Page 106 of Shadowed Fate

I want to scream, to tell them I'm okay, but another spasm wracks my body. The shadows grow, spreading across the floor like living ink.

"We can't just do nothing!" Tiernan's usually even voice cracks with a panic I’ve never heard before.

As darkness creeps into the edges of my vision, I feel a warm energy coming from the altar. The shadows swirl around my mind, forming shapes.

My last coherent thought before consciousness slips away is of Rory's face, and the impossible hope that now burns within me.

Chapter 44

Lochan

I watch, transfixed, as dark shadows swirl around Marius and Brigid, the air heavy with an energy that is both mesmerizing and unsettling.

Marius's face is a mask of intense concentration, his dark eyes narrowed as he channels his power. The revelation hits me again—he has shadow magic. How could Dean Charling or any of us have missed this?

The shadows seem to dance around the two of them, the blackness coiling around Marius's fingers where they press firmly against Brigid's temples. He leans in, his lips brushing her ear as he murmurs words I can't decipher. The sound is low and rhythmic, almost hypnotic.

Brigid's response is immediate and physical. Her back arches off the stone altar, a soft, sultry moan escaping her lips. The sound goes straight to my cock.

Her shirt falls open, baring the pale curve of her full breasts, the cool air of the chamber causing her nipples to harden into tight peaks. The sight is breathtaking; her body is an artist’s masterpiece of sexuality and vulnerability.

Fuck. I shouldn't be watching this. I shouldn't want to watch this.

But I do. Gods help me, I do.

I want to rip Marius away from her, to be the one touching her, eliciting those sweet moans. My hands clench into fists at my sides, nails biting into my palms as I struggle to control the urge. The sight of his hands on her, his shadows caressing her skin, is almost too much to bear. I selfishly want to be the one to bring her to the heights of pleasure, to see her eyes glaze over with ecstasy.

Marius's shadows continue to dance and weave, their movements synchronized with Brigid's gasps and moans. They seem to have a life of their own, exploring her body with an intimacy that makes my blood boil. They trace the curve of her breasts, the dip of her waist, the flare of her hips, each touch eliciting a response that is both beautiful and torturous to watch.

I take a step forward, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I need to be closer, to see her face, to read her eyes. I need to know that she's okay, that this is what she wants. But more than that, I need her to see me, to know that I'm here, that I want her.

The shadows seem to sense my presence, a few tendrils reaching out towards me before Marius pulls them back, his grip on Brigid tightening. His eyes meet mine, a challenge in their dark depths.

Brigid's eyes flutter open, unfocused and dazed. I hear Tiernan exhale a sound of relief. Marius steps back into the shadows.

Brigid struggles to sit up. Her gaze drops to her exposed chest, and she flushes, quickly pulling her shirt closed.

I move closer, concern overriding my arousal. "Are you alright?"

Brigid nods, but she's trembling slightly. The others crowd around, their expressions a mix of worry and wariness.

Tiernan’s face is a more a mixture of concern and curiosity, but that’s Tiernan. “Can you tell us what just happened?”

"I... I'm not sure. It's all jumbled."

“I saw something,” Brigid says, her voice hoarse.

I lean in closer, my heart pounding. "What did you see?"

Brigid's eyes lock onto mine, intense and urgent. "Rory. I saw Rory."

Disbelief wars with a sudden, fierce hope. "That's impossible. Rory's..."

"Alive," Brigid insists. "He's alive. I saw him."

I search her face, looking for any sign of doubt or deception. There's none. Just raw, unshakeable certainty.

"Where?" I demand, grabbing her shoulders. "Where is he?"

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