Page 223 of Captive of Secrets and Storms

I rear back with a gasp.

Light magic?

Anders has light magic?

I search his eyes.

Dozens of questions burn on my tongue, but they’ll have to wait.

I need to check on the Shadow Fae.

I push against Anders’s chest. He leans back and holds out a hand.

I ignore the offer, pushing myself up from the soggy beach.

Shivering, I peer around the cliff, heart thumping as I brace myself to witness what’s become of Silas and Darius after that explosion.

The scholarly Fae stands tall, a downright dastardly grin curling his lips as shadows swirl around his manacle-free arm.

Darius stands slightly behind his friend, also smiling, but fatigue pulls his face taut.

Two more pirates have fallen to the ground. A nasty wound bleeds from the temple of one. A shard from the destroyed manacle rests nearby.

Two pirates remain.

The broad one continues to throw balls of fire.

Silas’s shadows swat each away like they’re nothing more than bothersome insects.

Anders shifts closer.

A spark dances in his palm. “Prepare yourself.”

I press my lips together and nod, clamping my hands over my ears as he sends the spark flying.

The magic lands its mark on Silas’s second manacle.

BOOM!

The force of the cuffs' destruction hits like a punch to the gut. I hunch over, but immediately lift my head, determined not to miss what happens next.

Scraps of metal soar through the air. They don’t strike the pirates, but that doesn’t stop the men from shouting in terror.

Silas’s shadows pulse and double in size, rising toward the stars above, stretching like a beast who's been contained in a too-small cage for far too long.

Both remaining pirates turn and run, kicking up sand under their polished boots.

They don’t make it far.

With a snap, Silas’s shadows dive. They close the distance between their master and the fleeing men.

I whirl around before they make contact and cringe as agonized cries fill the night before they’re cut short.

Silence follows.

The hair on the back of my neck stands on end.

Anders’s arm brushes mine as he shifts to face me. “Are you all right?”