Page 319 of The Edge of Darkness

“Not even to save him?” The shadows tugged at his wrists, jostling him. One of them pressed against the blade in his side, and he arched upward with it. A bleating groan escaped his throat, and the sound was absolute torture to me.

“Stop it!” I cried out.

“How about we strike a bargain?” she offered.

“No,” Niall rasped, meeting my eyes and shaking his head.

Don’t, his voice warned me in my mind.

Skadi twirled her wrist, shadows spooling forth and surrounding Niall. “The longer the blade is left in him, the more poison seeps into his blood. I can remove the blade and let him heal. All you have to do is give up the talisman, and tell me where the real amulet is.”

Don’t tell her anything, Auren, Niall said into my mind.

He groaned again as the shadows tightened.

“What’s it going to be, half-breed?” Skadi called out.

The name snapped something in me, and my eyes blazed white-hot with light as I lifted them to her and⁠—

A crackle sounded behind me, and a gust of cold wind permeated the space, brushing against my neck like the kiss of a winter morning.

I turned to see Torin. She had come. Her primordial mist swirled around her, the ground at her feet frosting over with what looked like crystal thorns, a testament to her rage. Her voice was lined with disgust as she raked her eyes over her sister, and said, “I see you’re still using fear to win your battles when you can’t overcome them yourself.”

Skadi glared back at her. “You may act like you have some sort of status here in this world, but you’re just as pathetic as you were in ours—always running from your problems when they get too close. At least I have the dignity to stand and face them.”

“I’m not running anymore.” Indeed, here she was, staring down her greatest foe, and every inch of her armor was covered in the black blood of Lyceius’s creatures.

I didn’t know what had taken place on the battlefield earlier, but it must have been something significant, because Torin seemed like she was about ready to defy every divine law and strike her sister down.

Skadi barked a mocking laugh. “So, you decided that instead of fleeing with your beloved witches again, you would hunt me down? Regret must be weighing on you, Sister.”

Something shifted in the atmosphere nearby. A familiar presence . . .

“My Lady,” Eathril’s whisper floated toward me.

“Eathril?!”

“On your right.”

“What are you doing here?” I hissed under my breath.

“Redeeming myself. When the High Lord calls, I answer.”

“He’s injured.” I practically choked on the words. “There’s a poisoned blade lodged in his side. I need to get it out.”

He didn’t reply for a moment, and I almost thought he might have torn across the field in an attempt to remove the blade for me, but then his voice sounded again, closer this time, like he was leaning into my ear. “Leave that to him and me.”

Before I could respond, his presence dissipated, and then he was gone.

I shifted on my feet, nervously. What was he going to do? What if the goddess figured out he was here?

Skadi surveyed Niall like prey as she continued stalking a circle around him. “This time, there is nowhere for anyone to run. I will have what is mine, and so will Lyceius.”

Torin said something else, but it was lost to me.

I stared at my mate, frozen with fear and disbelief.

How had we gotten here? Had it really come to this? After everything we’d done . . . Was there no other way? I wanted to scream the questions to Karios and Delyth, who I imagined were lounging somewhere in their deified realm, watching as thousands died. Watching as Niall suffered.