Chapter 8: Silas Approaches Hendrix

SILAS

I stood in the observation room adjacent to Hendrix's glass cage, watching him through the one-way mirror that he didn't know existed.

Erdem's newest toy was way prettier than the rest of them, I'm sure Erdem will not only use this one for work.

He sat on the bed, his knees drawn up to his chest, staring at nothing with an expression that looked like grief. His fingers worried at something, a piece of thread, red and thin, wrapped around his index finger tight enough to leave marks.

Interesting. A comfort object.

I'd watched the interrogation footage three times, studying every expression, every moment where the mask slipped and something real showed through.

He's good. Better than most of the assets Erdem has acquired.

I'd seen calculation, intelligence. A mind working constantly, even while tears streamed down his face.

You're not what you pretend to be, little Hendrix. And my brother is too arrogant to see it.

And for some unknown reason Hendrix looked too familiar.

The door opened behind me, and I didn't need to turn to know who it was.

"Silas." Mara's voice was cool and controlled, the voice of a woman who'd spent decades managing dangerous men. "I thought I'd find you here."

"Mother." I kept my eyes on Hendrix. "Just observing The knew boy, making sure he's not bringing threats into our home."

"And? Is he a threat?"

"Not sure yet." I finally turned to face her. "If he is a threat only to Erdem or to all of us."

Mara moved to stand beside me, her gaze sharp as she studied Hendrix through the glass.

"Your brother believes he can control him, he believes the boy is just another broken thing to be used and discarded."

Those last words brought back memories I have tried to bury, but I quickly shook it off.

"Erdem believes he can control everything, but this one is different. I smiled. "He admitted to many things during the interrogation and Erdem is letting him stay anyway."

"Curious." Mara's expression didn't change, but I heard the interest in her voice. "Why would he still keep him then?"

"Because he's curious, because-" I paused, choosing my words carefully. "Because I think Erdem is starting to find him interesting in ways that have nothing to do with what we know."

Mara's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"The way he looks at Hendrix. The way he touches him, the way he is keeping him close instead of in the lower cells where new workers and spies usually go." I met my mother's gaze. "Erdem is becoming invested."

"I think your brother is becoming distracted at a time when the family can't afford distractions. The question is whether we use that opportunity to protect Erdem or..."

HENDRIX

I felt watched.

Not just the cameras, this was different.

Who's watching? Erdem? Konstantin? Someone else?

The red thread bit into my finger, grounding me, reminding me why I was here.

A soft knock at the door made me look up. Not harsh bang of guards or the authoritative rap of Konstantin. This was almost... polite.

The door opened, and Silas entered.

He was dressed casually-expensive clothes worn with the carelessness of someone who'd never had to worry about money. His smile was warm, completely at odds with the cruelty I'd witnessed during my first night in the estate.

This is more dangerous than Erdem's interrogation.

"Hendrix," he said softly, closing the door behind him. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"No, sir." my voice came out small and uncertain. "I was just... thinking."

"About the interrogation?" He moved closer, his movements were almost gentle. "I watched the footage. My brother can be... intense."

He watched.

"He was fair," I said carefully. "I lied to him. He had a right to be angry."

"Fair." Silas laughed, but there was no humor in it. "That's a generous interpretation. Most people would call what Erdem does psychological torture."

He sat on the edge of the bed, not close enough to touch, but close enough to invade my space.

"You admitted to many things, that took courage or desperation, which was it?"

"Desperation," I said. "I thought... I thought if I gave him some truth, he might trust me enough to keep me alive."

"And did it work?"

"I'm still alive." I said with a sad face. "For now."

"For now," he agreed. "But you understand that Erdem doesn't keep people out of mercy, right? He keeps them because they're useful and the moment you stop being useful...'

He let the sentence hang, watching me process the threat.

"I understand," I said quietly.

"Do you?" He leaned forward slightly. "Because I'm not sure you do. His attention is like acid, it eats through everything it touches until nothing remains but ruin."

My breathing quickened slightly. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I've watched him do it before, I have watched him discard people like they never mattered at all."

Silas's words were designed to frighten me, to make me doubt, to drive a wedge between me and Erdem.

But why? What does he gain from turning me against his brother?

"What does Erdem want from me?" I asked, letting genuine confusion color my voice.

"Right now? Obedience. He wants you to follow his rules." Silas's smile was sharp. "But eventually, he'll want more, he will want you to need him."

"And then?"

"And then he will want to see you break, because breaking you will prove that he was right all along. That you were always just another toy waiting to shatter.'

I'd seen the way Erdem looked at me, with curiosity and hunger but I still don't get it.

Is that what happened to Liora?

The thought made my stomach turn.

"Why are you warning me?" I asked.

Silas was quiet for a moment, his expression shifted into something that looked almost like genuine concern.

"Because I know what it's like to be the thing Erdem destroys," he said finally. "I'm his brother.

His hand moved, and I tensed, but he just reached out and gently unwrapped the red thread from my finger.

"This," he said, holding up the thread. "What is it?"

"A memory, of someone I lost," I said.

He stood and moved to the door, then paused.

"If things go wrong," he said without turning around. "If Erdem becomes too much, if you need help come to me. I can't promise safety, but I can promise an alternative to whatever my brother has planned for you."

The door closed behind him, and I was alone again.

After Silas left, I sat in silence processing the conversation, weighing every word for truth and manipulation.

Silas wanted to use me against his brother, he wants me as his weapon.

I pulled out the red thread and studied it in the dim light.

Liora, what would you do? How would you play this?

Her voice came to me, memory sharp as broken glass:

"When two enemies offer you alliance, take both. Play them against each other, let them destroy each other while you gather what you need."

But what if one of them isn't really an enemy? What if Erdem...

I wrapped the thread around my finger again, letting the pain ground me, letting Liora's memory sharpen my focus.

I'll play them both.

Erdem and Silas, you guys should wait and see.