A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire #1)(75)

“Yes, but you never told me who exactly was so curious.”

He huffed. “I’m attempting to protect you.”

“Because I’m a fragile lady?”

“Because you’re going to be a sorcerer!” he yelled. “I can’t believe you’d come here alone, after what happened with Cellini.” He had a point. “And visiting a magician is dangerous to your reputation. Magicians cannot be trusted.”

“Why not?” The urge to hit him increased tenfold.

“What do you mean, why not? No good can come from associating with—”

“Where’s Rook?” I’d turned around to speak to him, but he was gone.

“He’s fine.” There was a wild, haunted look in Blackwood’s eyes. He froze, and stared with such intensity at the brick wall behind me that I wondered if he could see through it.



“What is it?” I touched his arm. “Are you well?”

“Something’s wrong. Please stay here.” He turned and, without another word, pushed through the crowd. Mystified, I called his name as I ran after him. We returned to the alley just outside Hargrove’s. That was when I saw them.

Rook was locked in a struggle with two men dressed all in black. One of them had an arm around Rook’s throat. He kicked out at the other attacker, striking him hard in the chest.

In an instant, I’d readied a blade. Blackwood followed my example, and together we ran toward the fight. Rook’s face twisted in terror.

“Nettie!” he cried. At first I thought it was a call for help, but he put up his hand, a gesture intended to stop me. “No!”

The darkness rushed in from the walls and the crevices. Rook and the two men disappeared behind a veil of shadow. Blackwood and I stood helpless before the void. I could see nothing, but I heard the men’s terrified cries.

“What the devil?” Blackwood breathed. I panicked. He couldn’t know about Rook’s powers, not yet. Hating myself, I collected my ward’s invisible force and threw it at Blackwood. A great blast of energy knocked him against a wall, and he slid to the ground. Checking quickly, I found him unconscious but breathing. I prayed I hadn’t truly hurt him, then ran toward the attackers.

The covering of darkness pulsed before me. Inside, the men’s voices began to fade. I reached out a hand to pierce the shadow but drew back in fear. Something was different and awful about this blackness.



“Let them go!” I cried. “Can you hear me? Rook!” I flung a layer of fire over the writhing mass. The shadow patch dissolved, revealing the three men lying on the ground. None of them moved. Rook was curled on his side.

“Rook, are you all right?” Terrified, I knelt next to him.

Rook lunged at me. His eyes gleamed black. There was nothing human in that look. He gripped my arms and threw me to the ground. My head struck the earth, and I grasped for Porridge. If Rook attacked again, he’d face a spell.

But the attack didn’t come. I waited in fearful silence until I heard him whisper, “Nettie, what did I do?” Slowly, I got up and crawled around to face him. His eyes were their normal blue. His expression was one of horror. “Did I touch you?”

The men on the ground drew my attention. One of them sobbed and shivered, as though he were cold. The other lay flat on his back, staring blankly at the sky above.

“Get up,” I said, trying to sound commanding. The crying fellow hastened to his feet, pointing at me in terror.

“Stay away!” he yelled, and helped his companion stand. The quiet man moved as he was bid but didn’t seem terribly aware of his surroundings.

“What were you doing?” I held up my blade, though I wasn’t so forceful. We were all too terrified for shows of bravado.

“Stay away!” the man cried again, and the two ran down the alley. Rook pulled me to the ground as I tried to go after them.



“Don’t. It’s what they want,” Rook gasped, holding me back.

“But they attacked you.”

“Wasn’t me they were after. They grabbed me when they couldn’t snatch their true mark. Anyone could see that.”

“What?” And then I realized that Rook had been walking with me. Cellini himself had said others would attack. “Oh God.”

“I don’t think they’ll be back.” Rook rubbed his eyes. “I scared them off.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“No.” He shuddered. “I hurt you. How could I have done that?”

“You didn’t know it was me.”

“Exactly. We couldn’t tell you from the others.”

Now I was truly afraid. “We?”

“The voice in the dark whispered…” He stopped. Horrified, he looked at the scars along his left arm. “I’m a freak.”

“We have to speak with Fenswick about this.”

“No. I don’t want anyone else to know,” Rook grunted. He pulled away and went to Blackwood, who was beginning to awaken. We couldn’t argue now, so I bit my tongue and joined them. Rook helped the sorcerer sit up. Groaning, Blackwood rubbed the back of his head.

“What on earth happened?”

“I tried throwing force at the men but lost control and hit you instead. I’m so sorry.” My apology was sincere, which lent credibility to my lie. “They got away.”