A Court Of Shadow and Blood

☆ Mind Play ☆

Eblis, already awake and dressed in her armor of midnight black, sent shadows over where Feyre blinked into waking, hiding her and the bed from view. At once, her room was empty. Her felines of darkness purred along her feet instantly as she opened the door.

Reneau eyed her before stepping inside her room, uninvited. Eblis nearly growled at him before realizing he, too, wore his armor instead of his typical courtier’s graceful doublet and pants. He even had his pearl-white cape draped over a shoulder, his long brown hair braided tightly. The male swept a fatal gray gaze over her room before finally turning to her.

She did not hide her annoyance as she gave him a scathing glare. “Yes, Reneau?”

The Queen’s Loyal Guard daemati gave her a disarming smile that did not reach his eyes. He would be a stunning male if his duty had not wringed the life out of his immortal gaze. 

“Apologies for the interruption. I considered it...pertinent to warn you as soon as possible.”

She sat in the lone seat of her room—her desk chair—without offering him a place to sit, one of her felines jumping into her lap and curling there, it’s tail flicking to and fro gracefully. Reneau barely even hid the way his eyes tightened with distaste at her shadows. “What did you wish to warn me of?”

He straightened, his cape swirling as a cat walked through it. “Would you get rid of your hounds,” the male growled, and the shadowed pet at his feet hissed.

“They’re felines, Ren. They do as they please.”

“Don’t call me that. It’s either Loyal Guard or Reneau to the likes of you.”

Eblis gave him a lethally flat gaze. 

His gave her an equally flat and dangerous glance, but after a moment he finally said, “I felt a presence late last night lurking around the castle. If I had not needed to stay by the Queen’s side, then I would’ve chased and killed it.”

“What would you have me do, Loyal Guard?” She already knew who he spoke of. Feyre, it seemed, had not been careful enough. 

“Fetch it.”

Her eyes narrowed, but she did not rise from her seat. She had no need to.

Anger had her shadows curling and twisting around her like whips, and she did not hesitate to let some of her night show through. The felines that had been languorously walking around tripled in size until they rose to the male’s waist. With a touch of her night magic, they became corporeal beasts with claws that clacked across stone and rug, and eyeless pits that scrunched with echoing hisses. 

Reneau straightened, but did not move.

“I do not do your bidding. I’ve earned my rank out of more than just my looks, Loyal Guard, and having a special ability.” She was aware of Feyre watching with bated breath, was aware that the female was the culprit of Reneau’s search. Her shadows twisted and tangled. “I killed for it.”

He stared down at her. “So it’s true? You killed your entire crew to please the King?” 

She embraced the cold. Stared it in the eye. Fed it a treat.

“Believe what you want,” she growled. And suddenly, like a candle snuffed out, she retracted all of her shadows and magic and offered him only a predatory stare. “I’ll keep an eye out for the intruder. You best be leaving.” 

Reneau, just as old as her—perhaps older, even—had the good grace to appear undisturbed by her display of arrogance and strength as he did as she said without saying anything. The door clicked shut behind him, and Eblis pinched the bridge of her nose.