Page 82 of Shadowed Fate

"Get it together," I mutter, pacing.

My boots crunch over splintered wood. If the Council sees this…

But it's not the destruction that truly unsettles me. It's the raw power behind it. Brigid's magic... I've never seen anything like it. I’ve never heard of anything like it.Not since him.

I think about the misery I just saw in her eyes.

I shake my head, trying to dislodge the thought. I can't afford to let my guard down when it comes to Brigid.

And yet...

For a moment, I saw past the threat I know she is, to the scared girl beneath.

"Damn it," I growl, cracking my knuckles.

I can't let her get to me. My duty is clear. I have to report this incident, recommend her removal from the program, and perhaps more than that. It's the only way to keep everyone safe.

So why does the thought leave such a bitter taste in my mouth?

Chapter 35

Brigid

I pace the secluded alcove, a quiet place away from everyone and everything. My hands tremble as I try to steady my breathing, but it's no use. The shadows are agitated, responding to the turmoil in my mind.

Lochan's face flashes before me—the distrust and loathing in his eyes too much to take. My stomach clenches. "Damn him" I mutter, clenching my hands. The shadows pulse, growing darker.

I can feel my control slipping, the magic surging just beneath my skin. It terrifies me. What if I lose control completely? What if I do hurt someone? That’s not who I am.

Is it?

The air shifts subtly, a change in energy that raises the hairs on the back of my neck. I spin around.

Marius materializes from the shadows, moving with fluid grace. His eyes lock onto mine, dark and intense.

"Problems, little bird?"

I take a step back. "Are you stalking me again?"

He glides closer, movements like silk. "I sensed your distress. Like calls to like, after all."

My pulse quickens. There's something hypnotic about his gaze, drawing me in even as every instinct screams danger.

"I'm fine," I snap, but my voice wavers. “And we’re nothing alike.”

Marius reaches out, fingers barely grazing my arm. Even that light touch sends electricity coursing through me. "Are you? Your shadows say otherwise."

I jerk away, wrapping my arms around myself. The shadows swirl more violently. "Stay back. I can't...I might lose control."

"Then let go," he whispers. "Embrace the shadows. I can show you how."

For a moment, I'm tempted. So tempted to give in, to let the shadows out. But Lochan's face flashes in my mind again. I stumble back, shaking my head.

"You're afraid," he says softly. "But fear is just another emotion to be harnessed."

I shake my head again, trying to push away the thoughts that threaten to consume me. No, I can't. I won't.

"No. I won't become a monster."

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