Page 124 of The Edge of Darkness

As for me, I’d found myself in the continuous company of a particular healer, and a very demanding witch. Maeson and Nivelle had taken to me like moths to a flame. The former was already becoming a permanent fixture at my side, which I adored more than I was able to let on. The latter . . . well, I had become somewhat of an enigma for her, and she was determined to help conjure up the proper sequence of events that would allow me to release the Aether.

Nivelle had somehow found a place within our group where she felt somewhat comfortable. She still had her moments of bitterness, and she had a stubborn streak like I’d never known anyone else to have, but her temperament had come a long way from where it had been when she arrived here.

She and Maeson seemed to discover things they had in common with one other. I’d often find them in quiet conversation about spells, plants and herbal remedies, and the occasional bout of soft laughter. She was also growing more protective of Auren every day—which I had no objections to.

Though I’d had my doubts at the beginning, the witch was proving to be quite the enigma herself.

Roirdan, gods help him, seemed the most enthralled by Nivelle’s presence, though he wouldn’t dare admit it. There was something strange between them that I couldn’t quite pinpoint. I’d never seen him get flustered so easily. It made for great entertainment. I grinned to myself just thinking about it.

“What are you grinning at?” Maeson chimed as she swung into my view from around a bookshelf.

“Perhaps I was daydreaming about you.”

Her cheeks flushed pink, but she tossed me an exaggerated eye roll. “Oh please. If you’re daydreaming, it’s about adding a shiny new dagger to your collection, not about me.”

“Or, I’m thinking of you wielding those shiny daggers in the face of our enemies.”

She laughed, setting a book onto the table. Then her face turned serious as she looked up at me. “You would need to teach me how . . .”

I held her stare, waiting for her next words.

“Would . . . Would you teach me?”

A flutter of excitement danced inside me—such a welcomed feeling. “Of course.”

Something lit within her eyes, and her smile was instantly back. Gods, whenever she smiled I couldn’t help but stare. It was like the sun was shining at full force. I could bask in the beauty and warmth of it forever and never long for the night.

To my surprise, she stared right back, just as intently.

Nivelle rounded the corner. “Do you two know where—” She stopped short when she found Maeson and me locked in a tense visual study of each other. “You can undress each other with your eyes later,” she said dryly, as she dropped a small stack of books on top of the one Maeson had brought.

Maeson bit down on her bottom lip as if she had been truly thinking of undressing me.

I fought the flush of my own cheeks, hiding it behind a quiet, breathy laugh. “What have you found?”

“Probably nothing,” Nivelle huffed. “I don’t know half the things your books talk about anyway. And this library is massive.”

I snorted a laugh. This library was, indeed, massive, but it was particularly well-organized. If we would have had to sort through the Highland Court’s library, that would have been a chore.

Vahrenhall’s collection was a chaotic mess of books piled high onto sagging shelves and stuffed into dark corners. Nothing was arranged by topic or category. Thankfully, Vanir knew every disheveled nook and cranny of his “tomb of tomes,” as I liked to call it, and he swore to us that he knew of no ancient book that could have been penned by a witch, a wraith, and a fae of either of our territories.

So, that left this one to be scoured.

Calledan’s library was tucked deep in the mountains, separate from The Keep and the city center. It was strategically built apart from the rest of the territory’s most frequented places, which ensured there was less of a chance for it to fall victim to war, invasion, or any magic that sought to destroy our written history.

Amarna had forewarned me that she had never come across anything in the archives that dealt with the Aether. And given that this world had never meddled with a force like it, the likelihood of there being a record that even mentioned it was slim to none. But, with the wraith’s parting words about the possibility of a book containing information that may pertain to the topic, we had to search.

Unfortunately, so far, it appeared as though Amarna was right.

I glanced at each of the tomes, and sighed. “Surely there has to be something that mentions the Aether somewhere in this library. You’re sure the witches don’t have some ancient spellbook that you don’t know about?”

Nivelle leveled a look at me. “If there were such a book, trust me, I would be the one to know.”

I drummed my fingers on the table.

Maeson plopped onto the wooden chair next to me. “The only thing I found that came relatively close to anything we’ve discussed was some philosophical work about chaos and order.”

My fingers halted. “Chaos?”