Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
brEN
The silver found me before I cleared the ridge.
Wind whipped along the cliffs overlooking Upper Lake, carrying the soothing scents of stone, water, and pine. Far below, the dark surface of the water shifted beneath the gray Irish sky in long rippling patterns, and it caught faint traces of late-day sunlight where the clouds thinned.
Beneath it all, colder silver, created of moonlight, threaded through the valley from the quarter moon hidden behind the clouds.
Few besides me would have noticed it.
I stepped from one faint shadow into another, gathering what moonlight I could and allowed it to settle beneath my skin. The movement across the valley had cost more than I liked, but it was necessary. And there was enough moonlight to replenish what I spent, though slower than I preferred.
On the ridge ahead, I spotted Cormac’s wide shoulders and solid form.
He stood near the cliff edge with his hands shoved into the pockets of his weathered coat, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains where the white-tailed sea eagles nested. The cool wind tugged at his dark hair and beard as he turned toward me.
When I arrived properly in front of him, he lifted his brows. “That was fast.”
I grunted and moved to stand beside him, looking over the valley I’d just crossed in a span of time no mortal could manage.
Cormac studied me for another moment before turning his attention to an eagle crying out in shrill stutters as it swooped low over the lake. “You crossed in daylight?”
I followed the path of the eagle, watching it dip as it spotted prey. Normally, this place calmed me. Not today. “There’s enough moon behind the clouds to replenish what I used.”
My friend exhaled slowly as he leaned against a massive rock. “I was asking why you did it, not how you’d recharge.”
I focused on the yews and oaks covering the hillside as I sorted my thoughts, weeding out what I didn’t want to say. “There was another wraith.”
He drew his features into a frown. “Wily little bastards.”
A gust of wind blew past, and the trees leaned with it. “Five in less than a month.”
For a moment, Cormac seemed willing to let the topic be, but then he glanced sideways at me. “You seem more unsettled than a common wraith should warrant. It’s the number of them then?”
I scrubbed one hand across the back of my neck as irritation simmered beneath my skin. “It was minor. The creature had barely formed before I cut the anchor. Though it was close to the tower house.”
“Minor?” He huffed, studying me with a challenging look. “When was the last time you fought anything on the property?”
I knew where his thoughts were headed. Mine were already there. “Decades ago.”
“Right. Though we can’t forget the Veil opened inside the castle shortly after Selene arrived, even if nothing came through.” He nodded pensively, small movements at first until he gave a final decisive one. “I don’t think you can deny something is at play, Bren.”
Common wraiths did not concern me. Ones appearing at Mystwood did. The chill in the air deepened as his expression intensified. “I’m aware.”
He glanced toward the valley. “Common wraiths aren’t brave. They’re scavengers. They don’t approach places where guardians are active.”
He’d spoken what I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge. Gods be damned.
“Unless they’re being pushed,” he added. “I don’t mean to cause alarm, but what the bloody hell is happening?”
I wished I knew. “Selene was also present this morning.”
“Christ.” Cormac straightened, suddenly far more concerned. “Did she see it?”
I stared out across the dark water below us. “She saw enough.”
Cormac grew quiet before speaking again. “Should you tell Ashcroft of the wraith’s appearance? He’ll want to know if Selene’s in danger.”
I stiffened immediately. “No.”
He raised his brows. “You didn’t even consider my suggestion.”
“I don’t need to. There’s no reason to involve him over a minor breach.”
His sarcastic chuckle rang loud and rich in nature’s quiet. “A breach at Mystwood is not minor.”
“I handled it.”
He scoffed. “For now.”
I held his gaze coolly. “Cillian has enough concerns without adding unnecessary alarm.”
Cormac’s expression shifted subtly. “You’re worried he’ll pull her from the project.”
I said nothing. My silence was answer enough.
He turned to face me but hesitated, and I knew he was deciding whether to press me. “Would he?”
“If he believes the castle is becoming unstable enough to threaten her safety. He’d hide her until she’s more competent in her powers.”
The words left a bitterness I hadn’t anticipated. I’d known the possibility existed. I hadn’t known how much I disliked it until I heard myself say it.
He scratched his beard as he pondered. “If she’s truly a ward witch, hiding her won’t keep her safe.” His gaze remained steady. “If things worsen before the eclipse and she’s not experienced, her ignorance could get her killed. More likely than not.”
My jaw tightened without my permission. I made myself release it as I absorbed the full impact of his words, and the truth of them hit harder than I cared to acknowledge.
The image of her standing on the gravel that morning rose fresh in my mind. I’d come to the edge of the roof the moment I’d sensed the breach and found her searching the trees. She’d been afraid, but she hadn’t run.
That was a problem. One I needed to figure out. “Cillian has plans to train her too, but on his own time schedule.”
Worry darkened his features. “That’s all well and grand. Ashcroft is a precise and methodical person, but he seems to be missing the point. If something is coming at us from both sides of the Veil, it’s not doing it on his schedule. You should consider sending her back to the States.”
“No.” They’d follow her.
He scoffed in response. “If you want her safe, it’s that or help her understand her power. To do otherwise is the most dangerous choice of all.”
We stood in silence for a while, and I appreciated the opportunity to sit with my thoughts. Though it did little to help.
The clouds continued shifting overhead, dimming the light over the valley. Eventually, Cormac spoke again. “Have you considered that the wraiths might continue to increase in numbers? What happens when you end up with several breaches at the same time?”
He had pinpointed another of my fears. “Gods be damned, Cormac. Do you think I haven’t wondered the same?”
“I’m sure you have.” He rubbed his jaw as his expression grew thoughtful. “The pack and I can help contain them, you know? We can hold them at bay until you can address the issues.”
I worked to settle myself, knowing emotion would hinder me. “I appreciate that.”
He angled to face me. “Is there another guardian you could rely on?”
Trust was the biggest problem. “Maybe one.”
Another eagle cried out, and Cormac lifted his gaze as it circled overhead. “The Veil’s held for centuries, and now it feels like a wall with the mortar crumbling out.”
The wind shifted again, carrying colder air down from the mountains. “You know what worries me most? The increase in breaches coinciding with the upcoming eclipse. I don’t like it.”
He had nailed it precisely. “Neither do I.”
Cormac held up a thick finger for each of his concerns. “Five wraiths in a month. Threshold instability. A ward witch appearing after centuries.” He shook his head. “Those aren’t separate events.”
I could no longer pretend recent happenings were random. Turbulent times lay ahead, and the safest thing for Selene should have been distance. From me. The castle. All of it.
Yet every lesson I’d tried to teach her had only drawn us closer.
I’d known that the moment she’d looked at me across the gravel that morning and I’d felt the pull of it, not toward danger, but toward her. The distinction had stopped mattering some time ago, and that was the part I couldn’t afford to examine.
And I had no damn idea what to do about it.