Page 47 of The Edge of Darkness

I tried to stand, only to be weighed down with exhaustion. It was as if someone had cast a net over me and was forcing me lower, staunching every effort I made to get to my mate. I grunted as I succumbed to a crawl.

“Niall,” I called out.

As I neared, he began thrashing on the ground. I yelled for him again, but the invisible force stamped me further into the dirt. Darkness closed in around me, and a voice laughed as it circled.

A presence swarmed my mind before I could even fathom what was happening. My mental shield was up, but it shuddered as a torrent of inky black talons slashed at the white stone.

“Auren,” Niall’s voice finally rang out.

I looked up to see him reaching a hand toward me, his body jerking in abnormal movements. He was so close, yet still so far away.

Then, another male’s voice slithered across my mind.

“You can’t save him. You couldn’t even save your family,” it said. It was male. Familiar . . . yet, I was sure I’d never heard it. “You need someone to show you how to use your power. How to really use it.”

“Stop it!” I yelled, trying to shake the voice from my head.

Still, it came closer, though no one was there. “I can teach you how, if you’d let me.”

“Auren,” Niall begged.

I reached for him, my arm trembling as I strained to maintain my mental shield against whatever force was slamming into it.

“Come to me and let me show you how to thrive,” the voice coaxed.

“No!” I cried out.

Tears streamed down my face as I fought to get to my mate. But it was no use. I was too weak. My mental shield crumbled, and I was swallowed by the darkness.

I awoke in tears, my pillow utterly soaked.

The bedchamber was dark and quiet, save for the crackling of the fire and a few orbs floating in the nearby corner. When I stirred, one of them whirled, coming to me as if to check on me before it turned and slipped out the door.

I stretched my limbs, which no longer felt shaky and weak. In fact, I felt renewed and full of energy.

The last thing I remembered before falling asleep was Niall kissing me. Judging by the night clothes I now wore, and the fact that I was in his bed, he must have moved me here to rest.

I sat up and looked around.

Nothing had changed since I’d last been here. The black walls glistened in the cozy firelight. I gripped the blanket and brought it up to my nose. It smelled like him—vanilla, and chestnuts, and a hint of fireside.

The door creaked open, and his handsome face stared back at me, golden eyes glowing bright.

“Hi,” I breathed out, smiling as he came to sit next to me on the bed.

“Hi.” His voice was a purr against my skin as he planted a kiss on the point of my shoulder.

“Why are your eyes so bright right now?”

“Because I missed you,” he said. “And I’m glad to finally see you awake.”

“Finally?” I lifted a teasing brow.

“Darling, you’ve been asleep for a week.”

“A week!?” I didn’t think I could sit up any straighter, but I did.

He chuckled lightly and smoothed a hand along my arm. “Between what you did to get me out of Benmoor, and summoning Nephira, you used damn near all your power. I knew you would need to sleep for a good while, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this long. Amarna checked on you a few times to make sure you were okay. You have a very deep well of power—which is good—but that also means it takes a while to replenish it.”