In Her Shadow (ACOTAR)

Chapter Three: Mind Games

Darkness surrounded her, like smoke and she wasn't sure what made her more exhausted, her entire body shaking from the fear or the lack of food and water. She'd soiled herself more times than she could count but thankfully there seemed to be nothing left in her body to expel. Her skin was slick with sweat and her lips were chapped. But nothing else mattered to her except for the dark. She had always been afraid of the dark ever since she was a little girl and her brothers would lock her in their dungeons for hours on end as punishment for any number of things. By now she'd hoped she would have become used to it, but the darkness stifled her magic, fear made her weak and here in the black air all she had was her own thoughts and the pain coursing through her body. All she had were memories, moments from long ago that she wished she could bury.

"Get up," Lansell said, the tip of his sword under her chin. "Are you my sister or are you a coward?"

She tried to push herself up onto her arms but what she was sure was the pain of a broken rib shot through her and she cried out. He kicked her in the side.

"Stop it," she sobbed.

"Do you think you'll be able to collapse and cry in the middle of a fight?"

The King chuckled from where he sat watching them, "Now now Captain, let the girl catch her breath at least. We don't want her completely broken and useless, do we?"

Lansell paused and bowed his head, "No your majesty,"

The Golden Thorn finally staggered to her feet and held her sword out in front of her.

"Have at it then brother,"

Lansell had been the kindest of her three brothers, which wasn't saying much as they were all cold-hearted brutes. Andromedus and Kaine were heartless and unfeeling where Lansell at least took responsibility for her training and didn't just delight in her torment. It was made all the worse when the king encouraged the two of them and insisted on watching. She always came out of those sessions even more battered and bruised, the boys desperate to show off for the king. At least on those nights the king didn't... she shook her head. There was no need to let her mind go there, not when she was already frozen in complete and utter fear.

She squinted. There must be some kind of spell on this dungeon, because not even her fae sight allowed her to look around. She smiled bitterly. Her brothers would simply blindfold her to get around the fact she could still see in the dark.

Andromedus laughed again, holding what smelled like chicken stew under her nose, but just out of her reach.

"Oh, sweet sister, I only feed cadets I'm proud of. You? You're a mistake and a burden on our family,"

She pulled at the ropes binding her hands behind her back, forcing her fingers apart so she couldn't access her powers. They had been doing this to her more and more lately, since their sister had been away and not there to protect her from them.

A whimper escaped her mouth, drool from the gag dropping down her chin.

"Don't worry darling, we'll only keep you here until the king calls for you again," Kaine patted her cheek lightly and stood, leaving her there in the pitch black, screaming and crying for them to show her mercy and let her out.

~

She jolted awake, quickly becoming aware of the light in the room and the wetness on her cheeks. The next thing she noticed was the hulking figure of the shadowsinger opposite her.

"You were having a bad dream," he said.

"That happens sometimes,"

"What were you dreaming of?"