Page 89 of Shattered Veil
I push the thought away before it take root.“Whatever their reason, we need to be ready. I’m tired of being caught off guard.”
Rory nods.“Agreed. We should start training more intensively. All of us.”
“Including you,” Callen says, eyeing me.“Your shadow magic is powerful, Brigid. You need to learn to control it.”
I swallow hard, nodding.“Yeah, I know. It’s just, I don’t know, scary sometimes. The way it feels when I tap into it.”
Lochan’s eyes narrow.“What do you mean?”
I hesitate, not sure how to explain it.“It’s like there’s this well of darkness inside me. And when I use the magic, it’s like I’m diving into it. Sometimes I worry I might not come back up.”
The room goes quiet. I can feel their eyes on me.
Tiernan steps forward.“That’s shadow magic. It’s tied to elemental darkness, to chaos. Learning to control it is crucial for anyone who has it.”
“I can help with that,” a voice says from the doorway.
We all spin around. Marius leans against the frame, his dark eyes fixed on me. My heart skips a beat.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Lochan snarls.
“How did you get in here?” Callen narrows his eyes.
The door is firmly closed.
Marius ignores the question.“I sensed Brigid’s distress. Thought I’d check in on mymate.”
The word hangs in the air. I feel the others tense around me. Lochan looks ready to lunge at Marius, while Callen’s eyes glare daggers.
“Easy, boys,” Marius drawls, holding up his hands.“I come in peace.”
“Bullshit,” Lochan spits.“You never do anything that doesn’t benefit you.”
Marius’s eyes flick to me, a hint of a smirk on his lips.“Oh, I think helping Brigid would benefit me quite nicely.”
Heat rushes to my face at his words, and I hate myself for it. Damn him and his stupid sexy voice, the way his crossed arms make his biceps bulge, and those fucking tattoos. His sleeves are rolled up and his forearms are crisscrossed with black ink in swirling shapes and symbols. My eyes flutter like I’m some damsel in a romance novel.
It doesn’t go unnoticed.
“You’re not touching her,” Rory growls, stepping closer to me.
Marius raises an eyebrow.“Possessive, aren’t we? Don’t worry, puppy. I’m not here to steal your toy.”
Arrogant prick.“Enough,” I snap, spell broken.“What do you want, Marius? And I’m no one’s toy.”
“What I want is to help you, Brigid. That’s all.”
I cross my arms.“And you’re offering out of the goodness of your heart?”
He chuckles, and it’s a dangerous sound.“Oh, believe me, there’s nothing good about my heart. But we’re connected, whether we like it or not.”
“Connected,” Lochan scoffs.“Like that means anything to someone like you.”
Marius’s eyes narrow.“Watch your tone, fae. You have no idea what I’m capable of.”
The tension in the room ratchets up another notch. Awesome.
“Stop it. Both of you. This isn’t helping anything.”
