In Her Shadow (ACOTAR)

Chapter Seven: Floating

Floating it felt like. She was floating in a cloud of warmth and safety and she didn't know where she ended and the comfort surrounding her began. But it was bliss. The kind of bliss she never wanted to leave again.

Keir was right. The real Golden Thorn is indeed in the human lands and has been for quite some time, even before the attack, the beautiful soothing voice was in her head, or was he next to her, she couldn't tell.

That makes no sense, another voice was there too, Azriel. She clung to that voice desperately, it had been the only thing she could rely on since she had been here. The images in Mor's head... that night. It was her... their face.

Memories can be altered Azriel, you know that.

Was this a dream? She flexed her fingers, feeling that the iron cuffs were gone and had been replaced with bandages. Letting out a sigh she tried to reach down to the place her magic slumbered but found it asleep, completely exhausted and blocked off to her. She wasn't surprised. Her magic could be a fickle and unpredictable beast so she pulled back and let it rest.

I'm an idiot, it sounded like Azriel was pacing at the foot of her bed, but she was distracted by a sudden sharp pain in her thigh and flinched.

The two men fell silent, or took their voices out of her head, she wasn't sure at this point and someone placed a cold cloth on her head, pushing her hair out of her face. The pain faded away at the soft touch.

You are not an idiot Azriel.

How could Keir know these things before me? I was so sure...

The beautiful voice sighed, I don't know. It's clear my steward has once again become too comfortable in his hovel but if he hadn't told us, she'd be dead and we'd be even further from finding out the truth. His men are dealt with and I'll deal with him, in time.

Why didn't she tell me?

We all would go to extreme lengths to protect the ones we love, that lovely voice penetrated her thoughts again and she felt her mind shutting down, taking her to the place where she could find peace. She was just doing what she had to.

~

Isolde jolted awake, sitting up with more energy than she had been able to muster in days. For a moment she forgot where she was, forgot all that had happened and looked around the room she was in, jumping at the view before her.

Beyond the lush four poster bed she lay in was a large room looking over beautiful snow capped mountains and scenery. There was no glass at the windows, only gossamer curtains seeming to float in a breeze that didn't reach her. She looked around for a fire, this room was so warm but found no source of heat, only a few candles scattered around the room.

It was... it was the most beautiful room she had ever been in and her breath caught in her throat. Had it happened? Had she died and moved onto the afterlife?

She swung her legs over the bed and winced, looking down to see her thigh had been wrapped in a bandage. Rolling her eyes and standing she attempted weight on her leg and found she could limp a little. Of course this wasn't the afterlife. She would only be so lucky to be dead right now.

Taking a few steps, Isolde stumbled forward until she was at a door which she pushed open to see it led into a bathing room with a lavatory and a bath seeming to hang off the mountain itself.

She closed the door and looked around the room again, seeing a dressing table with a huge mirror atop it. Peering into the glass she jumped at her appearance. Her blonde hair had been brushed and pulled back into a loose braid, there was a nasty bruise on her cheek and one of her eyes looked like it was recovering from being swollen and black. She was wearing a chiffon nightgown, the material light and flowy, not dissimilar to the curtains that bordered this room. They had long sleeves gathered at the wrist and a drawstring just above her breasts tied up to afford her some modesty. She could see a thin line on her chest, a scar and vaguely remembered a man running his knife there, the white hot pain lingering in her mind.