Page 58 of The Edge of Darkness

Silas stepped forward, and we followed. “Welcome to Neveshir,” he said.

The stone beneath our feet turned into softened dirt, lined with creeping vegetation. There was no paved walkway, only the dirt path that wound through an eerie, yet enchanting forest. Every tree was spindly and twisted. Gnarled branches grew entwined over hollowed-out pathways, their bark covered in thick moss and lichen from the constant dampness. Despite the gloom and the darkening sky, the green of the vegetation was vibrant.

A patchy haze lingered between the distant trees, like dozens of curious phantoms were huddled together, watching us, keeping their distance as we wound our way through their domain.

“This area is home to the majority of the witches on the isles. Wardenesses usually live alone so that they can receive orders and communicate with Torin without any distractions,” Silas explained.

A stream came into view on our left, winding through the bent trees. The water had an enchanting glow that reminded me of the Spring of Sephta at the bottom of Elandrew’s library, swirling and glistening like it was laced with stardust.

Silas slowed his stride, speaking over his shoulder to us. “Fair warning, Nivelle likes her space and prefers to not be bombarded with questions.”

“Reasonable enough,” I said.

“And you should know that her magic is very powerful, and she’s definitely not afraid to use it.”

Roirdan huffed a laugh. “She sounds intriguing.”

Niall remained silent.

Up ahead, a flash of pale blue light near the tree roots caught my eye. It moved cautiously, slinking through the ferns and falling in step alongside us. Silas didn’t seem concerned about whatever sort of creature it was, but the moment it emerged from the shadows, I stopped.

It appeared to be a common house cat, but its body was transparent. Only pale blue wisps of light made up the outline of its form. It moved silently, like its tiny paws never even touched the ground. Like it weighed nothing at all.

It peered up at me with lucid, blue eyes.

As it drew closer, I instinctively reached for my weapon—the dagger this time—and the creature’s paw halted mid-step. It let out a very real hiss and scampered off into the trees, leaving a line of shimmering dust drifting through the air in its wake.

“Do not draw your weapons,” Silas said calmly. “The wights are benevolent. They won’t hurt you.”

I slid the dagger back into place at my waist while scanning the undergrowth for the creature, hoping to see it again. I felt it watching me from the thicket, and only when I started walking did it emerge to move with me, though this time, it kept to the shadows.

It was just as curious as I was.

With my focus on the wight, I didn’t even notice the structure we were approaching. It wasn’t until the spirit took off through the trees ahead that I looked out across the space we had entered.

A rather large cottage made of weathered wood stood at the top of a jagged stairway, wreathed in the confines of the twisted trees. Its eaves and roof were dripping with thick, heavy moss. An arched wooden door was slightly ajar, leaking buttery light across a wooden porch. The small, circular window above it flickered with candles that lined the sill. It would have been inviting, if I hadn’t felt a sudden pang of warning in my gut. There were wards here—I could feel them as we neared. And the being that waited beyond that door, she felt . . . powerful.

A twig snapped under my foot, and half a dozen spooked wights darted out from the shadows in all directions, leaving blue streams of mystical dust trailing behind them.

I stepped around the males and stalked forward quietly, following the spirits toward the cottage, but their blue light disappeared as they found dark corners to hide in.

Someone gently cleared their throat behind me.

I turned and found Niall looking amused, brow raised as he slid his hands into his pockets. Silas tossed me a grin, then his eyes focused on what lay between us . . .

Wards. The ever-so-slight shimmer fell like a curtain, winding off through the trees.

I had broken and crossed the barrier without a thought.

As if on cue, the light from the cottage dimmed to nearly nothing. The space around us fell into a thick gloom, and a hush swept through the atmosphere.

Still grinning, Silas shook his head and placed a hand against the wards. They recognized him and parted, and the three males entered together. “A word of advice,” he said as he walked up to me, “Nivelle doesn’t take kindly to those that are more powerful than her.”

A pulse of energy radiated from inside the cottage, as if the wardeness heard the Dionach’s words, and loathed them.

I lowered my voice to a near whisper and said, “Then why didn’t you tell me where the wards were?”

His grin broadened into a mischievous smirk. “Because I wanted to make sure my sister knew who she was dealing with.”