Page 56 of The Fractured Veil

For a moment, it felt like we were floating through nothingness, weightless and disconnected from the world. The sensation was disorienting, my heart pounding wildly in my chest as I tried to make sense of the space we were in. I couldn’t see anything—there was only blackness, a void stretching endlessly in every direction. But Damon’s grip on my hand was firm, grounding me even as the shadows closed in around us.

“Relax,” Damon’s voice came through the darkness, calm and soothing. “My shadows won’t harm you.”

Easier said than done.

The cold seeped into my skin, the shadows brushing against me like living things, their touch both invasive and strangely comforting. It felt like they were reading me, exploring the edges of my power, testing the light that had risen inside me back in the alley.

We emerged from the shadows into the open air, my feet hitting solid ground again. I stumbled slightly, the sudden transition from the void to reality throwing me off balance. Damon’s grip tightened around my hand, steadying me before I could fall.

The house loomed ahead, familiar and ominous, its dark silhouette barely visible against the night sky. The cold air wrapped around me, stark and biting after the suffocating embrace of the shadows.

Damon’s gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, his expression still unreadable. “You handled it better than most,” he said, his voice softer now, though there was still that edge in it.

I glanced up at him, catching the flicker of something in his eyes—approval, maybe? But before I could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed from the direction of the house. I turned just in time to see Nox approaching, his figure a shadowy blur until he stepped into the light spilling from the house.

Relief flooded through me, but it was quickly tempered by the uncertainty of what had just happened—and what was still to come. Nox’s dark eyes locked onto mine, his expression grim as he approached.

“Are you okay?” Nox asked, his voice low, but there was a tension beneath his words, as if he already knew the answer wasn’t simple.

I nodded, though I wasn’t entirely sure how to explain what I’d just experienced. “Yeah,” I said, my voice a little shaky. “I think so.”

Damon’s shadows shifted beside me, his presence lingering—ever watchful. It almost felt like his shadows had taken a liking to me—more so than Damon himself.

“I’ll be back. Nox, stay with her,” Damon announced, his voice firm, before he disappeared into the darkness, swallowed by the shadows as effortlessly as he had emerged from them.

Chapter24

Thalia’s POV

Afew hours had passed, and the house was eerily quiet, except for the crackling of the fire. The shadows danced along the walls, flickering with each snap of the flames, but even the warmth of the fire did little to settle the chill that had lodged itself deep in my chest. I couldn’t sit still anymore. Anxiety gnawed at me, each passing minute feeding the growing sense of dread in my stomach. My mind raced, circling around the events from earlier—the cryptic threats, the strange pull I’d felt in the darkness. Something was wrong, and every nerve in my body screamed that I needed to do something,anything, instead of sitting here, waiting.

“Where are they?” I finally asked, my voice sharper than I intended as I paced in front of the fireplace. I could feel my heart pounding, the unease spiraling out of control. The silence was too heavy, the waiting unbearable.

Nox, who had been sitting quietly, looked up, his green eyes briefly widening as if I’d caught him off guard. For a second, he looked like a deer in headlights—an expression so uncharacteristic of him that it only deepened my unease. Seeing Nox, usually so composed, with even a hint of uncertainty made my stomach clench harder. But he quickly masked it, his usual unreadable calm slipping back into place, as if he hadn’t just betrayed a flicker of fear.

“They’ll be back,” he said, though his voice lacked its usual confidence. His eyes flicked nervously toward the window, betraying his own concern as his fingers tightened around the leather of the armrest.

I stopped pacing and turned to face him, crossing my arms over my chest, trying to hold myself together even as I felt myself start to unravel. “And where wereyou, Nox?” I asked, unable to keep the edge out of my voice. The question had been lingering in the back of my mind since he left, but I hadn’t wanted to push him before. Now, with hours gone by and no sign of Zarek or Damon, I couldn’t help it.

He stiffened slightly, his gaze meeting mine for a brief moment before he quickly glanced away. “I was… handling something,” he said, his tone clipped, almost defensive.

I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. The silence between us grew heavier, filled only by the popping of the fire. I could see the tension in his posture, the way he was avoiding eye contact, and it only made me more suspicious. Nox was good at hiding things—too good—but this was different. There was something he wasn’t telling me, something more than just concern for his brothers.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up inside me, threatening to spill over. “I was holding it together, you know? I really was. But the fact that they’re not back yet…” I trailed off, my voice faltering as the worry clawed at me, each word catching in my throat. “It’s starting to eat me alive.”

The words hung in the air, my fear laid bare between us. I started pacing again, my footsteps echoing against the stone floor, the fear creeping closer, threatening to drown me. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was even worried about Damon—his cold, intense presence, the way he threw himself into the darkness without hesitation. And Zarek... Zarek, with his charm and easy banter. But now they were both out there, and I had no idea what they were facing. No idea if they were okay.

“Yeah,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head, trying to fight back the tears that were beginning to sting my eyes. “I’m losing it.”

Nox stood and crossed the room, his footsteps almost silent on the stone floor. He stopped just in front of me, his expression softening just a fraction. “You’re not losing it, Thalia. They’re strong. They know what they’re doing—” He hesitated, and for a moment, his eyes searched mine, as if looking for something—some kind of reassurance or maybe a sign that I wasn’t about to fall apart. “We’ll find them if they don’t return soon.”

His words should have reassured me, but the growing sense of dread only deepened, wrapping icy tendrils around my heart, squeezing until it ached with a dull, persistent throb. Something wasn’t right. And the worst part was the helplessness—the waiting, the uncertainty of it all was like a knife twisting in my gut, each rotation sending fresh waves of nausea churning through me. My hands trembled as I fisted them at my sides, trying to find some semblance of control.

Nox’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Are you worried about Damon?” he asked, genuine surprise coloring his tone.

“Well yeah, he may be a complete asshole, but that doesn’t mean I want him hurt or dead,” I sighed, running a hand through my hair again. “Gods, maybe Iamlosing it if I’m worried abouthim.” I let out a short, manic laugh, the sound brittle in the quiet room.

Nox didn’t smile, but there was a flicker of understanding in his eyes. “He has that effect,” he said quietly.

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