Page 53 of Shadowed Fate

"What do you want?" I ask, my voice barely audible over the music.

He leans in close, his mask brushing my cheek. "To dance with the most captivating woman in the room. Is that so wrong?"

My face flushes, and I hate myself for it. This man is dangerous; I can feel it in my bones. But there's something magnetic about him, something that draws me in despite my better judgment.

As we turn, I see Laria. The hatred in her eyes makes me flinch. What have I done to earn such loathing?

The masked man follows my gaze. "Forget Laria. She’s inconsequential,” he says, dismissively.

The music swells, and he pulls me even closer. Our bodies are pressed together as tightly as if we were making love.

"What are you, Marius?" I ask again, my voice trembling. “Who are you?”

He leans in, his lips nearly touching my ear. "Someone who knows your true potential, Brigid. Someone who can give you everything you've ever wanted."

I shiver.

But before I can ask more, a piercing scream cuts through the music.

His grip on me tightens as chaos erupts around us. My heart pounds, a frantic drumbeat matching the sudden panic in the ballroom.

"What the hell?" I gasp, my eyes darting wildly.

A sea of black feathers floods the room, swirling and diving. Ravens. Hundreds of them. Their caws drown out the screams of the other guests.

Marius pulls me against his chest, his voice urgent in my ear. "Stay close."

I want to run, to hide, but my legs won't move. The birds swoop dangerously near, their sharp beaks glinting in the candlelight.

"Brigid!" Callen's voice cuts through the cacophony. I see him fighting his way towards me.

Marius's arm tightens around my waist. "You're safer with me.” He draws me further away.

But am I? The revelation that he's behind the mysterious wardrobe gifts sets off all my alarms. What game is he playing?

A raven dives close to my face. I duck, burying my head in Marius's chest. His scent fills my senses, smoky and dark.

"Make it stop," I whisper, hating the weakness in my voice.

Suddenly, the air pulsates with a vibrant surge of power. A professor’s voice rings out, clear and commanding: "Reveal yourselves!"

A blinding flash of light fills the room. I blink, spots dancing in my vision. The ravens... they're dissolving, melting into wisps of inky smoke.

"Shadow magic," Lochan growls nearby. "Who the fuck would pull this shit?"

As the smoke clears, the ballroom falls eerily silent. My stomach churns. Something's wrong. The strain in the air is palpable, thick enough to choke on.

That's when I see it. In the center of the dance floor, a crumpled form. Familiar old-fashioned clothing. Spectacles askew.

"Oh god," I whisper, bile rising in my throat. "Is that...?"

Lochan pushes through the crowd, his face grim. He kneels beside the body, checking for a pulse. The look he gives us says it all.

"Dean Charling," Marius says, his breath hot against my ear. "How... unfortunate."

I pull away from him, suddenly cold. The Dean's unseeing eyes stare at the ceiling, his face frozen in an expression of terror.

Chapter 25

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