The Light to His Shadows

Chapter 6

I woke up to Leina shaking me.

"What is it baby?" I muttered.

"The High Lord and Lady want to talk to us," she told me, and I sat up abruptly, hissing in pain at the movement.

"What is it Dawn?" She asked, concern in her eyes.

"Nothing, I must have just slept awkwardly," I replied, I wasn't going to tell her about the strange power I possessed.

I held my sister's hand tightly as she dragged me out of the room we were in and down the stairs, my whole body ached as we walked but I didn't let her see the pain I was in.

She stopped in a doorway, the whole of the High Lord's inner circle was in there, staring at us. I tucked Leina close to my side as I took them all in.

The High Lady smiled at us and gestured to an empty sofa. I sat and Leina sat next to me, tucking her head against my shoulder.

She seemed at ease while I was tense and ready to protect my sister at all costs. Their eyes pressed in, and I felt like I was back in the Illyrian mountains, I held Leina's hand tightly as I looked at each of them.

"How are you both feeling?" The High Lady asked us.

"Good thank you," Leina replied immediately.

"Dawn?" The High Lady asked, and I realised I had been staring at my sister.

"I'm ok thanks," I whispered.

I caught Morrigan frowning at me, and I quickly looked away.

"Dawn, we need to have a chat about the other night," the High Lord told me and Leina looked up at me in confusion.

"Tell you later," I told her softly and she slightly nodded her head.

"Leina, why don't you go with Mor, I'm sure she could find some form of chocolate somewhere," the High Lady suggested.

She looked up at me, silently asking permission, I nodded at her, and she got up.

"Don't cause any trouble," I told her and Mor grinned, offering Leina her hand.

They walked out the I deflated a little, letting the front I had put up for my sister fall.

"You're still in pain, aren't you?" The High Lady asked, I just nodded a little.

"We want to help you but none of us know what happened in the alley," the High Lord told me.

"You want to go into my head, don't you?" I asked, my voice was surprisingly dead.

"If that is ok," he told me, smiling slightly.

"No" I whispered, he couldn't see what happened to me, I couldn't have him, or anyone else knowing.

"What did Leina mean when she said your father let the males in the Illyrian mountains hurt you?" Azriel asked, everyone eyes snapped to him before looking back at me.

Pure anger consumed me, why did they think they were allowed that information?

A popping sound filled the room and the lights from the candles went out, the flame was still flickering but its light shot for me. Orbs of light swirled around my body, and I looked around, terrified, this couldn't be me, surely.

I sank to my knees, curling in on myself, this couldn't be me, this wasn't me, I wasn't doing this, this was some stupid prank.

'Dawn,' The High Lord's voice said into my mind.

No, he couldn't be here, he couldn't see my past.

'Breathe Dawn, I'm not going to look at anything, but you need to control this power before it destroys either you or us.' He continued.

'I can't, I can't, I grow plants, I help people,' my voice was shaking even in my head.

'Listen to me Dawn, if you follow my instructions, you can control this, if I think you are going to hurt either yourself or my family, I will knock you out to stop that from happening, is that ok?' His voice was calm and soothing.

'Ok, yes, I'm listening.' I told him.

'What does your power feel like?' He asked.

'I- I don't know, when I'm growing plants, it feels like warmth and love but this, this feel like anger personified to the point where it burns,' I replied, knowing that made no sense.

'Are you burning?' He asked.

'I don't think so,' I replied, I had learnt a long time ago to stop feeling my body, it became a defence.

'Easy, breathe,' his voice said, and I noticed his worry.

My mind shot back to that first time something happened.

***

"You think you are so much better than us because of your ears," the male hissed at me.

"I don't I promise I don't," I sobbed, holding my side where he had hit me already.

"You don't need to lie to me, I know the truth," he told me, stalking over.

"I'm not lying, I swear," I whispered, his body towered over mine.

"You know, there are certain traditions that need to be followed, but because you are a half breed," he sneered at the term, "We can't clip you, but I know what the fae cherish in their daughters." He lifted my small body up, setting me on a crate.

"Please just leave me alone," I whispered.

"Nice try princess," He sneered as he forced my legs open, I struggled and kicked but he was a trained warrior, I couldn't beat him.

He covered my mouth with his hand as he shoved himself in, it hurt so badly but I could do nothing as he drew out his own pleasure.

He was just about to finish when my father walked in, I thought he would help me, but he just sneered.

"When you're done with her mark her permanently," he told the male before walking out again.

I sobbed even harder, why was this happening to me.

The male drew out of me covered in my blood, he then flipped me onto my front and drew a dagger down my back

***

'Dawn!' The High Lord yelled into my mind, crap, he totally just saw that.

I was sobbing, my body burnt in every place that male had laid his hands on me, I just wanted this to all end.

'I'm sorry,' his voice said and before I could realise what he meant he stole my consciousness.