Page 20 of The Edge of Darkness

I didn’t know what was happening to him, but it felt like I was seconds away from losing him completely to whatever form of torment this was.

All at once, I threw my essence out like a net, smothering his, reining it in and wrapping it up in something familiar.

Not a threat, I repeated in my mind. Not a threat.

I willed his essence to do as I commanded, to relay my thoughts to him as emotions that he could feel.

Not a threat. Relax. Come back to me.

His essence thrashed once more, then slowed and halted. It seemed to sink into the embrace, finally recognizing me. The convulsing stopped, and a few seconds later, I felt him gasp against my chest. I pulled back and gripped his face as his golden eyes fluttered open beneath creased brows. He jerked backward, eyes wide, as if he was still seeing something or someone else in front of him. His chest heaved as he struggled to distinguish reality from whatever terrible vision he’d been caught up in.

A pit opened up in my stomach and threatened to swallow me whole. I couldn’t form words.

Does he not recognize me?

His pulse kicked against his neck, the veins pounding beneath his skin while his eyes searched my face for any hint of⁠—

There it was. Finally, recognition.

The second he realized who was truly in front of him, his brows pinched further in disbelief. “Auren?” he whispered. It was the most vulnerable rasp I had ever heard, and yet it couldn’t have been more perfect.

I burst into tears.

“I’m here,” I said through my sobs.

The haze cleared from his eyes as he came back into full consciousness. “You’re here.” He mapped my features, and his pained expression crumbled into relief. “You’re here,” he repeated.

“I am. And so are Remic and Maeson,” I said, looking over my shoulder.

Maeson had kept her distance and was wiping away tears, but her relief was evident on her face.

“Brother,” Remic said, placing a hand on Niall’s shoulder between the iron spikes. “You’re safe.”

Niall flinched at the contact but turned his head to meet Remic’s gaze. “How did you find me?” His voice sounded as if he’d been yelling for hours on end.

“Through the bond,” I said.

“Your mate brought down Benmoor’s wards, and Morah got us into the catacombs,” Remic elaborated.

Niall looked at me in awe. “You . . . brought down the wards at the gate?”

I nodded.

His eyes brightened. “I knew it,” he said, managing a weak smile. When he tried to lift his arm to touch me, his body jolted, protesting the foreign objects in his skin. He groaned in pain. “Fuck, I forgot about those.”

I backed away to give him some space as Remic shifted over.

The Dionach eyed each nail, frowning while mapping out the best plan of removal. “These are going to have to come out.”

“No shit.” Niall tried to straighten his back.

Remic settled his attention on the spike that was driven in closest to Niall’s neck. “No easy way to do it, I’m afraid.”

“Just get them the fuck out,” Niall said through clenched teeth.

Remic gripped the nail, giving it a sharp tug. It wrenched free with a squelching sound, and blood began flowing freely from the wound.

“Good gods!” Niall breathed out, slamming his head back against the wall.