"In a minute," Callen says, still holding my gaze. "First, I need Brigid to understand what she's accomplished here today. The Morrigan's power is yours now, but so is the responsibility of healing centuries of division."
"I'm still learning how to control this magic," I admit.
"And we'll be beside you." Callen says. "Until the very end."
I nod, accepting what I can't change, what I perhaps was always meant to be. The power inside me shifts like a living thing, no longer fighting to escape but settling into my bones, becoming part of me. The shadow magic that once terrified me now feels like an extension of myself.
"I'm ready," I say, straightening my shoulders. "But I do this my way. Not as a weapon, not as someone's puppet. If I'm to be queen, I rule by my own conscience."
Lochan steps forward, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the marble floor. The distrust that once clouded his eyes when he looked at me has long vanished.
"You've proven yourself today," he says. "Shadow magic or not, you stood against corruption when others cowered."
I can't help but smile at him. "Quite a change from wanting to lock me up at the academy."
His mouth twitches. "I was an ass."
"You were scared," I correct him. "We all were."
Callen walks to the Council's massive table, running his fingers across the polished surface. "My father sat here for decades, plotting, manipulating. Using fear to control everyone." He looks up at us. "We tear it all down. Build something new."
I join him at the table, placing my palm flat against the wood. Power hums beneath my skin, responding to my emotions, but I keep it contained. Controlled.
"Together," I say.“With the others, too.”
The three of us stand in a triangle around the table, this symbol of oppression that had brought so much suffering. Our shadows stretch across the floor, merging into one.
"The realms might resist, particularly the rebels," Lochan warns. "Change never comes easy."
"Let them resist," I say, feeling the Morrigan's confidence blend with my own. "We've faced worse."
Callen laughs, the sound echoing in the empty chamber. "That's my girl."
“Girl?" I say with a smile. "Didn’t you call me queen?"
Chapter Thirty Five
Brigid
The door to my room creaks as I push it open, fatigue settling into my bones after the day's events. I stayed with Callen and Lochan while they filled Rory and Tiernan in on what happened, then turned down Callen’s offer of a portal ride back to my room. I needed the walk.
I roll my shoulders, feeling the tension there, a physical reminder of everything that's happened since I discovered my lineage. My eyes adjust to the waning light from the lead-paned window where the last rays of sunset filter through.
A shadow moves in the corner. My heart jumps, magic tingling at my fingertips before recognition hits.
Marius sits in the wingback chair by my desk, one leg crossed over the other, his dark eyes following my every movement. The faded ink tattoos covering his arms seem to shift in the shadows, though I know they no longer have the power they once had. He's still a contradiction, offering me danger and safety wrapped in one intimidating package.
Truth is, seeing him creates a complex mixture of relief and anxiety. He’s my mate, just like the others, but it’s so much more complicated with Marius. The other men seem to have tentatively accepted him, but there’s still tension. And then there’s the whole Raven King and the Morrigan issue. Describing our relationship as complex is a huge understatement.
"How was your excursion with the High Fae?" Marius uncrosses his legs and leans forward, elbows on his knees. The evening catches the sharp planes of his face.
"Eventful." I sit on the edge of my bed, running my fingers along the coverlet. "I have a lot to tell you."
"As do I." He stands and crosses to the window, peering out at the grounds. The academy's gothic spires stretch toward the darkening sky, mist already gathering around their bases. "While you were away, I've been talking with others."
My interest piques. "Who?"
Marius turns back to me, his dark eyes intent. "The rebels."
