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“What is this?”
“It is a pity you are so afraid, Niall.” I sneered, practically baring my teeth. “Those fears are about to be realized.”
“What did you do?” He clawed at the ring, then froze.
Directly behind Niall Grym, black eyes stepped into the light.
CHAPTERFORTY-EIGHT
THE NIGHTRENDER
Shadow walking had beenone of our first steps in the final plan from the moment I realized it could be done. But when the connection to the ring proved we could focus where we walked, the plan was sealed as the final show at the wicked masquerade.
Malin would be captured by the Black Palace. Niall would be convinced he needed Malin alive to keep him in power. She would be the one to place the ring onto Niall’s finger.
Then, we would walk through darkness and bring their nightmares to life.
The heady thrill of a plan unraveling quickened my pulse as the burn of fear soaked into my heart and tongue. My chest burned with a direct link to Niall Grym, and, hells, he had a great many fears.
“It’s done.” I said softly.
“Finally.” Raum beamed and unsheathed his sword.
Whistles all around the forest echoed, signaling everyone in their different positions that the shadows would come. To step through. To attack.
I opened my palms, and like phantoms, billows of darkness shot toward the sky. Thick, syrupy black formed a mighty circle around us. The same way Gunnar had been able to focus on walking to a boulder deep in the trees, we would walk into the courtyard of the Black Palace and take our places before they could retaliate.
Herja, Halvar, and Gunnar were with the archers and would emerge at the staircases leading to the upper gates. Valen, the Sun Prince, and Tor would step through near the bridges. Warriors and Falkyns would descend at every edge of the courtyard.
We would have the palace surrounded.
I gave a nod to Ash and Hanna down the line of warriors. They smiled and pounded on their battle drums.
Ten beats went by, then I took the first step into the darkness.
Cold bit at my face, but frosty air was soon enveloped by sweet hints of cream and icing, of rosemary and juices from roast pheasant.
Before my last step, I emerged on the other side of the shadow wall, directly behind Niall Grym.
Malin was masked and grinning three paces away. Niall fought to free himself from the ring, but his panic kept him fumbling like a fool. Guests screamed and scrambled out of their seats, clamoring over others in search of an escape.
They would not get far. The shadow wall had locked around the furthest gate of the palace. From all corners and every edge, our army stepped through.
I wasted no time and gripped Niall’s wrist with the ring. He had half a breath to look at my face before I sliced the sharpened edge through the bone of his little finger.
“This does not belong to you.”
Niall roared his pain, stumbling into Raum who clutched the bastard to his chest, a knife to his throat.
The instant the queen’s ring and Niall’s finger were in my hand, a blast of brilliant light shot toward me.
Sabain raced across the courtyard, aiming his mesmer at my head.
“Kase!” Malin screamed.
I fired back at Sabain with the darkness built from all the fears of this day, from the pain of the past, the horrors of the unknowns. All of it had festered and cracked open when the blast of shadows collided with Sabain’s chest.
He crossed his arms like a shield over his heart but stumbled against the force of it.
