Page 98 of The Edge of Darkness

Shock, panic, and pure rage rippled down the bond from Niall as he grabbed onto me. His shadowfire latched onto the stranger’s grip like it was a tangible object, igniting the shadowy tether with a fury of black flame. It scorched the length back to the woman, searing her fingers. She shrieked, yanking her hand back and releasing the grip on my neck.

I stumbled into Niall’s arms, gasping for air, while the woman examined her injured hand.

“You wield that power like it belongs to you,” she spat at my mate. “But it doesn’t. And I’ll make sure this one”—she jerked her chin at me—“watches you writhe in agony when I take it from you.”

Something in me snapped at the threat she’d aimed at my mate, and without a thought, my power rose to the surface, and ignited into a pulsing glow around me. I stepped forward, half a thought away from sending a spear of light toward her, when Niall wrapped me in his shadows and tugged me back to him.

The woman’s laugh skittered on the breeze as she stared the two of us down.

“My name is Skadi,” she finally said. “And I’ll be back to collect what is mine soon enough.” She smiled wickedly before stepping backward and vanishing into nothing.

I couldn’t get a full breath in, couldn’t think straight—could barely hold my composure.

Whatever form of darkness that strange woman wielded, it felt too familiar. Wrong, and yet . . .

I shuddered.

My heart was beating violently. Shadowfire surged beneath my skin, stimulated by the mere existence of the stranger.

Skadi, she had called herself.

Skadi, whose arrival was as much a mystery as it was a threat.

Skadi, whose power made mine stir with frightening recognition.

The Trium had received orders to secure the other entry points and be on standby, while Niall and I addressed the problem at the northern gate. Once we had returned, Niall summoned everyone back to The Keep’s meeting room, and they arrived without a moment’s delay, along with Silas, Morah, Maeson, and Nivelle.

Aremis was instantly at our sides. “What happened?”

“It was a woman,” I answered.

“A woman? Human?”

“No. She had rounded ears like one, but she had power. She got past the wards and The Veil.”

Beside me, Niall was breathing heavily through his nose. I placed my hand on his arm, and he lifted his eyes to mine. For the first time, I saw fear in them. Not fear for himself, but fear for me. Fear, because his wards hadn’t protected me, and therefore, he felt like he couldn’t protect me.

He looked at Aremis. “How is it possible that she bypassed the wards?”

Aremis seemed truly perplexed. His fingers fidgeted in the air as he searched for an explanation. “Old Magic, perhaps? She would have to be awfully powerful to break them that easily.”

“She’s not of this world. Old Magic would mean nothing to her.”

His second’s frown deepened. “How do you know she’s not from here?”

“I felt it.”

“What, exactly, did she do?” Roirdan asked.

“She grabbed Auren by the fucking throat, that’s what!” Niall shouted.

I flinched at his tone. So did Aremis. Roirdan balled his fist on the table, and both Remic’s and Silas’s wings flitted in agitation.

I pulled Niall to the nearest chair and forced him to sit. His arms slid around my waist, tugging me onto his lap, but he remained staring straight ahead, focused on the shadows across the room, jaw clenched with anxiety.

“She said her name was Skadi,” I announced.

Nivelle became gravely still. “What did you just say?”