Page 313 of The Edge of Darkness

His answer was immediate. Where are you!?

Roirdan is coming to you right now. Listen to what he says, and then I need you to bring Niall, and meet me at the tree on the hill. You know the one.

There was a brief pause. Auren, what’s⁠—

The tree on the hill, Silas. Wait for Roirdan, then port, and bring Niall with you. Do you understand?

Yes. There was so much more he wanted to say—I could practically feel it—but the connection went quiet.

I wanted to cry all over again, because Remic had been the only other being who knew the place I spoke of. And Silas was about to find out what had happened to him, why he wouldn’t be joining us.

I breathed in the warm gust of air that blew against my face as I turned toward the west. When my lungs were full, and my mind was focused again, I closed my eyes, pictured the lone tree on the hill, and vanished.

I materialized exactly where I meant to—at the base of the charred, petrified remains of what was once a great oak tree. It stood tall and proud, even in death, like it had refused to accept the finality of it all those years ago. Its bark was as dark as the night sky, splintered and cracked, its limbs stretching downward, forever frozen, as if weeping for the land around it.

The sounds came into focus next. The echoing clash of blades and shields, the cries of every warrior’s victory, the screech of death’s stinging kiss, the thud of bodies—fae and creature alike—clattering to the ground, one after another . . . Each torturous sound grew louder as I turned and beheld . . .

Destruction. Pure destruction.

The radius that Niall’s shadowfire had carved across the landscape was no longer blackened earth and ash. It was bathed over in fresh blood and countless bodies, alive and dead, as the fae continued to hold Calledan’s border against the endless droves of Lyceius’s monsters. The bodies were piled two to three corpses thick in some places, and the fae were fighting atop their fallen brethren. Boots slid against chestplates and stomped over mangled faces as countless brave warriors flung their power and might at the enemy. But our forces were dwindling, our lines were scattered, and evil continued to pour over the land with no sign of stopping.

In the center of the battle, a flame flared to life, burning like a beacon—red hot and blazing. Fiery red hair flowed behind it. Maeson wielded her power against several keres as they launched in her direction. I could practically hear her powerful yell as she unleashed her wrath, turning her enemies to cinders within seconds. Nearby, Aremis and his Aether pulsed through the battlefield, a blur of power that no enemy saw coming.

My eyes snagged on Laurent, who was wielding a massive funnel of swirling wind and dust, wiping away dozens of venomous cat-like creatures. Circling him, Senna was a beam of blue, darting through Lyceius’s ranks and freezing bodies to stone.

The Dionachs were scattered throughout the expanse. Wings in every shade of white, gray, brown, and black were now crusted with blood and gore and dirt. What hurt the most was seeing the wings that now lay motionless throughout the plains, and all the lifeless faces that stared up at the sky.

The cries of agony and the roars of warriors making their stand wrapped around me like a noose. My breathing came in shallow gulps as I pictured Remic’s face, the fear of the final sting of death falling over his features as he faded from this world.

Then, I felt the atmosphere change. It quivered with a sudden energy, making the hair on my arms stand on end. Just as I turned, a void opened not thirty feet away, and Lyceius stepped through it.

His stare pierced into me, like he could see my soul with those churning, silver eyes.

The armor across his shoulders gleamed in the sunlight—silver, to match his eyes and hair. His long, black cloak rustled behind him like a phantom that clung to his shoulders, waiting to strike.

“It’s about time you showed yourself,” I seethed.

A hint of amusement flickered in his features. “If you had given yourself over to me days ago, we could have avoided all of this.” He gestured to the valley of death at my back. “This is the path you chose, daughter⁠—”

“Don’t call me that!” I spat. “I am not and will never be that!”

He bristled, as if I’d physically struck him. “You cannot deny your heritage; you cannot run from it. You are just as much from me as you are tainted by Karios’s blood.”

“I’m afraid you have that backwards. Yours is the blood I’m tainted with. And it is a bloodline I will only claim for the sake of banishing you from existence.”

Silence ensued as he regarded me. I weathered his stare, holding my ground and preparing myself to wield my power at levels I had never attempted.

“Honestly, I’m surprised your mate let you come alone. Or did you not tell him where you were headed?” He tilted his head, then let out a deep chuckle that grated against my ears. “You’re smart to not drag him into all of this. Besides, I think the goddess’s shadows will be enough to keep him busy.”

“You mean Skadi’s?” I asked, straightening my spine.

“I do. It always baffled me how she arrived in just the right place at just the right time. I think the fates might have tipped their favor to my side.”

“Doubtful,” I said through clenched teeth.

He let out a soft but menacing laugh. “She’s quite desperate to get her hands on whatever your mate possesses. I wouldn’t want to be on that goddess’s bad side, especially after she figured out the amulet was a fake.” He paused, then scoffed. “A clever trick, but a foolish one. She’ll be seeking her vengeance right about now.” His eyes flicked to the valley behind me.

I kept my focus on him, ignoring the urge to turn around again. Every word he spoke took up precious time, and lives were being lost. “Yes, I do wish I was there to watch her little family reunion. Sisters, after all, are said to share a bond like no other.”