Page 107

Her silver wolf had been her protector in Faerie, so it made sense that she would sense Kian as a threat.

“No!” she yelled to the wolf, not wanting it to kill Kian, if it even could. She had no idea, but it probably had a better chance than anything here in the real world.

The wolf took a running leap directly at Kian, but instead of hitting him, he was absorbed into him, the two entities becoming one in a flash of blindingly bright silver light.

As the light seared her eyes, her mind pulsed with memories.

Of Kian standing over her with a sword before she disarmed him. Keeping him as a prisoner in a forested area where other people lived with her, the Clan of Shadows. Him earning her trust, riding into battle with her. Becoming her general and leading her army.

The Fomori coming, him fighting alongside her, knowing it would mean his death. A death she refused to allow, and so she split his soul and took his other half to Faerie to keep him safe.

Kian was a shifter. He was Fomori. And he had been her most trusted friend.

Kian looked at his hands as the shadows moved to his feet, his body slowly losing its transparency, becoming tangible and real.

Not shadow. Flesh and bone.

Bryn took a hesitant step toward Kian and wondered if he remembered everything as well. If the same memories flashed through his mind.

He glanced up, and their eyes met, but it wasn’t a smile of vengeance to be served on his lips.

As he looked at her, his expression held something in it that she couldn’t have anticipated from the man made of shadows. Something she never would have thought to see in those mercurial eyes.

A look she wished long ago Declan had given her when he looked her way.

Where Declan’s looks had been possessive, Kian looked at her in a way that made her feel powerful.

As she moved toward him, wanting to say something, anything, she was stabbed in the side from behind.

Turning, she stabbed the wraith in the head, dispatching him, and the wraith turned to black dust, the wind scattering it.

When she turned back to Kian, his jaw was clenched, his eyes on the wound the wraith had made in her side. A look of resolve took over his features before he looked to her, catching her eyes.

Just like the silver wolf had moments before, she was sure he was saying goodbye.

He mouthed the words, but she refused to accept them.

See you on the other side.

Turning away from her, his bones began to pop out of place, and his skin rippled as the muscles tore before restructuring and healing into a new form. Now the silver wolf stood, whole, flesh and blood.

Kian was the silver wolf.

His howl rent the air, a battle cry, and the rest of the wolves matched his call as they took up formation behind him.

All the wraiths were still, frozen before being released again, the feel of power being Danu who once again was using the last of her magic to help. Slowly, the monsters began to move, their focus on the newest threat before them. Recalibrating was a word that came to mind as they watched the wolf and the pack.

The silver wolf, Kian, stepped forward, his hackles raised before he broke into a run aimed directly at the wraiths who were moving faster now. The wolves of the pack followed, all but the black wolf that remained dutifully at her side.

Panic was a vice around her heart as she watched him throw himself onto death’s blade and her being unable to stop him.

If he was whole, he could be killed.

Her voice was full of screams as her heart tore apart watching Kian sacrifice himself for her.

Senan ran past her, her back hooves hitting several wraiths as she bucked and stomped at them.

The crows flying in and through the crowds and the battles caused disorientation for all of Bryn’s enemies who would see her dead.