The vision stayed with Lilly even longer after it faded. She could not seem to shake off its intensity or how real the whole thing felt as if she had just stepped into that memory—that was not hers. That peek into Silas's past had left her breathless, and now she had more questions than before.
Who was the woman in the parlor? What deal did Silas make with those men? And more importantly, how did it all stack up to his death? She needed to confront him. Not one to run from a mystery, now that she had seen a part of his story firsthand, she needed answers.
That night, with half-hearted attempts to finish a paper for her literature class, Lilly found herself again ending up at West Wood Cemetery. The chill night air nipped at her skin as she walked through the now-familiar path toward the wrought-iron gates. Quieter-than-usual streets seemed to make the tension bubbling inside her only worse as if being alone with her thoughts heightened it.
When she came to the cemetery, the heavy groan of the creaking gates welcomed her inside. The moon hung low in the sky, sending a diffuse pale light over the gravestones. The flashlight in her hand flickered as she went on deeper into the graveyard, her breath puffing thinly before her face in light, nervous gasps. Still, though nerves of steel ran through her system, Silas's warning echoed in the back of her mind: "The dead don't always rest easy."
As she came to where she first found him, she half-expected him to be sitting there, perched on his gravestone as before. And yet, there was nothing. The rustling of leaves in the breeze and a soft murmur of the night.
"Silas?" Lilly called her voice suddenly cutting through the quiet.
For the longest moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, the faintest shuffle of movement behind her made her wheel around.
There he was standing in shadows, regarding her with that same impenetrable expression.
"You're back," Silas said, his voice low and smooth, as if he'd been waiting for her all along.
Lilly crossed her arms over her chest, her pulse racing at the mere sight of him, and struggled for poise. "I saw something," she said forthwith. "A vision. Of you. In the past."
Silas's brow arched high, but his face did not reveal even a shade of astonishment. "I see."
"I saw you," Lilly added, her voice firm as she took a step closer. "You were in a room with a woman—she warned you about something. And then later you were in a clearing, arguing with a group of men. They—" She hesitated. "They threatened you. What was that about?"
Silas's eyes darkened, his teasing smile nowhere to be found. He watched her closely, his face a mask, as if weighing how much he was going to say to her.
"It would appear that you have discovered something that was not intended for your eyes," he said calmly, his voice guarded.
Lilly's anger rose. "Don't play coy with me, Silas. I'm not here to play any games. I saw what happened, or at least part of it. You made some type of deal with someone, and now you're stuck here because of it, aren't you?"
For a long moment, Silas said nothing at all. His gaze flickered to the gravestone beneath him. The moon cast shadows on his face. And when he spoke, his voice was softer, tingeing with quiet intensity.
"You're not wrong," he said. "But neither are you right."
Lilly frowned but didn't interrupt. She had a feeling there was more to it, and for once Silas seemed willing to give her a piece.
"The woman you saw," he began, "her name was Isobel. She and I…we were close once. She was the daughter of a wealthy family in town, connected to some powerful people. People who did not favor me too well, for reasons with which I am sure you shall familiarize yourself in due time."
"And the men?" Lilly asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "The ones you fought in the clearing?"
Silas's face hardened. "They were part of that same circle. Isobel's family had influential ties—men who controlled more than just this town. They made deals, they manipulated, and they punished those who crossed them."
"Crossed them how?" Lilly pressed, curiously.
Silas' gaze met hers and for the first time, Lilly saw something raw in those eyes: pain, regret, anger.
"I was involved in something I shouldn't have been concerned with. Isobel tried to warn me, but I didn't listen. It wasn't until I realized the danger I was in, that it was too late."
He paused and the weight of his words hung in the cold air between them. Lilly could feel the heaviness of what he said, but that still wasn't enough. She needed to understand more.
"Why are you still here, Silas?" she asked softly. "What's keeping you tied to this place?"
Silas's jaw clenched, and for a moment, Lilly thought he wasn't going to respond. But then, slowly, he exhaled.
"Unfinished business," he said, his voice barely more than a murmur. "That's the short version, anyway. The men who were involved in my death—they never paid for what they did. And I can't move on until the truth is known."
Lilly's heart sank. She had suspected as much, but to hear him confirm it sent a shiver down her spine. His death was no accident, and those responsible were never punished for their crime. She had the distinct impression she knew why that was.
"The Grey family," she said, her eyes never leaving his expression. "They were involved, weren't they?"
Silas's eyes flashed with something—acknowledgment, perhaps fury—but he didn't refute the claim. "The Greys had a hand in many things back then. And they weren't the only ones."
Lilly bit her lip as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. The Greys were a very powerful, rich, and influential family even today. If they were involved in the death of Silas, little wonder that the truth had been buried. But why? What had Silas done that they wanted to get rid of him?
Now, she had more questions than ever, but one thing was for sure: Silas wasn't just some other spirit stuck between worlds. He got himself entangled in something much larger, and if she wanted to be of any help to him, there was much she had to dig from the past.
"Fine," Lilly said, straightening up. "I'll find out what happened. But you have to stop being so cryptic with me, Silas. If we're going to figure this out, I need the full story."
Silas smirked, though there was no humor in it. "You'll find it, Lilly Harper. I have no doubt."
Before she could respond, he vanished, dissolving into the shadows like mist in the night. Lilly stood there for a moment, her breath coming in short, shallow bursts. It wasn't as cold a cemetery now, darker without him, but his unfinished business hung heavy in the chilled air.
But now she had something to go on. The Greys. Isobel. And the men in the clearing.
Lilly didn't quite know what that path would take her down, but one thing was for certain: she would more than likely not stop until she found the truth.