Silas, I'm scared." Silas looked at her closely.

  "Of what?"

  "Of death." Tess whispered.

  "Tess, you can't think like that. You are going to live. You are going to restore the world."

  "But what if I can't?" Tess said, frustrated.

  "You can, I know it. I have never seen anyone like you before, or near as powerful. Akbar will be the one who will have to worry about death." Tess swallowed.

  "I'm not just worried about me." Tess looked at Silas. He could see the storm of emotions flashing through her eyes, "I'm worried about you."

  "You don't need to worry about me." Silas said and smiled.

  "You know those nightmares I've been having?" Tess asked.

  "Yes?"

  "They've been about you." Silas's stomach plummeted.

  "Everytime I get so close to saving you and then Akbar takes you away from me." Tess choked. Silas realized she was on the verge of tears.

  "Silas, I can't bear to see tomorrow without you." She sobbed. Silas grabbed her face in his hands, his heart aching. He wiped her tears with his thumbs.

  "I know, I love you too." Silas didn't care about what he had just said. For it was the truth. Tess sniffed, and looked at him.

  "You cannot love me Silas, it is forbidden."

  "I can and I do, Tess. No law can control my heart." He whispered. Tess's eyes no longer had tears in them. They reflected an emotion she had been holding in for weeks. Love. Tess leaned forward, her lips collided with his and she pulled herself into his lap, lacing her fingers through his hair. Her kiss was urgent, pleading. Silas kissed her quickly, taken by the emotions that suddenly flooded through him. Tess kissed him back fast and quick, but mostly full of passion and an unfulfilled want. Silas let his guard down, bending to her wishes. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing her body as close to his as he could. Kissing her became like breathing. Tess tilted her head up silently and Silas's lips trailed down her neck softly. He pushed Tess back onto her bedsheets with his body, she gave into his willingly.

  "Silas." She whispered, her voice was trembled with want. Silas grabbed her hand, kissing it's palm before trailing a length of kisses up her arm. He could smell the lavender soap that she used to wash her skin. The calming smell was now intoxicating. Tess's skin was feverish and Silas's senses was getting lost in the passionate haze. The very air seemed to swim with illusion. A loud clang in Tess's kitchen made them both jump. It seemed to awaken both of them from their heated frenzy. Silas was breathless and he could feel Tess inhaling raggedly too. As his mind began to clear, Silas could feel the entanglement of Tess's and his legs. He rolled over silently, rolling Tess's body on top of his. She laid her head on his chest breathing heavily, her skin was warm. Silas took a deep breath, feeling the rawness of his lips when air came into his lungs. They both laid there in complete silence, the realization of what just happened settling over them.

  "I shouldn't have done that." Tess whispered in apology. Silas let one hand settle in the small of her back where her shirt had come up a little, tracing invisible shapes. He knew what he had done was wrong, but felt closer to Tess then he had been all week. The heat of her skin, the smell of her, her touch. It all seemed like it was just a dream. He was glad it hadn't gone any further, for Silas knew he would not have been able to stop himself.

  "Don't apologize." He whispered. Tess stroked his chin.

  "Diana was right, you are a good kisser."