Nine Hot Therians and Their Only One Queen novel Chapter 340

**When She Opened the Door to the Life She Was Afraid to Live by Nora Vale Kingsley**

**Chapter 340: The Truth Beneath the Silence**

Silas, with a gentle yet firm demeanor, turned to Emy, their steadfast huntress. “Emy,” he urged softly, “Drake’s right. You should really wait outside. This isn’t something you need to witness. It’s not worth the stain it might leave on your soul.”

Emma had always been unflinching when it came to ending the lives of beasts, and even in the heat of battle against the worst of humanity, she had never wavered. Yet Silas understood that there was a line she had never crossed—torture. The gruesome spectacle that was about to unfold could shake her to her core, and none of them wished for her to bear witness to the depths of cruelty they were capable of.

Her gaze flickered to Merlin, who was cruelly pinned beneath Drake’s boot. His face was a mask of agony, yet he met her eyes with an unwavering glare, defiance radiating from him despite his predicament. After a moment of internal struggle, she nodded, a silent agreement that she would step away from the darkness about to transpire, and turned her back to the cave entrance.

“Ms. Tibarn, please don’t go! You have to listen to me!” Merlin’s voice cracked with desperation, a wild panic etched across his features. Ignoring the torment coursing through him, he shouted after her retreating figure, “I did all of this for you!”

Silas exchanged a knowing glance with Marcus, the weight of the moment heavy between them. “Marcus,” he instructed, “take Kieran and Corvin and remain with Emy outside. Make sure this mutt’s barking doesn’t reach her ears.”

Marcus shot one last contemptuous look at Merlin, a mix of disdain and pity, before following Emma out of the cave. As they reached the mouth of the cave, he concentrated, sealing the entrance with his mental powers, ensuring that whatever horrors unfolded within would remain unheard by Emma.

In no time, only Silas, Drake, and the broken figure of Merlin remained in the dim, oppressive cavern.

Silas stepped closer, crouching down to meet Merlin’s gaze. A faint, superficial smile played on his lips, yet there was an unsettling chill in the air, a stark contrast to the softness of his voice. “Well,” he murmured, “now that we have some privacy, let’s have a proper conversation.”

The intimate tone of Silas’s voice sent a jolt of alarm through Merlin, his eyes widening in dread.

“Drake,” Silas instructed quietly, “go ahead and do it.”

Merlin’s mind reeled. What had happened to the promise of a conversation?

Drake wasted no time. His boot came crashing down, this time with brutal force upon Merlin’s arm.

Crack.

The sound of shattering bone echoed through the cave, a sharp, visceral reminder of their grim reality.

“Ahhh!” Merlin screamed, the raw agony cutting through him like a knife. Yet, even amidst the torment, he spat out curses, his voice laced with defiance. “You bastards! Go ahead, kill me! I won’t say a damn thing! Malrik’s going to die with me anyway! I can come back to life—but he can’t! Hahaha!”

Silas didn’t even falter in his stride. How weak, he thought dryly. Not even a fraction as creative as Marcus’s insults.

As he approached the cave’s exit, Merlin’s screams morphed into desperate shrieks. “Ms. Tibarn! I’m the one who truly loves you! Malrik doesn’t deserve you!”

But outside, Emma remained oblivious, the echoes of his cries lost to her.

As Silas stepped out of the cave, Emma wasted no time approaching him, her eyes searching his face for answers. “Well? Did he talk?”

Silas offered a faint smile, one that held both relief and urgency. “He did. Malrik is with the Enchanter Clan.”

Malrik… with the Enchanter Clan? Emma’s brow furrowed in concern. “Did he say how? Did Malrik go back willingly—or were they the ones who took him?”

“Not entirely sure yet,” Silas replied, his tone serious. “But one thing is painfully clear—he’s in danger. We need to locate him swiftly.”

The moment she heard that Malrik could be in peril, a surge of determination ignited within her…