A Court of Watchful Shadows

Agony

Weeks, it had been weeks I'd spent down here. Day after day wallowing in my own misery. Empty bottles of faerie wine I'd stolen from nearby villages littering the floor.

My world was surrounded by shadow and spinning, I felt I had no control over the spinning as it got faster and faster and I'm dragged along, unable to stop it.

I knew it was bad...the drinking. But my situation was bad enough to condone it so what other choice did I have than to turn to wine for some comfort in this hopeless situation. At least faerie wine doesn't view me as a monster.

'Monster.' He hadn't spoken the word, he'd gone to say it but didn't finish. I could see it written all over his devastatingly good looking face though. Perhaps that's what I was, I didn't know where my powers had come from, my parents didn't either and neither could help me understand them enough to properly control them. I had tried to over the last 500 years of my existence and still had no understanding. I can feel them within me, the darkness. The way they'd whispered down here not long ago after I'd seen that man covered in shadow. "One of us." They'd said.

The darkness I'd tried to ignore for years for Lucien's sake, tried to portray myself as a thing of love and light. Dimmed myself for his love, acting all sweetness and flowers his type of girl... maybe I was too much for him.

~~

I hadn't had time during my sharp exit to bring any clothes with me so I'd had to raid some of the old chambers of Amarantha's court. Everything had been left here and Amarantha tended to like to be the only one wearing any splash of colour so I wore only black these days. A fitting colour.

Although I spent my days lounging around in one of the chambers or drinking on Amarantha's old throne. I hadn't taken her bedroom, I was feeling mean these days yes, but even that was too much trauma for me to bear.

I'd properly explored it these past weeks, finding different underground passageways Amarantha's cronies like the Attor had used. Some i previously used...to keep her away from everyone I loved dearly which hadn't worked either way. And after what Lucien had said to me I felt as though I could never love again.

I'd also explored Amarantha's bedroom, no one was allowed in aside from her whore Rhysand. I remembered often seeing him come out, I once swore I saw that dangerous high lord demeanour faltering for a split second... no I'd seen him kill many people that tried to escape, saw him kill the previous high lord of summer, he was cruel. Just as all the night court dwellers were. That's what Amarantha had fashioned under the mountain on after all - the night court. I'm sure it had felt very homely for them under here.

I looked at the desk, now running very low on supplies. I'd need to do another supplies run when nightfall hits, I internally groan at the thought of having to leave my comfortable cave of misery. Perhaps I should just not eat altogether, join the countless others who lost their lives down here.

No, that would be wrong, even for me, considering it wouldn't be at the hands of Amarantha - a coward's death.

I dressed, picked up my pack, emptying out any contents I didn't need to ensure I could fit as much in there as possible to postpone the next run for supplies and make for the exit, my shadows trailing behind me, blending in with the clothing I'd picked for myself.

The moment I made my way out of the chambers I heard voices. I spook slightly, casting myself to the shadows - this was clearly my immediate reaction to any danger. I had never encountered anyone down here aside from those Illyrian warriors. It had to be them! I began wondering why those Illyrian warriors are back again after all that time. And if the shadows would whisper again this time...

I swiftly flow over to the main entrance where the voices were, it sounded like much more than two Illyrian warriors though, perhaps they'd brought an army? Planned to claim the land to extend the cruel night court?

But it wasn't the Illyrians gathered at the entrance.