Edge of Darkness ~ A Darkness & Light Novel Book Three Read Free

this?"
    "Why is it I am suddenly being made to feel as though this is an interrogation?"
    "Nonsense. You're over-reacting, my boy," Thadeus said. "Some bit of magic has remained and needs to be removed. Or would you prefer to allow it to gain more influence over you than it already has?"
    Bolin's chin lifted. "Nothing has gained influence over me."
    "No?" The old mage's eyebrows rose. "Tell me you do not feel the city wards humming. That does not happen without reason. I daresay, with some degree of certainty, it has never happened because of you."
    Bolin's objection died on his lips because, when he actually paid attention to Nisair's wards, he found Thadeus to be correct. They were definitely on alert. They whispered through him, humming along his nerves. Bolin softened his focus and traced their path. They paid no heed to the Greensward's power, passing over it without so much as a quiver. That elusive, darker bit of power Bolin could never seem to pin-point, however, caused them to waver uncertainly, and they chased after it like questing hounds after a stag.
    Still…Bolin shook his head. "I don't have time for this. If it remains an issue, we can address it when I return from the Greensward."
    "We need to address it now," Thadeus said, a hardness to his tone that suggested no argument would sway him. "Danya Nialyne believed the woman with Donovan to be a Dominion priestess. She told me you were injured in your first meeting with the woman, and that a portion of what I sense came through that injury. The other came from your actions at the inn. Ciara did wonders in saving your life, but she did not know enough to do anything more than gather the bits of your essence and put them back together. That allowed this other power to remain intertwined. She did not draw it out. At the time, you were far too weak for me to make the attempt. Perhaps I should have. In any case, I request to do so now, before you leave Nisair."
    "You have so little faith in my ability to deal with it?"
    "In this instance, it is your judgment I call into question. I have absolutely no doubt as to what you are capable of. None whatsoever. Which is why I must insist."
    Thadeus looked expectantly at Bolin when he made no move to comply. There had been a time when the mage could have forced the issue, and Bolin would have had little choice but to submit. Nialyne had given the entirety of her magic to Bolin on her death, however, which meant he now carried substantial power of his own. It was a very unusual circumstance.
    Just as unusual as it was for Bolin to hold magic for any extended length of time without altering it in some manner. The power of the Greensward was an exception to that rule. It lay nestled like a glowing gem Bolin refused to touch. Doing so brought far too many sharp-edged memories with it.
    The witch's magic had become another exception. The fact it hadn't diminished one bit with the witch's death bothered Bolin to a much lesser degree than its elusive nature. Thadeus's desire to isolate and remove it made perfect sense. Bolin should have agreed wholeheartedly.
    "I'm sorry, Thadeus, but no," he said, raising a finger to quell the mage's imminent rejoinder. "Hear me out. Donovan claimed to have bound this witch to him, and so her magic as well. If it lingers in me, it certainly must remain in him, if he still lives. That means I can use it to track him when I return, just as I have before. Regardless of whether you view him as a threat or not, he has committed high treason against the empire and must be brought to justice. It is my duty to see that happens."
    "At what cost to yourself?" Thadeus's demeanor softened, and he gusted out a resigned sigh. "As long as I have known you, you have thrown yourself into the jaws of our enemies."
    "And have I ever not emerged?"
    "No. But you have rarely done so unscathed. I fear for you, Bolin. I fear for the rest of us should you fall."
    "That won't happen," he said, and hoped Thadeus didn't hear