Page 66 of Shadowed Fate

It was fucking beautiful.Sheis beautiful.

The door to our suite opens, startling me from my thoughts as I drain the rest of my protein shake.

Lochan strides in, his face set in its usual scowl. Tiernan comes out from his room, walking silently on bare feet. His eyes are still unfocused, remnants of the smoke from the incense he uses during his meditations following him.

"The Council has been talking.” Lochan paces the length of our shared suite.

I raise an eyebrow. "Good morning to you too, sunshine."

He ignores my jab, turning to face Tiernan and me. "I overheard a conversation earlier between two of the Council members they sent to investigate Dean Charling's murder."

I feel my shoulders tense. "Shite. What did you hear?"

Lochan's frown deepens. "They're going to question Brigid. It was definitely shadow magic that killed him."

"And Brigid's the only one who has it," Tiernan murmurs.

My stomach twists. "That's bollocks. They can't seriously think she had anything to do with it."

"They don't know what to think," Lochan snaps. "All they know is that shadow magic killed the dean, and your shady little girlfriend is the only one around who has it."

I'm on my feet before I realize it, fists clenched at my sides. "Watch your fucking mouth,” I warn. Lochan’s my boy but even he doesn’t get to bad mouth Brigid, not on my watch.

Tiernan steps between us, hands raised. “Easy, this isn't helping anyone."

I take a deep breath and force my hands to unclench. "We don't know that Brigid's the only one with shadow magic. How do we know that shadow magic is really extinct, and that's not just something they've been telling us?"

Tiernan nods slowly. "Rory's right. If we didn't know about Brigid until recently, who's to say there aren't others out there? The world's a big place, and magic has a way of hiding until it wants or needs to be found."

"Exactly," I say, latching onto Tiernan's words. "For all we know, there could be a whole whack of shadow magic users lurking about."

Lochan snorts. "Right, and they're all just waiting to pop out and say 'surprise' at the next assembly."

I ignore his sarcasm, instead focusing on the memory of Brigid's touch, the way her magic flowed through me. "You don't understand. What Brigid can do... it's incredible."

Tiernan's eyebrows raise slightly. "Oh?"

"She helped me control my shift," I explain, unable to keep the awe from my voice. "It was like nothing I've ever felt before. Her magic was in my bones, under my skin, guiding me. I've struggled with my shifts for years, and she just... fixed it."

Lochan's face doesn’t change, but Tiernan looks intrigued. "That's impressive," he says softly. "Especially for someone so new to their abilities. Most magic users take years to develop that level of control and finesse. If the can even do it at all.”

I nod. "Exactly. She's not just fumbling around in the dark. There's real power there, and she's learning to use it."

Tiernan's expression grows contemplative. "It's fascinating, really. The interplay between different types of magic. I wonder if—“

Lochan cuts Tiernan off, his voice blunt and hard. "Are you two fucking kidding me right now? She's not some wide-eyed innocent you need to protect. Wake up and smell the bullshit."

I bristle, hackles rising. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Lochan growls, "that your little shadow witch isn't as helpless as she pretends to be. For all we know, she's in full control of her magic and playing us all for fools."

My fists clench. "You don't know what you're talking about, mate."

"Don't I?" Lochan's eyes flash dangerously. "Think about it. One minute she's this scared little girl who can’t control shit, and the next she's manipulating your very nature? It doesn't add up."

"You’ve got it wrong," I say. Fuck Lochan and his egotistical hardheadedness. If he would only take the time to get to know Brigid, he’d see what the rest of us are seeing.

Lochan presses on, relentless. "She knew all along. Maybe this whole innocent act is just that – an act. How convenient that the only person with shadow magic just happens to show up right before the Dean gets fucking offed by... oh, what was it again? Oh right, shadow magic."

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