Page 65 of Blade of the Nightking

Her gaze locked onto mine, fastening on whatever she found there. “Where is he?”

Without warning, her eyes flooded milky white. Fear seized me.

“Where is my son?”

Her hand shot toward me with startling speed, fingers outstretched⁠—

Hamish caught me just in time, yanking me backward so suddenly that my feet left the ground, her grasp closing on empty air as a howl tore from her throat, wild and furious.

Steel flashed as he levelled his sword, stepping between us. He reached back, catching me and pulling me in close behind him.

“Hamish—!” I struggled, but his arm locked around me, unyielding as he forced me back with him.

She watched us through the pearly film of her eyes, a low, animal sound building in her chest as her body tensed again. She lunged.

Something struck her mid-motion, violet threads of light snapping around her body and ripping her backward.

Layne stood in the doorway, gloved hands splayed before her, her face sheet white.

“I’m sorry, my Lady,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Levinica’s scream of rage tore through the space, unravelling into a desperate, breaking plea as Hamish forced me backward toward the door.

“Please!” she shrieked. “Please let me see him! I just want to see him!”

The fury left her as quickly as it had come. Her body seemed to fold in on itself, every trace of strength draining away at once. Her head dropped forward, her voice dissolving into soft, shattered whimpers. “My baby… my baby…”

Slowly, the milky white receded from her eyes until only their natural darkness remained.

Layne went to her immediately, dropping beside her and pulling her into her arms, rocking her gently as she wept.

The door shut behind us. The thud echoed through the corridor, final and heavy.

I tore free of Hamish’s hold and turned on him, the anger rising too fast to contain.

“What did he do?” I hissed.

Hamish said nothing, only looked down at me, somber and unreadable. I shoved him as hard as I could, pouring everything I felt into the blow, but he didn't budge.

“What. Did. He. Do?” I demanded again, each word lancing into my heart.

His gaze passed briefly over the faint silver glow beneath my skin, my magic responding to the swell of emotion inside me. His expression sombered.

“I think you know,” he said quietly.

I stared up at him, my teeth grinding hard enough to ache, my lip curling despite myself. “Take me to him. Now.”

CHAPTER 14

Iburst through the door to find Aedric seated before a slab of black glass at the center of the room, so dark and depthless it seemed to swallow the light rather than reflect it.

He was writing. The pen moved in deliberate strokes, and from its tip spilled a shining ink that pooled briefly atop the glass before sinking into it, absorbed completely, leaving no trace behind.

He paused when I entered. A smile touched his mouth when he saw it was me—warm, instinctive, unguarded—but it guttered almost immediately as his gaze lifted to my face and took in whatever he found there.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his brows drawing together in concern.

The light streaming through the tall windows caught in his hair, turning it molten, gilding the angular planes of his face so that he looked almost unreal—some sculpted, golden god brought to life. His eyes, like twin sapphires, were a blue so deep they rivaled the Virellan sea glittering far below the cliffs.