The Siege of Shadows: Book one

Shadows Between Us(27)*

The air was thick with magic, the kind that clawed under your skin and whispered promises you didn't want to hear. The Baobhan Sith was beautiful in the way predators often are, her lips curling in a cruel smile as she circled him—Kael—like he was hers for the taking.

And he just stood there.

His massive frame, always so imposing, now slack and defenseless under her spell. The knight who had dragged me into this nightmare was crumbling like a castle made of sand. A perfect opportunity, if I'd ever seen one.

I could run. I should run.

The thought flickered like lightning in my mind. He wouldn't stop me—not in this state. And with him gone, I'd be free. I could slip into the shadows, leave him to his fate, and make my way out of this gods-forsaken place.

But another thought followed close behind, colder and sharper. I'd seen what the Fae wilds were capable of, and I wasn't foolish enough to believe I could survive them alone. Kael, for all his faults—and there were plenty—was the only thing standing between me and whatever horrors were waiting out there.

"Damn it," I hissed under my breath.

Before I could change my mind, I rushed forward, drawing the knife he'd let me keep. The Baobhan Sith turned at the last second, her expression shifting from predatory amusement to outright fury as the blade sliced across her side. Black blood oozed from the wound, staining her pale skin.

Kael staggered back as if breaking through the surface of a deep pool, gasping for air. He looked dazed, his shoulders sagging under the weight of his armor, and for one fleeting moment, I thought he might actually collapse.

"Move!" I snapped, gripping his arm and pulling him upright. My knife was still in my other hand, pointed at the Baobhan Sith as she snarled, her claws flexing.

Kael didn't argue. He stumbled back, leaving me to face her alone.

The creature lunged, her movements as quick and fluid as a striking snake. I barely had time to dodge, the wind of her swipe brushing past my cheek. She was fast—too fast. But she'd underestimated me.

With a sharp cry, I drove my blade into her chest. Her scream pierced the air, the sound unnatural and grating, and she crumpled to the ground in a heap of silk and blood.

I stood over her, my breath coming in ragged gasps, staring at the mess I'd made. My fingers trembled around the hilt of my knife as my mind screamed at me to run, to take the chance I'd just bought myself.

But I didn't.

Instead, I turned back to Kael. He was on his knees now, his black helmet gleaming faintly in the low light, and for the first time, he didn't look like the terrifying beast I'd come to know. He looked... defeated.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded, my voice shaking with anger. "You're supposed to be some great warrior, aren't you? And you just stood there like an idiot!"

He flinched, the faintest movement, before his head tilted toward me. "You don't understand."

"No, I think I do," I shot back, sheathing my knife with a snap. "You're useless without me."

The words hung in the air between us, harsher than I'd meant them to be. His shoulders tensed, and for a moment, I thought he might actually lash out. But instead, he pushed himself to his feet, towering over me once more.

"Let's go," he said coldly, brushing past me toward the horses.

The ride was silent, every hoofbeat echoing my simmering frustration. I kept replaying the moment I'd stepped in, the chance I'd let slip through my fingers. I could have been free. I could have been gone.