Page 44 of Shadowed Fate

So why can't I stop thinking about her?

A whisper cuts through my spiraling thoughts. I freeze, every muscle tensing. No one comes here except me. Ever.

There. Again. Hushed voices, drifting from around the corner.

I rise silently; the voices grow clearer as they get closer.

“... the girl..." I recognize Dean Charling's clipped tones. "...convergence... shadow magic... key to everything."

My blood turns to ice. There's only one "girl" with shadow magic at Grimstone.

A woman's voice responds, unfamiliar to me. "But the prophecy... The Morrigan... are you certain?"

Fuck. Fuck.Fuck.

Dean Charling's voice drops even lower, forcing me to strain to hear his words. "...it’s time... the plan..."

What the hell are they talking about? What does Brigid have to do with The Morrigan, a goddess long since gone?

The voices fade as they move away. I stand frozen, mind reeling.

It doesn't make sense. Why were they talking about Brigid?

And The Morrigan?

The Morrigan. The original witch. Goddess of war and fate. Mother of destruction and chaos.

And consort of the Raven King.

It can't be a coincidence. Not with everything else that's happened.

I remember the mass that Callen and I battled the night we were sent to collect Brigid. A Sangrathen, drawn to magic called forth by blood sacrifice. My surprise when I realized that Brigid had shadow magic. The conversation I had later with Dean Charling. He’d reassured me that Brigid was unaware of her newly awakened powers.But he’d never said what had awakened them.

I shake my head, trying to clear it. No. I can't jump to conclusions. But I can't ignore this either.A blood prophecy?

The air around me feels heavy, oppressive. Like the very walls of Grimstone are closing in, hiding secrets I'm not meant to uncover.

I push off the wall. I need to figure this out. I need to protect the others. The thought of getting closer to Brigid makes my skin crawl, but I clench my jaw. I'll do whatever it takes. I won't let anyone else die because I wasn't strong enough, wasn't vigilant enough.

As I step out of the shadows, a sense of foreboding settles over me like a shroud.

Chapter 22

Brigid

The space in front of me shimmers as I focus on the small wisp of magic in my palm.

"Good, Brigid. Feel the connection. No need to force it," Tiernan says encouragingly.

His deep voice reverberates right down to my toes. I try to concentrate, but my eyes keep drifting to his strong forearms. His sleeves are loosely rolled up, despite the cool autumn day. The way his muscles flex as he gestures is... distracting.

Focus, dammit. The Harrowing is coming up fast. I need to nail this.

With renewed concentration, I narrow my eyes at the wisp. It trembles slightly, then slowly rises an inch off my palm. A thrill of excitement courses through me. Then it disappears.

"You’re thinking too much."

I grit my teeth. “I can’t help it.”

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