Page 101 of Shadowed Fate

"Marius, stop—we need to close it!"

The shadows respond to my conflicted emotions, lashing out wildly. They’re slipping from my control.

The rift yawns wider, a swirling storm of nightmares. The pull intensifies and I stumble, only Marius's iron grip keeping me anchored.

"Let go," he commands, voice thick with dark promise. "Accept it."

I feel it. I could lose myself in it.

"I can't—"

A guard's spell sizzles past, singeing my hair. Instinctively, I fling out a hand. Shadows slice through his defenses. Blood sprays.

The coppery scent fills my nostrils. My stomach lurches, but a part of me—a primal, hungry part—revels in it.

Marius laughs, low and wicked. "That's it. Show them what you're capable of."

The remaining guards finally fall back, eyes wide with fear.

Of me.

The rift is a heartbeat of darkness. Each throb sends a shockwave through me, resonating with the shadows gyrating beneath my skin. I'm losing myself, drowning.

"Brigid." Marius’s fingers dig into my arm, pulling me back. "Focus."

I gulp air, trying to center myself. The shadows dance at my fingertips, eager to lash out again.

An incredibly stupid guard charges towards me, magic whizzing around his fists in golden circles. Without thinking, I reach out. Filaments of night wrap around his legs, yanking him off balance. He crashes to the ground with a sickening crunch.

Did I just—?

"He's not dead." Marius whispers in my ear. "Not yet."

My stomach churns. This isn't me. I don't want to hurt people.

But the darkness whispers seductively, offering vengeance against those who've wronged me.

"I can't control it.”

Marius's laugh is sharp. "Who says you need to?"

The rift surges, shadows spilling out like ink. They tremble hungrily, seeking prey. A guard screams as they latch onto him, dragging him in.

I reach out instinctively, trying to pull him back. But the shadows tighten their grip, resisting my command.

"Marius, help me!"

His eyes gleam with wicked amusement. "Why? You have all the power you need."

The guard's terrified eyes lock onto mine as he's pulled into the rift. In that moment, I see myself reflected in his eyes—a creature of darkness, terrible and monstrous.

What have I become?

Lochan's movements are graceful, lethal. He weaves through the remaining guards, each strike precise and devastating. But there's a set to his jaw, a returning wariness in his glance as it flicks to me.

"Brigid!" Callen's voice cuts through the din. He's torn, I can see it in the way he hesitates, gaze darting between me and the rift. "What the fuck is happening?"

I open my mouth, but what can I say? That I'm losing control? That the darkness is consuming me?

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