The Shadow's Star

Chapter 16

"The king wants to see you. Both of you" Spike informed us.

"Go ahead. I need to speak with Aurora first" Azra stood, running a hand through his dishevelled hair. Spike left the room but not before giving Azra a knowing look and throwing me a weary one like he didn't trust to leave his precious prince with me.

I sighed long and loudly "What could you possibly need to speak to me about?" Azra ignored me and crossed the room to a wardrobe. He opened it and pulled out... my mothers dress. The one I was wearing in the cave when we...I pushed away all thoughts of my previous encounters with Azra for the male who stood before me was nothing but a stranger. He laid the dress down on the bed and stepped to the side.

"You should change." He said. His face, free from any emotion. I stepped in front of my mothers dress, the only familiar thing to me in this whole realm. The only piece of home I had. I ran my fingers over the silky fabric the zip on the back had been repaired from when Azra had ripped it off me. I had the sudden urge to question him, to find out how and why and when his plan to kidnap me was in motion.

"When?" I asked still looking down at the dress, not really wanting to hear the answer.

I turned to him when he didn't answer "when did you know your father wanted you to kidnap me?" I asked.

"Since the day we first met." He tucked his hands into his pockets. I raised my eyebrows at his seemingly honest reply.

"You— you've known since your masked party? You knew I would be there?" Anger simmered inside me. There is no way he would know that, not unless—

"Yes. I arranged for you to be there." He said.

"Who?!" I stepped back reframing from summoning a ball of light and throwing it at his face. Then it clicked. "Nash?" My friends name came out like a whisper, another betrayal that felt like a punch to the face. Nash was the only one of my friends with connections to high born fae. Nash was the one who got the invitations to the party. Nash is the one who has been so torn up about taking us to that party, about losing Zia. He sat scowling at Azra at the sun festival. I should have suspected there was more to that than just two males disliking each other. Azra nodded.

"So what...your whole plan was to use my friend to get me all so you could kidnap me for some stupid plan that will likely get everyone killed" I let out an annoyed breath saying what I already knew aloud made it all so real.

"I didn't plan for things to go the way they did." He started but I held up my hand

"Save it. I don't want to hear another word you have to say." I snatched up my mothers dress, clutching it to my chest as I stormed off and locked myself in the bathroom. Once I changed and calmed my thoughts, I attempted to fix my hair pinning it in a simple updo. I missed Yetta so much, I didn't care if she was mad at me I just wanted to see her face again. I strolled back into the bedroom, Azra was sitting on the end of the bed. He stood, folded his arms and looked me up and down. His mouth twitched showing a hint of a smile and I rolled my eyes heading straight for the door. I opened it to find two guards standing outside wide-eyed probably half expecting me to bolt. I turned and headed down a dimly lit hallway.

"Wrong way princess" I spun and Azra's familiar smirk had returned. I squinted my eyes at him, held my chin high and marched past him. I heard him let out a low laugh before he fell into step beside me.

"Aurora, I need you to behave yourself in front of the King" he spoke quietly like he didn't want anyone to hear.

"I don't care what you want" I stopped short when Azra grabbed my shoulder turning me to face him.

"I'm serious" all trace of that smirk is now gone.

"Why should I? You've kidnapped me and treated me like I'm nothing more than a street rat. You almost killed me" I saw Azra flinch at that last part and I drew my head back surprised.