Page 171 of Taken By Shadows

Kaed was here.

His magic poured into the world around me.

Something shattered and reformed inside of me at the sight of him. Terrifying and brutal in the darkness, Kaed was washed with the yellow magic Huxley threw at him.

But he deflected whatever attack Huxley had attempted.

“Kaed …” I tried, but my voice couldn’t reach him as my fingers stretched out into the night.

The world went unnaturally dark as Kaed lashed out with whips of shadow. Huxley’s own magic was instantly extinguished, and I heard a crack as he must have crashed to the ground.

Another crack.

And another.

Bones.

My gut twisted at the sounds.

“Don’t …”

Another shattering crack sounded, followed by a howling scream.

“Kaed. Don’t … don’t kill him. Eryk—”

The shadows lifted then, and fae light spilled out over me.

Gavrin, Denora and Audrie were here. There was a bronze warrior beside Gavrin. Rionna. She looked ill at ease but not out of place in the company. Her eyes were steady as they took in the scene before her.

I sagged in relief at the sight of them.

Kaed.

He was beside me before my head collapsed to the ground.

“You have to stop saving me like this …” I tried to smile past the lingering pain.

The longer Huxley’s magic was gone from my system, the clearer I could think, but the pain was still burning through my muscles and my bones as though I had been dropped in acid. Everything felt like it was bubbling and fizzing away.

Kaed laughed, but it was strained, tinged with something I didn’t have the energy to think about.

“Eryk … he … planned … something … he—” The words I needed were eluding me.

Kaed’s hand was cool as it swept the hair from my face. “Find Eryk,” Kaed commanded to no one in particular.

There was a sobbing sound coming from somewhere, and I looked up to see Audrie in Denora’s arms.

“It’s okay, Audrie. I’m fi-fine.”

I wasn’t sure I believed myself yet. I needed to sleep for a week, and my muscles felt like I’d been dragged over gravel tied to a horse. But there was no magic poisoning me, and Kaed’s shadows were like a balm around me.

“I won’t let anything else happen to you.” His words were stern, and I knew he’d have something to say about all of this later. “Audrie.” He turned to her, and she was still sobbing. “Find Celeste. And warn her before she gets here.” His eyes fell to Huxley.

“What are we going to do with him?” Denora’s voice was edged with steel the second Audrie dashed to the glasshouse.

Denora came to my side. Kaed reluctantly let go of me before going to the heap of bones and blood that was Huxley. He was breathing. It would take more than broken limbs to kill a fae.

Yellow light guttered and died at his fingertips when Kaed towered over his form.