Page 269 of The Edge of Darkness

“Ah. Well, uh . . . Please do me a favor and don’t speak of this place to anyone else. It’s . . . special.”

“Of course.” He glanced down at my shredded shirt. “When all this is over, I do hope you will inform me of the events that brought this about.”

“The fates don’t tell you what you’re being sent for?”

“It’s usually obvious, but this”—he gestured to the space around us—“is quite unusual.”

I nodded. This probably looked very strange indeed. “I will find you after the war.”

“Good. May the gods be with you, Lady Auren. I know my prayers will be.” He offered a final bow, flashing a gentle smile before he vanished.

In his absence, the wraith emerged from the shadows, gliding forward through the water, her wafer-like dress clinging to her skin as she moved to the shallows and strode up to where we stood.

“What sort of ceremony was that?” she asked.

“A very fae one,” I answered. “When a fae does something of great importance, or acts selflessly in someone’s stead, they are bestowed what is called a ‘shroud.’” I pointed to Breck’s new markings.

The wraith disregarded any physical boundaries and stepped up to him, her nose practically touching his chest as she examined the design. When she pressed her finger to the markings, he shuddered.

“Shifter,” she whispered.

Shifter. Shifter!

“You shifted in the forest!” I exclaimed, scanning Breck from head to toe as if I would see the evidence of his magical ability. “You became a cù-sìth. How?”

“I can shift into anything, animal, human . . . As long as I’ve seen it, I can become one.”

“You never told me that was your gift.”

“You never asked.”

He was right. I hadn’t. Perhaps I’d assumed I would find out in time. But seeing as our time had been cut short . . .

“I . . .” I didn’t know what to say.

“It’s all right. I don’t use it often, and I’ve never used it to become another fae. Only animals. I don’t like anyone knowing I have the ability in the first place. Shifters don’t have the best reputation—for obvious reasons. My cousin was a prime example of that.” He stepped around the wraith and reached for me. “Auren, I’m so sorry for what Killian did.”

For a moment, I didn’t respond. All I could think of was the memory of Breck’s face shifting into Killian’s.

“He looked just like you,” I finally said. “But he didn’t move the same way you do. That’s what gave him away.”

Breck’s voice lowered, as did his eyes. “He came back to Elandrew—walked right in like nothing had happened. I was too busy trying to figure out his next move to realize he’d compelled me and poisoned my wine.”

“Breck, I’m⁠—”

“No. Don’t you say you’re sorry. I’m the one who is sorry. I should have seen it coming. I should have killed him while I had the chance. You have no idea what I felt when I realized what he’d done. And when he told me what he was planning to do to you while I lay there, helpless . . . I tried to fight the poison, and I thought I’d succeeded, but then I blacked out. When I woke, I feared too much time had passed, but I followed his scent anyway. He never was good at masking it or covering his tracks. I just prayed that you were still alive and unharmed. When I got into the forest, his scent became stronger, and I picked up on yours too. That’s when I found you under attack.”

“Why didn’t the poison kill you?” I asked.

He chuckled under his breath. “Growing up alongside Killian taught me a lot. I’ve witnessed his antics from a young age, and I know the types of things he dabbles in. He’s killed with poison before. Since he has a quick temper, I’ve always tried to ensure I was protected, just in case he ever decided to turn on me. I’ve been ingesting small doses of different poisons since I was young. The toxins still have debilitating effects, but my body recognizes them and works through them, instead of succumbing to them.”

I stared up at him, shaking my head. “When he made the threat on your life at my mating ceremony, part of me didn’t think he would really take it that far.”

“Neither did I. Thankfully, my precautions paid off.”

He made no mention of Killian’s death, and I realized he might not have seen his cousin’s body lying where I’d left it—that he might have missed it amongst the chaos of fighting the shadow entity.

I wasn’t sure how he would take the news, and I hesitated to tell him. “Well . . . you won’t have to worry about him or his antics ever again.” I paused, and just as I suspected, his brows pinched in question. “Killian is dead. I killed him.”