Page 172 of Death of a Mortal

“And you, Brennor? Do you think I needyou?” I could feel his blood pumping under my shadows, and the smell of fear coming off him was delicious and welcoming.

“I’m…sorry,” he ground out through his half-crushed windpipe. But then he did something idiotic. He took a swipe at my face. But flesh couldn’t touch shadow, not unless I wanted it to—his hand just passed right through me. His eyes grew wide, nearly popping out of his head.

I just smiled a wicked smile. “That didn’t seem very sorry to me.”

He tried to grapple with my shadow tendril around his neck but found there was nothing to grapple with. I could feel and touch with my shadow magic while it remained untouchable to others as I wished.

“Put him down, Naci. He’s a dick, but he’s not the enemy.”

I turned to find Drayce walking up the steps to the upper deck. I lifted Brennor higher and hung him over the rail above the sea as I glided toward Drayce, my shadows following like a grotesque train of a black, smoky shadow-made dress.

My shadows wouldn’t hurt him either, but I still felt the anger simmering in my heart.

“Do you want me now, Drayce? Now that you truly see me?” I taunted.

“Always. I want you in any way you’ll give me. But I need you to put him down first.”

“As you wish,” I laughed maniacally as I let go.

The blacksmith screamed all the way until he landed in the water with a great splash. I was vaguely aware of a large bird diving toward the water after him.

Drayce reached a hand toward me, and momentary surprise flickered across his face when he realized that he could actually touch me. I felt his hand connect with my face—simply because I wanted him to touch me, he could.

“You’re doing wonderfully. Can you put some of your shadow magic into this ring?” He held out the dampener ring to me.

“I suppose since you asked so nicely.” I didn’t see why not. I wouldn’t even use the damn thing.

It was so easy to send a tendril snaking into the ring, making the glythyr glow and smoke.

“Thank you. Can I get the real Naci back now? Your shadows are devastatingly beautiful, but I prefer you solid.” He was looking at me in…awe, not fear.

I laughed and told my shadows it was time to go. It wasn’t as easy as it had been to recall the tendrils, but for Drayce, they obeyed and receded into my heart. I dropped back to the deck, and Drayce swiftly pulled me into his arms and held me tight.

“You did perfectly, Naci.”

I opened my eyes to find color rushing into my world as fast as emotions did. I had felt none at all in that form…

“My vey is just…shadow.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about that yet, but the onslaught of emotions had me crying before I could even process what had happened.

He kept his arms around me and said, “Except for your eyes. They glowed white. It was…beautiful. But more importantly, you listened to me.” He dropped his voice to a whisper as I realized nearly the entire crew was watching us now, making my cheeks grow hot. “Something you and your vey form share in common is a desire to obey me.”

I pushed away from him with an embarrassed smile as he wrapped me in his coat—my flames had burned my clothes off. There were too many deeper things to care about right now than my nakedness.

This male thought I was beautiful even as a shadow with eerie glowing eyes and a demonic voice.

Shadows and glowing eyes that reminded me of the shadow stag, the demon deer, from the banshee’s trial. Had it been made of the same magic that I possessed?

I shivered when I remembered the moments of insurmountable pain when its shadows wrapped around me. I hoped mine weren’t capable of causing such immense agony.

Or maybe I hoped they could when I thought of Caedryn.

“We’ll, uh, leave you two alone…” Bramick said, shepherding everyone off the top deck.

As I heard the blacksmith’s distant yell of fury, I assumed Aerie had scooped him out of the water. I found that, even back in my fae form, I still didn’t feel bad for what I’d done to him.

“Sevrin, I didn’t hurt you, did I?” I asked as he passed.

“I am fine, thank you. You did well. Maybe after a night or two of rest, we will test your dampener. It may be the only way to control the shadows when not in your vey form.”