Few passed him as he wandered around the nearly empty mall, hands in his pockets, trying to be as inconspicuous as a dealer of death could be. Every instinct he had was urging him to hide, to find a spot and wait for her to appear, but Silas pushed it back. He could feel eyes on him, not innocent and kind like hers, but malevolent and cold.

It knew he was here. It also knew his purpose, he felt. He would not hide, not while it was so close. Of the few faces that passed him, Silas likened none of them to this oppressive presence, but each one made him tense for the briefest moment. He could not tell which one held the threat, if any.

After nearly ten minutes of wandering, with the weight of pistol at his back growing heavier with each passing moment, Silas heard a familiar voice coming from a store ahead of him. Ducking close to a kiosk filled with souvenirs mugs plastered with various Seattle landmarks, Silas watched the pair pass in the plate glass of the store opposite him. Oblivious to him and the threat he felt so clearly, the girls chatted happily as they headed in the direction of the food court.

So they were still here. He breathed a small sigh of relief as he started to follow their direction, surreptitiously watching their every move and that of those that passed them. The walkways were steadily filling with people and finally he began to relax a little, the crowds would him while decreasing the chance of her stalker acting.

Silas headed to the food court while Ashlin was being pulled into a clothing store across the way by Rebecca. To deflect attention, he bought a small coffee at a nearby stand before making his way to a secluded corner that still provided a decent vantage point. As Silas nestled in, the crowd only grew as the minutes passed, shielding him even more. After nearly twenty minutes of periodically scanning the faces surrounding him, one finally caused his heart to skip a beat.

Memories resurfaced, some painful...but most were…pleasant, comforting even. Just seeing her face, that beautiful face that the years just seem to skip over, Silas smiled softly as his guard began to lull ever so slightly. Her answering smile was soft as well, shy even, the red of her lips vibrant against her ivory skin. She had been watching him for a while, he realized, her own booth clear across the court. She tilted her head questioningly and he nodded before sighing heavily.

She got up and began to weave her way to him, her step measured and graceful. Where he was able to blend in if he wished, she never could. Tall and willowy, she never went unnoticed. Not just because of the way her long hair gleamed like burnished silver or the way her shaded pale eyes made knees weaken, but by the way she seemed to make everything disappear around her. She was the only person that existed, if even for just that moment…and that would be all she needed. She was uniquely dangerous that way.

Even with having grown up with her, Silas could still feel the effect she had. His guard began to disarm even more before his instincts kicked in, throwing his walls back up. Silas merely smiled back at her and her answering smile was tinged with the sweet memories of home... a home where she was always waiting for him... a home he wasn't worthy of anymore.

“Lucia, what are you doing here?” Silas asked in an exasperated yet good natured tone, though he was watching her every move, as he knew she was watching his. She sinuously wound herself into the booth across from him at his invitation. The smile never left her face but the calculating way her eyes searched his betrayed her.

“Hello, Silas.” Her voice was soft and airy as she said his name. Her pale eyes still wondered over his studiously calm face. “It’s been too long.”

“Too long….” He replied off-handily, not disagreeing with her. But he leaned forward while crossing his arms. “I’ve kept my silence and distance for a reason, you know.”

“Are you not even a little glad to see me?” She said teasingly, her expression growing slightly warmer while her body relaxed slightly, but her tone was brisk as she answered, “And yes, I remember why you left, Silas. Vividly.”

He stared coldly until her smile faltered somewhat, “Then why are you here?”

“I’m here because Cassie’s worried for you. She didn’t want to ask, but I could see what she wanted me to do. So, since I was in the neighborhood, I decided to come see how you are.” She explained with a small smile.

“Why were you in the neighborhood? Seattle’s a long way from the Citadel.” Silas replied coolly as she shifted her gaze to the side, almost guiltily.

“Is it really so surprising that I wanted to see you?” Lucia asked softly, glancing up at him. She seemed genuinely surprised at his cool attitude. "I’ve been wanting to for a while now. Just haven’t been able to work up the nerve.”

“…I am glad to see you, Lucia.” Silas finally said, his tone thawing, but he cocked an eyebrow. “Is that all? You only wanted to see me?”

“Eh, in a way. That’s more of a consolation prize.” Lucia said while shrugging, her body visibly relaxing. Silas relaxed as well, leaning back into the booth. She wasn’t here to cause trouble, he could tell. Her sincerity about wanting to see him was very clear.

“In a way.” Silas repeated.

She looked away for a millisecond before returning. “There are things happening that you need to know about…you left us leaderless when you came out here. Sooner or later someone was going to have to come and…”

“I am no one’s leader.” Silas cut her off sharply. He hated when she referred to him like that.

“Yes, you are…whether you like it or not, we need you to guide us.”

Silas scoffed and shook his head, “We’re murders, Lucia. No more, no less. Murderers don’t need guidance.”

“We are not murders, we defend this country from…” Lucia began, ire flashing in her grey eyes, but Silas cut her off again.

“Spare me your patriotism… you keep telling yourself that enough and maybe someday you’ll believe it.” Silas muttered bitterly. Lucia sighed in exasperation but didn’t reply, instead settling for a sip of his coffee. She made a face after setting it down. “So why are you here?”

“God, that’s bitter…how appropriate...” Lucia muttered with a small smirk, to which Silas rolled his eyes. “I’m here to update you on what’s happening at the Citadel.”

“I guess there’s some reason why I should care?”

Lucia nodded, seemingly ignoring his attitude. “Yes, several.”

“I can’t wait to hear them.” Silas said sarcastically as he flipped over his phone. A text message from an unfamiliar number caused his phone to vibrate loudly against the table. He opened it up and quickly read it, but didn’t respond. It was Ashlin telling him the address of the club they wanted to go to and they time he should be there. He locked his phone again, intending to respond after this unexpected visit was over. “But, it won’t complete unless David is here to share it with us. No one can glare at me like he can.”

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, “How did you know?”

Silas raised his eyebrows. “Actually, I’m a little offended you tried to sneak him past me.”