He snaps his head from the crackling fire. “Lornx had a child with Calia Thornfield? There’s another Blackbyrne son?”
“Is that what caught your attention? My father’s infidelity?”
He nods, facing the fire once more—lost in thought.
“If you’re not going to help us, then Andorwood will cease to exist. Carobon plans to rid the realm of all Shadow Wielders.”
He shrugs, but I continue.
“You know a ship is sailing here with those creatures aboard. We need to be prepared to fight in four days. Are you willing to help us? Are you going to prep the Andorwood army to fight? Or, will you let Silas lead?”
“No. They won't fight,” he replies, still focused solely on the flickering flames in the fireplace. “I won’t allow it.”
I step into his line of sight. “You’re a coward. I hope you spend what’s left of your miserable life trapped in this castle. When the time comes, I’ll gather whoever I can to protect this kingdom. When you don’t show up, they’ll see who will truly rule and who chooses to languish in the shadows.” I step back, leaving him with my words. “I used to hide there, Malachi, and I can promise it’s not the way. The people of Andorwood will see Silas as the future, and you will be forgotten.”
He doesn’t turn his gaze to meet mine, and I exhale sharply, creating distance.
“Who will you haunt then, Malachi, when no one remembers your fucking name?”
I move toward the door and reach for the handle.
A shift in the room causes the candlelight to flicker chaotically, but I ignore it and move faster to exit. An unseen breath brushes my hair aside, inches from my face, and I freeze. Fear envelops me, and even though I can’t see the threat, my senses scream at me to look around. An invisible claw grazes my shoulder as if tracing the spot where my tattoo is marked on my body. The claw begins to dig in deeper, and I spin around to seeMalachi standing there, facing me. An unnaturally broad smile spreads across his face, and I watch madness creep over his aged features as the flames crackle behind him.
“It would be so easy, Briar, to end your life right now.” Malachi rests his hands on the chair before him and leans into it. “You are distracted and only worry about the things right in front of you, when you should be concerned about the things that creep in between.”
The claw digs deeper into my shoulder, and I grit my teeth against the sharp pain shooting down my back. I don’t move; it’s as if fear has trapped me once again, taking me back to the dinner table the day before, when I couldn’t move, only blink in horror.
“I will not fight alongside you, because you are reckless. You are not prepared, and associating myself with you would be suicide.”
I fumble behind me, trying to get a good grip on the door handle to yank it open and make my exit.
Malachi steps closer.
“I haunt and dwell in the shadows to remain hidden. You have no idea who—or what—I’ve dealt with in my life. I’ll torment, hunt, and torture for the rest of my life if that keeps me safe.” His face moves closer to mine. “I’ll continue to hide, and I don’t intend to be found. You should know all about hiding in the shadows. You are a coward, just like me.”
I angle my head, unsure of how to interpret that statement. Malachi steps back abruptly, giving me space to open the door.
“I’ve worked hard to be here, and I don’t plan to go back,” he mutters.
I cross the threshold and glance back once more. He remains frozen in the doorway, watching me walk down the long, dark hallway. The shadows around him distort his face, and for amoment, all I see is a monster as a broad smile spreads across his face.
He calls down the hall, “That tattoo won’t protect you for long. She’ll come forward, and you won’t be able to stop her.”
His words echo in my ear as my steps pound against the floor, making my way down the hallway once more. Just the mention of the tattoo makes my shoulder throb as the poison continuously burns through my veins. The hallway ends, and I stand in the wide opening of the castle. The corridor behind me resembles a tunnel of darkness, and I quickly turn to ensure my back isn’t facing that direction.
The dark castle looms above me, and the vaulted ceilings creak from the roaring wind outside. Each noise has my senses on edge, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t steady my racing heart. Something about this castle scares me—as if each shadowy corner holds a secret just waiting to be revealed. Even though my curiosity sometimes gets the best of me, I believe that most of the secrets should remain just that.
Andorwood has been as confusing as I imagined it would be. Nothing since we have arrived makes sense, and I fear the longer we remain on this island, the more the tension between the group will rise.
I continue through the large room, my defenses dropping as I continue up the stairs, lost in thought.
The towering chandelier at the top of the stairs is decorated with black and silver jewels that snake to the ceiling. The tall windows are stained with dark-colored glass, and the moonlight casts in, creating more shadows. The shadows around me seem to build in my presence, and fear rises in my chest. My steps quicken as I turn the corner toward our bedrooms. I glance over my shoulder, and in the darkness, I can make out faint movements—something dark is following me.
I bound forward, and each time I whip my head around, the shadow quickly slips into a pocket, making it impossible to distinguish the figure stalking me. I start to run and whisper, “Gods, just give me some light in this fucking darkness.”
Did I just pray for light around me?
I hear a muffled growl behind me, and I shout, “Stop!”
