Page 101 of Shattered Veil
My blood runs cold.“What?”
“The Council only knows half of it. They think it’s just about the Morrigan returning through a vessel. But there’s more.”
I shake my head, trying to process this.“How do you know all this?”
His eyes darken, and I feel a weight drop into the pit of my stomach. Marius’voice is barely above a whisper as he confirms my fears.“I am the vessel of the Raven King.”
My fists clench tightly, trembling with anger.“How could you keep this from me?” My voice shakes with hurt and betrayal.
He speaks through gritted teeth.“It’s not something I can just blurt out. I’m not supposed to tell anyone. Especially you.”
I take a shaky step back, unable to process this information. I’m reeling with questions and doubts, but all I can manage is,“Why? Why you?”
Marius’eyes hold a trace of sadness.“It runs in my bloodline. My family is descended from the Raven King. Every generation gives up a son as a vessel. This time it was me.”
The Raven King’s heir. It was about Marius all along. I feel like I’m on a fairground ride that won’t stop spinning.
“Remember I told you that my childhood was kind of rough? That’s why. I wasn’t raised like a child, I was groomed to be a vessel.”
Marius looks at me with pleading eyes.“Please try to understand,” he pleads.“This burden was placed on my shoulders before I even had a choice in the matter. It’s all I’ve ever known.”
I’m barely processing his words when Marius steps closer, his dark eyes burning with intensity.“Brigid, I was sent here for you. To guide you towards your destiny, to help you embrace your full powers. So you can be strong enough for the Morrigan.”
His voice drops.“You’re meant for greatness. The shadow magic within you—it’s not something to fear. It’s a gift.”
I back away, my shoulders hitting the wall.“You don’t know what you’re asking,” I choke out.
Marius follows, closing the distance.“I do. Better than anyone.” There’s a desperate edge to his words now.“The darkness isn’t your enemy. It’s part of you, waiting to be unchained.”
My hands shake as wisps of shadow curl around my fingers. The power pulses beneath my skin, eager and hungry. It would be so easy to give in, to let it consume me.
“No,” I whisper, squeezing my eyes shut.“I can’t. I’ll hurt people. I’ll become a monster.”
“You won’t,” Marius insists, his breath warm on my cheek.“You’ll be stronger than ever. Powerful enough to protect everyone you care about.”
The promise is tempting. So fucking tempting. Images flash through my mind. No more being the victim, no more feeling helpless.
But then I see myself consumed by darkness, a stranger wearing my face.
I snap my eyes open, shoving Marius back.“No! This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. I won’t be your fucking puppet or the Morrigan’s vessel or whatever the hell you’re planning.”
Shadow magic erupts from my hands, filling the room with inky tendrils. They feed off my anger and fear.
“I won’t let you manipulate me,” I snarl.
Marius’s face hardens, but there’s a flicker of... something in his eyes. Regret?
“You think this is a game to me?” he asks.“You have no idea what I’ve been through.”
I laugh bitterly.“Oh, please. Spare me the sob story.”
“You want to know the truth?” Marius growls. He yanks up his sleeve, revealing the intricate, inky black tattoos that cover his body.“My family’s been preparing me for this since I was a fucking kid. Training, rituals, punishments—all to mold me into the perfect vessel for the Raven King.”
“Every day was a test,” he continues, eyes haunted.“Fail, and you’d wish for death. I learned to embrace the pain, to find power in it. Because the alternative was so much worse.”
The shadows around us flicker and dim, responding to my shock.“Marius, I—”
“Don’t,” he stops me.“I don’t want your pity. I’m telling you this so you understand what’s at stake. The prophecy, the Morrigan, the Raven King—it’s all real. And it’s coming, whether we like it or not. We don’t have a choice. But you need to let her in before the Council gets to you. We’re running out of time, Brigid.”
