A Court of Watchful Shadows

All gloomy roads lead to under the mountain

"All gloomy roads lead to under the mountain." That's what the fae used to say when Amarantha ruled from beneath there.

I thought about that as I made my way down a road that could not be described as anything other than "gloomy."

The path was muddy, the trees surrounding it leafless, even the atmosphere was foggy so I was only able to see what was five steps ahead of me. This made it a shock as I abruptly came to the mouth of the cave- under the mountain.

It had been 4 months since the encounter at the spring court, since Ziven sold me out to my father and he'd had the doe killed. I often left the house under the guise of going into the woods for a walk but instead coming here, under the mountain, where I could be myself. I'd spent most days in here for around fifty years during Amarantha, you'd think I'd want to avoid this dark place, the traumatic memories. But, no. I feel as though the darkness within me is growing day by day, and here I am free to unleash it without judgement, or fear.

I'll never forget the fear on Lucien's face as I burst into shadow that night with Ianthe. I often worry that he knows it was me and not the high lord of the night court as is now being accused by Tamlin ever since Feyre cursebreaker was stolen away on her wedding day 2 months ago. The news spread around the courts like wildfire, Rhysand coming to collect his end of the bargain that they'd made here, under the mountain.

I'd planned to plot how I was to go around my plan to get Ziven out of my father's good graces. Without Ziven ruining things for me all the time my father mostly kept out of my business as I did his, and it was only a matter of time before my father would hand over the weaponry to Ziven. Another two hundred years or so, and with a weaponry in his arsenal and his own sway in the manor where I would lose the little respect I cling to...who knows what he'd do. I shudder at the thought as I make my way down, down the cave.

I find myself in my usual spot in the main throne room, smiling to myself at the completion of my plan. I'd heard Ziven plotting through some kind of green mirror in his second office under the manor last month.

I had listened to him speak to some man referring to him as "my lord" who on earth was he calling his lord.

The man he had been speaking with at the time sounded nothing like any of the high lords, and I'd met every single one of them, even heard the new high lord of summer court speaking when I went to see how he was doing months back.

Ziven was sloppy with this meeting, the door was wide open and I heard the majority of his plans to overthrow my father, I'd made a mental note of them and the entire scene that had been laid out before me and I was ready to tell my father through showing Lythe, his daemati.

I was rapidly pulled from my revenge fantasy as I heard voices and footsteps approaching nearby. I immediately turn to shadow and shoot up for one of the upper corners of the hall, watching, waiting.

"I just don't understand why he won't just tell her they're mates Az" the man spoke, I could vaguely see he had shoulder length long hair and it fashioned half up in a manbun. And- wings?

"It's his business Cassian, he'd want to kill you if you got involved." The other spoke, his hair was darker, slightly shorter and he had the same bat looking wings as the other but was surrounded by shadows....like mine.

I'd seen men like this before, Illyrian warriors, read about them too. Illyrians went through hardcore training at oppressive camps in order to become the best warriors they could be. They were stationed in the night court and had a jewel on their armour called a siphon, to suppress their power. More powerful Illyrians had two siphons.

I swiftly moved across the roof to get a closer look at them. See if they had one or two siphons. I caught a glance of one, two, three....seven?! They had several siphons each!

I was almost lightheaded at the sight of the several siphons, trying to catch myself before I freaked out and my shadows gave me away, when those same shadows for the first time in 500 years whispered.

One of us.

Surely I'd imagined that...no?

The one surrounded in shadows stopped suddenly, his body tensing up as though he'd heard what I'd heard.

"Cassian did you feel that?" He asked his companion. Could he sense me? Surely not, he didn't know the sensation to look out for. No one did aside from Lucien and even he sometimes couldn't tell.

"Feel what? Your loving gaze as you watch my hips move up the stairs in such a sexy way?" The other one replied wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh shut it, I was trying to be serious" shadow bat boy reprimands him.

"Well I didn't feel a thing, come on or you know Mor will be mad if we're back any later than we said we would be." He strides for the way out.

The shadow one lingers for a minute, then shakes his head and makes for the exit.

I released a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding.

What business did two Illyrians have outside of the night court, especially under the mountain now that Amarantha is long gone and all that's left is the overgrown rubble she left behind.

I had an especially strange feeling about the one surrounded by shadow, shadows that looked like mine. I tried not to dwell on the thought for long. Revenge on Ziven being the main thing on my mind. As I left to make my way back to the winter court, to carry out my plan.