The shadows cling to the figure’s footsteps, swirling at their feet like dark tendrils, but the silhouette that emerges from the inky blackness isn’t the monstrous form I’ve been bracing for. It’s . . . a woman.
My mind stutters to a halt, momentarily scrambling to process what I’m seeing. This isn’t what the legends said. The Shadoweaver is a man—an ancient, faceless creature born of the darkest corners of the world, not—this. Yet here she is, stepping through the thick veil of darkness as if she commands it. As if the shadows themselves are woven into the very fabric of her being.
Her figure is tall and slender, draped in dark, flowing robes that ripple like smoke around her as she moves. Her hair is a cascade of midnight, blending into the shadows, and her eyes—those eyes—glow with a faint, eerie light, watching me with an intensity that makes my skin crawl.
My heart pounds in my ears.
“Surprise,” she taunts with a wicked, almost playful smile, her voice dripping with a sinister amusement that makes my blood run cold.
Her arms sweep out to her sides in a grand, theatrical motion, the darkness shifting and swirling with her as if the shadows themselves are bowing to her command. Her dress clings to her body like a second skin, each curve and line accentuated, though there’s nothing remotely alluring about it. The dress covers everyinch of her from the neck down, excluding her hands. It shimmers in the low light, catching faint glints of silver and shadow, its surface rippling like water with every slight movement she makes.
With a twisted smile, her eyes lock onto mine, and the icy chill that follows sends a shiver down my spine. There’s something in her gaze, something that flickers just beneath the surface—control, power, dominance.
“Cat got your tongue?” she teases, stepping closer, reaching for my face.
I jerk back, my eyes narrowing on her. “Why the charade? Why make everyone think you were male?”
“Everyone just assumed.” She shrugs. The movement seems odd on her, almost unnatural, like she is trying too hard to seem unbothered. “I never corrected them because males seem to hold more power and respect. You’re one of the lucky few to see my true form. Most only see the shadows.”
“Lucky me,” I mutter.
The Shadoweaver narrows her gaze on me, her form flickering. She is weakening. Her display earlier was a show, but I can feel it now—her magic is dwindling.
“I have a bone to pick with you, young king.”
I raise an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.
“You ruined my carefully laid plans.”
“How so?”
“The night you rescued the druid, my beast was lying in wait to snatch her up. Yumekui was tracking her, just like before. But you stole her before we could get to her. I need her. Her blood is the key to unlocking the tomb. You know that.”
I cast a quick look over my shoulder to see Yumekui kneeling, her head bowed. That’s why she’s being so quiet. “If it was just her blood, you would have had it by now.”
The Shadoweaver’s eyes flicker with light, her lips pursing.
“You know, back when I was free, I ruled all of Faerie. There was none more powerful than me.” She walked at a slow pace around me as she spoke. “I ruled over all of Aos sí.”
I frown at her use of the ancient word. We haven’t been called the Aos síin centuries.
“You all descend from the Tuatha Dé Danann. You were whispered to be the most powerful of the fae. Well, it was those strongest of you, the druids and Guardians, who saw fit to use their magic to overthrow me, trapping me in this tomb. They handed Faerie over to the other Aos sí, in which a dual monarchy was born, two courts, the Seelie and the Unseelie Court. Almost every Aos sí member belonged to one of the courts and held a title. Those, like the druids, that decided against a court, went off on their own, separate from the court system. The Guardians also refused to fall into the court system, abandoning the Aos sí, taking the dragons with them, vanishing into the mists like they were never there at all. Their departure left chaos among the courts, uncertainty in every corner of the realm. The druids, ever so cautious, retreated to their sacred havens, hiding behind their ancient wards. It took centuries of waiting for the perfect moment to arise.” Her voice is steady, calculating, as she speaks, the shadows swirling around her like serpents ready to strike.
“I had felt her before any of you did,” she continues, her tone darkening with satisfaction. “When her magic first began to stir, to blossom. The way it surged, wild and untamed, it called outto me. She was the key—the one who could get me out of this prison, so I could reclaim what was rightfully mine. My throne.”
She pauses, her eyes narrowing as she watches for a reaction. But I don’t give her one.
“Finally, I could make my move. With the Guardians gone and the druids in hiding, I turned my attention to the Aos sí, to the kings and queens who thought they were safe behind their walls and titles.” Her lips curl into a sly, malicious smile. “It was easy, really, poisoning their minds. They were so desperate for answers, for control, that they didn’t even notice the shadows slipping into their courts, whispering doubts, twisting loyalties. Fear makes people so . . . pliable.”
There’s a glint of triumph in her gaze, as if she’s already won. She takes a slow step forward, her black dress clinging to her like a second skin.
“But your father—ah, he was a different story,” her voice drops to a low, dangerous purr. “He was harder to break. Stubborn, like a rock standing against the tide. I expected nothing less from him, of course. The proud king, the protector. He didn’t fall as easily as the others. Oh, no. He put up a fight. A real one.”
Every word she says feels like it’s dripping with venom, each syllable sharp and deliberate, designed to wound. There’s a flicker of something behind her eyes—amusement, maybe, or perhaps just cold satisfaction.
“That was you? You made them all turn on the druids?” I growl, letting my words rumble.
“Yes, it was the perfect plan. Have them all kill each other, and I could swoop in and rescue the princess, but that druid queen had to send her daughter through a Sidhe gate and ruin everything.”
