Page 60 of Shattered Veil
The platform shrinks again and I’m closer to the edge than I’d like to be. The wind batters my face, a stinging reminder of how high up we are. I try to draw on my magic, to feel the familiar chill of shadows wrapping around me.
Nothing.
Why does it do this when I need it the most?“Come on, come on,” I mutter, desperately trying to summon my magic. But the shadows remain stubbornly out of reach, slipping through my mental grasp like smoke.
Panic rises in my throat. The platform lurches again, and I stumble backward, my heel meeting empty air. My heart leaps into my throat.
Then a hand grabs my arm, yanking me forward.
“Watch yourself, little bird,” Marius says.
I gasp, my eyes locking with Marius’s dark gaze. His grip on my arm is like iron, his skin surprisingly soft against mine. For a moment, the pandemonium around us fades away, and I’m acutely aware of every detail of his face—the sharp line of his jaw, the faint scar above his left eyebrow, the flecks of silver in his otherwise obsidian eyes.
His tattooed fingers tighten on my arm, and I feel the heat of his skin seeping through my clothes. It’s a stark contrast to the biting cold around us. I shiver, but not just from the chill.
“Your magic is there, Brigid,” he murmurs, his voice low and intense.“It’s waiting for you to embrace it. Don’t fight it. Let it consume you.”
I feel something stir within me—a darkness that’s like this mix of fear and excitement.
“How do you know?” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the howling wind.
A ghost of a smile plays on his lips.“Because I can feel it.”
Then he’s gone.
Just gone. I don’t see him go over the edge, or shift into anything. He doesn’t use shadow magic, as far as I can tell. And it occurs to me that Marius has never actually told me what everyone here thinks is his ability.
I blink, confused by Marius’s sudden disappearance. But there’s no time to dwell on it. The platform shakes, and I stumble, desperately trying to regain my balance.
“Hey, shadow bitch!” Laria’s voice cuts through the wind.“You should do everyone a favor and jump.”
I turn to see her sneering, her perfect blonde hair somehow unruffled by the gale. Of course, she’d look flawless, even now.
“Fuck off, Laria,” I spit, but my voice quavers.
Her eyes narrow and she smiles.“Maybe you need a little... push.”
Before I can react, Laria’s foot shoots out, catching me behind the knee, and I feel myself falling.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Brigid
My foot slips, and suddenly I’m dangling over the edge of the platform, staring down into the crowd very, very far below. I flail, desperately trying to regain my balance. This can’t be how it ends.
A hand grips my arm, yanking me back from the brink. I stumble, but keep my balance. Nester’s face swims into view, his fiery eyes flickering with concern.
“You okay?” he asks gruffly.
I nod, still panting.“Yeah. Thanks, I—” The words catch in my throat as I notice Laria’s smug smirk. That bitch tried to kill me.
Nester’s gaze follows mine, his jaw clenching as he spots Laria. He helps me to my feet, positioning himself slightly in front of me, and I know we’re both thinking about how Laria used him to torment me during the assembly, to torment us both.
“Watch yourself,” Nester mutters.“Some people here would be happy to see you fall.”
I swallow hard, forcing my voice to remain steady.“I noticed.”
Nester grunts, then he gets as far away from Laria as he possibly can on the ever-shrinking platform. I briefly wonder a fire elemental like him will make the descent. I hope he makes it.
