A Court of Secrets and Shadows

Chapter Seventeen

Nyx was further in her own head than she usually was during this time. Then again this day never quite gets easier.

She headed into the forest that surrounded Velaris. The large trees looming over her head, her pure white dress swishing gently around her ankles her feet bare, the birds that hadn't stopped greeting her since she entered. Everything was too much to pay attention too but her years of training never left her even if she wanted it to.

After a while of walking she came to the place that made her venture into the woods.

A large tree that sat on the bank of a small river that cut through the forest. Nyx took a seat on one of the trees roots. Running her hands over the moss that grew around her. She relaxed and leaned back closing her eyes.

For a moment Nyx lingered in the darkness, even after all these years the dark was the only thing that could truly sooth her nerves. She was one with it, a beast that was more comfortable in the shadows than the light.

Her shadows wrapped around the clearing, drowning her senses in blackness, and away from any prying eyes. She knew no one followed her, even her twin knew to leave her be during this day but she could only do this if she was certain she had no watchers. After all if another Fae saw what she was about to do her head would be on a spike.

Reopening her eyes her hazel eyes already adjusted to the darkness surrounding her. She took the bag off of her shoulder and took out the items she would need. Water from the highest point on earth, Mt Eleve, a dagger made of ash wood and soaked in the blood of a lamb, 5 black crystals and 5 white candles. She lastly pulled Rheas ring from her own finger where it stayed linked with her own.

Nyx gripped the knife tightly and started to get to work. She could do it from memory now, drawing a large circle in the dirt beneath her feet and continuing to draw the correct symbols in the middle of it.

Once the pentagram was done properly she placed the crystals inside at the center of each point. The crystals are what she'll run her power through. Next she placed the bowl of water in the center of the star. It had to be the purest of its kind, the place she got it from was a dark cave at the top of a mountain. Outside the cave was frozen but inside it had a small pond that housed the best water Nyx had drank in her life. Then came the candles, around the circle at each of the points, each had its own runes carved into the side. She lit each one starting from the right point then going to the bottom right then up to the left then to the bottom left one and finally the candle at the top point.

She sat back on her heels and shivered as she picked back up Rheas ring and dropped in the water. Next was the knife she had placed next to her and sliced open her hand quickly. She let her blood drop into the crystal clear water and it stain the water red. She cleared her throat and started to chant.

Exite de somno surgere

Riser tuos visitabis

Te uita non

Exite resurgere

Egredimini de somno surgere

Lucem riser et deliciis affluentes in conviviis vestris et salutabitis vitae

Non te vita.

She repeated the chant twice placing her hands on the forest floor and focused all of her power into the ground. The flames of the candles grew quickly and the stones surged with a dark light. In the bowl, Rheas ring shined through the red muddy water making small waves in the bowl. Nyx closed her eyes once more and shouted