Page 282 of The Edge of Darkness

I processed the information, connecting the things I’d glimpsed when I first entered Niall’s tent earlier. I thought I had seen Breck there. And Auren’s shirt had been torn . . .

Shit. I knew I’d sensed something was wrong. But with the errant manifestation of energy radiating from Salterra, my senses had been in a tangled mess.

“When I got here, I uhh . . .” He paused.

“You . . . what?”

“I found my Dionam.”

I heard the wince in his words, and slowly, I turned my head in his direction. “Who?”

He opened his mouth, but hesitated.

“Who?” I hissed under my breath.

“The High Lord of Calledan.”

Niall. Of course it was Niall. And thank the gods it was him.

I would give my life for Niall. He’d given me everything—a place to call home, a brotherhood to hold sacred, and most of all, he had given me a place at his side, in the hope that I would find my purpose in the process. I was relieved to know he had an additional sword to guard his back, but the certainty with which Saxon said it gnawed at me.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“A strange feeling I got when I first stepped into his presence. I’ve never felt anything like it before.”

I nodded. If I asked him what that feeling was actually like, I would only embarrass myself.

“I spoke with him briefly. He said you’re one of his Trium?”

I nodded again, this time with less enthusiasm.

“How did you find yourself here, with this group?”

“This group is my family, Saxon.”

He dipped his chin. “Auren . . . is she⁠—”

“She has a Dionach,” I quickly said.

His brows pinched. “Oh. I thought . . . from the way you . . .”

I thought so too. Some part of me thought that still. “There is no way to ever know for sure.”

“But wouldn’t you feel it? I did the moment I met Niall. Neither you, nor I, have a wardeness to confirm it, but does that really mean we wouldn’t be able to feel it when it’s true?”

“I . . . I don’t know.” There was no denying that I experienced something when I met Auren. But . . .

Fates, he was starting to make me feel like I was creating my own misery in thinking I needed someone else to confirm it.

When I remained quiet, he simply nodded and said, “For what it’s worth, I can see how much she and the others value you. You don’t need a wardeness to tell you that you were meant to be here with them. That alone is something you will know in your heart, without a doubt.”

My heart. What was my heart, really, if not the source of my constant restlessness?

I scoffed into my cup. “And you’re so sure?”

“Well . . . yes. I can’t explain it, but you’ll know.”

Perhaps I did know. Perhaps I’d known for a long time.