Page 45 of Her Shadow so Dark and Lovely
Sila surges forward, a roiling wave of dark shadow and sharp blades, and Jaime grabs his fallen sword and throws himself at her. There’s a cry from Sila, a dark splash of her thick, black-red blood against the floor and then Mercias is there throwing his shield into Jaime and trying to find purchase on his skin. Sila snarls, throws away her blades and becomes a nightmare incarnate, all long talons and razor sharp bloody teeth wrapped in swirling shadow.
“Grab it!” Jaime shouts, shoving back against Mercias and lunging at Sila. Mercias’ form flickers out of sight and back again as Sila clashes with Jaime. She is entirely reckless, and I flinch with each cut, each hit, her body takes.
Mercias flickers and throws himself across the room. The blood mage grins as he slides to a stop by the knife and grabs it. Still grinning at Mercias, he raises the knife to his mouth and licks it. Mercias’ blood coats his tongue and he speaks a word, a command. Mercias chokes, stills, and drops to the floor like the dead. I cry out without thinking, but my own enchantment continues to keep me silent. Keeps me hidden. All I can do is watch Mercias’ skin turn grey. Everything is happening too fast.
Sila lets out one of her fae screeches, and kicks Jaime hard, sending him face first into the stone floor. She turns on the blood mage like a vengeful ghost. He keeps grinning as he reachesdown to run his fingers through Sila’s blood, splashed across the chamber floor.
No. He can’t. I scream and not a sound comes out. The shadows do not give way. I feel them dig into my flesh as I try to pull myself free. He licks Sila’s blood from his fingers and he speaks the same horrific word that had sent Mercias crumbling.
And nothing happens.
It takes a moment for the blood mage to register it. His face turns to shock as Sila bears down on him, and her long talons sink into the flesh of his chest. Blood gushes down her arm. The look on his face is almost amusing. There’s a pause as Jaime groans, lifting himself from the floor. Then there’s a sickening crack as Sila tears the blood mage open. I cannot look away.
Mercias’ body heaves as his blood moves through him again. He gasps for air and groans as he pushes himself up. Sila stands between Jaime and the locked door, and he must know the odds are no longer in his favour.
And I know there’s no way he’s going down without a fight.
Sila tosses the blood mage’s remains carelessly aside. I can’t see Jaime’s face, but I can see Sila’s. Her features are warped and monstrous. Her eyes dart to Mercias and then she moves, swift as candle light.
Jaime reignites his sword. He brings it down over Mercias, who throws up a shield between them. The sword glances off it, and Jaime brings it around again for another strike. There is fear in Jaime’s eyes as he turns, desperate to take at least one of them with him. Mercias grits his teeth, his face grim. I don’t know how long his shield can keep up. It flickers as Jaime brings his sword around.
And then Sila is there between them, catching the sword with her body, the blade sinking deep into her side. My throat is raw as I scream. It’s a futile, silent thing. I hope this is some cruel nightmare made up by the Library, because it surely can’t bereal. We’ve only just escaped one horrific fate. This cannot be where it ends.
Sila grins, one of her horrific nightmare smiles that slices across her face. Her long taloned fingers sink into Jaime’s skin and her shadows finally find purchase, gripping him tight.
“You won’t even have the chance to regret this,” she whispers as her shadows wrap around his neck. He struggles, trying to pull himself away from her. Shadow creeps over his skin and pushes into his mouth and nose. He tries to scream as it smothers him. Sila holds him viciously as his body convulses and then she lets him go. His sword goes with him, clattering to the ground. The shadows holding me weaken.
Sila blinks slowly, stumbling back and Mercias, half-raised on one knee, catches her as she drops. Her form fades back to normal as she does. Her head falls back over Mercias’ shoulder, lifeless. I wrench myself free of the last of her shadows and throw myself across the room to her.
Chapter 27
Lorel
Mercias lowersSila gently to the ground, and I crumble to the floor beside her. There is blood, her blood, everywhere, and it’s pooling alarmingly underneath her. I look up at Mercias, who gives me a wry, tired grimace.
“So you’re still alive,” he says. He almost sounds relieved. “Elris will be pleased.”
She’s bleeding so much.
Sila blinks up at me as the door unlatches, swinging open. I push her shadowy hair back from her face. A face that is still a little too sharp, her eyes still entirely black. She blinks, unseeing.
You need to go and get help. You’ll be faster.
Mercias’ fingers tighten where he holds Sila. “She’ll bleed out.”
Not if you move your arse now. I’ll get her to her room.
“That’s impossible,” he says, staring at me.
You just saw her. I’m sure you’ve seen her before, even. You know it’s not. I’ll get her there, just go.
“Fuck, alright,” he says.
I pull Sila into my lap, taking her weight from Mercias and letting her fall against me. She almost topples me. Mercias gives me one last curious glance before turning, his form flickering like lantern light as he disappears from the room. No wonder Librarians could always sneak up on you with talents like that.
“Lorel,” Sila says, gently calling me back to her. Her eyes focus on my face, her smile soft and heart-rending.
There has to be a way to stop the bleeding. She’s fae. The wound is deep where the sword had bitten into her flesh, but surely she can survive this. She can’t just go and die. I hadn’t even thought for a moment that she could die, again, but here she is looking even more ghastly than usual andfuck. Tears burn my throat and eyes, but I had long since run out of them in the labyrinth. I cling to her. I need to get her out of here.
