He rolled, knocking the crystal prince back toward Farrah and Serill. Chased after him before the sprite could become wind again.
Grunts, growls, and curses flung just as frequently as their fists.
“What the hells is going on?” Serill blurted, backing into the table to avoid a stray crystal leg. “What did I say?”
“Gods damn it, Oni!” Farrah yelled over the gusts. “Both of you, STOP!”
Ropes of water flew from her hands, freezing around the men as she thrust them apart. She froze Elias to the wall, ignoring his cursing as she stepped between the men. Wriggling in her grip, she yanked the sand sprite inches away from her face as she bared her teeth. “Territorial bastard, this is why she didn’t want you knowing! You’ve just ruinedeverything!”
Oni’s wiggling stopped, crystal muscles going slack in her magic’s grip. Even the black sands in his eyes stilled their violent swirling.
Slowly, they all turned to the Prince of Severina.
Serill blinked, eyes out of focus, lips parted… but no air left his lungs.
Until clarity flooded his brown eyes. He lifted his head and exhaled a shaky breath.
“Brela has shadow magic.”
* * *
He’d known.Somehow, he’d known, even before now.
Every gods-damned truth had been right in front of him this entire time. Maybe he should have put the pieces together sooner.
The reaction she’d had at the auction when Gerrart had walked by in his suit of pine and pepper. The fading strength when his men had taunted her with that small bundle of dried hellthorn. Her fascination with the shadow magic tome and Farrah’s quiet mention about her being the Shadow Speaker.
The gods-damned celvusa.
Serill stared at Oni across the table. The crystal man had basically asked her to singlehandedly stop Anfroy.
No, not stop the army from breaking the wall, but stop the wall itself from breaking. With magic.Shadow magic.
He ran a hand through his hair.
Brela… a gods-damned shadow-kind.
Everyone flinched, and he realized he’d spoken those words out loud. It was the first time anyone had spoken in minutes.
“Not really shadow-kind,” Farrah whispered, voice cautious. “The shard gave her magic.”
Serill nodded. “Okay.”
It made sense. Somewhere deep in his mind that felt true. She couldn’t get through the wall, which meant she wasn’t pure shadow-kind. Her eyes weren’t purple either, which only further proved that claim.
Except that none of it made sense.
“She’s not afraid of him.”
Elias glanced to Farrah before asking, “Afraid of who?”
“Cason.”
The dragon. The fire wielder. The gods-damned blazing inferno wrapped in a body that could barely control magic.
Her natural enemy.
The black sands of Oni’s eyes swirled faster, but that was the only indication he was listening. Clearly he was struggling with the fact that he’d just exposed Brela’s secret in his anger.
