Page 239 of The Edge of Darkness

“Over here!” someone called out behind us, but it was not the commander’s voice.

We shifted through the rock and found the older council member kneeling over Roirdan.

“He’s unconscious. Looks like he took a blow to the head,” the male said as he dabbed at the blood that trickled from a wound near Roirdan’s temple.

My stomach tightened with a pang of regret. “I-I tried to get my shield out to everyone in time . . . but it only made it so far.”

“The fact that you even managed to get a shield up at all is astonishing,” Niall said as he knelt over Roirdan.

The male on the floor next to him stared up at me in awe. “You were the one who shielded us?”

I nodded. “I tried to.”

“It worked,” he confirmed. “Thank you.”

On the other side of the broken table, armor clanked against stone, and voices echoed in our direction as the others emerged, all of them seemingly unscathed.

My shield had worked—for the most part . . . aside from my shoulder, Niall’s ankle, Remic’s wing, and Roirdan’s head.

As if simply thinking of him was enough to wake him, Roirdan came back to consciousness with a fury. He shoved at the male and swung at Niall with wide eyes.

“Whoa, Roir, it’s me,” Niall said, dodging the commander’s fist.

Once Roirdan recognized who was above him, and that he wasn’t waking up to some sort of threat, he let out a heavy sigh. “Fuck. I hate going unconscious.”

I peered down at him. “Do you always wake up this feisty?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” The playful grin he gave me told me his injury wasn’t as serious as it looked.

Though his humor was usually appreciated in stressful times like this, I couldn’t find it in me to smile.

“Maeson, Nivelle, and Silas are all right,” Aremis called out, his focus distant as he checked in with his Aura. “They are combing through the main areas, assessing the damage and checking on the others that were in The Keep.”

Thank the gods they were unharmed.

I turned toward Niall as he stood. “What about the rest of Calledan?”

“Aremis, check in with the patrols, now!” Niall commanded. “I want eyes on the gates and the city.”

Before Aremis could respond, the orb that Niall had sent away came flying toward us, and Eathril’s voice rang out through the shadows along with it. “I am here, My Lord.”

“What is this, Eathril?” Niall asked.

“I think you’d better take a look for yourself.”

The Lookout, Niall said into my mind.

I nodded, grabbing hold of his arm.

In a blink, we were standing atop the mountain, the wind whipping against our faces, and what we saw made the hair on the back of my neck rise.

Darkness was swirling over Salterra . . . Retreating.

It had been Skadi—or rather, her power.

“How?” I whispered.

“She is not bound to Salterra like Lyceius is, which is why I think she was able to push past the wards and get to you when we met her at the northern gate.”