The Angel and Her Darkness

Chapter 2

Amren

For the fifth night in a row she woke up in cold sweat and panting, plagued by flashes of battles of old ages. Tonight that had only been half of it though. A weird warm feeling spread through her chest and again she felt the pressure in the back of her mind.

It was a few months ago that she noticed it for the first time, a pressure reminding her of how it felt to keep her true form contained in her fae body. She knew it was an idle hope to think there might still be some remnants of her old power buried somewhere deep within her. But then again at her last appointment with Bryaxis, she had made a weird comment.

Usually Bryaxis went within her mind without any issues but on their last meeting, trying to access the memory of a battle at a fortress in a sea that she dreamed of the night before, Bryaxis had recoiled and later told her it felt as if she had been burned by a bright white flame and no matter how often they tried, something seemed to block Bryaxis entry deeper into her head.

Tonight though there had not been flashes of battles long past as she was used to from her night terrors, no tonight she had seen herself in her old form hovering in the air, surrounded by complete darkness. Not the darkness of the kind that Rhysand could conjure, no absolute darkness, like a void.

And a voice ancient and deep gliding through the darkness and over her smooth like silk and yet sharp as a blade:

In Darkness lays Light, in Dread lays Hope, in Fear lays Strength, in Death lays Life

She didn't know what to think. The words felt familiar somehow as if she already heard them once, a long time ago. The voice on the other hand she didn't know but it woke something within her, some primal part of her wanting to run, but also wanting to get close, feeling the danger but also curious.

She sat up and got out of bed, putting on a kettle for tea. It was a weird thing for her in the months after the war against Hybern, getting used to eating and drinking. Usually she has always only needed blood and that also only in low amounts. Now she had to eat three times per day, drink a lot of water or tea, it was frankly annoying her to no end. Wasting time on such mundane things as cooking or eating.

As she poured herself a cup of tea a knock sounded through her apartment. She froze, she knew that sound, a single knock, strong but not violent. So she went to the door to open it to a Nightmare.

“Amren”, Bryaxis raspy voice came.

“Bryaxis”, she responded, stepping to the side and opening the door wider so Bryaxis could come through.

“You usually don't leave the library, let alone the house”, Amren said, tilting her head slightly to the left, looking up at the taller female, trying to figure out what brought her to her home.

“I've got news”, Bryaxis said.

“I had assumed so”, Amren responded, moving further into the apartment with Bryaxis following behind her.

“Pack your bags we are leaving for a while”, Bryaxis said softly. Amren’s eyebrows rose up.

“And prey tell, where are we going so suddenly”, she asked.

“Bryce and Hunt came through earlier, seems they have moved to looking for their results in other worlds than their own, I intend to go with them and I would highly suggest you also come with”, Bryaxis said, still in a soft tone that was at odds with her deep, raspy voice.

“I assume there is a particular reason you wish me to come with you, but since you are not really forthcoming I will just assume here that you are not really willing to let me know why my attendance in this endeavor is so important”, Amren said, raising her eyebrow in question. One thing that she appreciated about Bryaxis was her direct approach and that she never lied, she would often refuse to give out information but never lie.

“You'd be correct in your assumption”, Bryaxis said, bowing her head slightly.

Amren took another look at her, before going over to her dresser, grabbing a magically enlarged pack and starting to gather clothes, trinkets and books and piling them into her pack. Maybe a small vacation would do her some good, she mused. After all that happened with Varian and her dreams and memories she could use a break. And apparently the ancient being next to her had some serious interest in her coming along.

“Take your time, we leave tomorrow at ten, roof of the House”, Bryaxis said, moving towards the door of Amren’s apartment.

“I'll be there”, Amren promised, showing her visitor out the door.

Alone once again she considered what she had just agreed to and oddly felt a sense of excitement about the idea of once again jumping between worlds like she, according to her memories, apparently did before she went into the prison.

Bryaxis

After leaving Amren's apartment Bryaxis winnowed straight into the front yard of the River House, startling Elain who was working in the front garden . She just nodded towards the young girl and continued towards the door. She stopped in her tracks when Elain cleared her throat and slowly turned towards her.

“When Fear and Death reunite, a love will be born between Light and Darkness in the place where the traveler finds its answers to a question asked to save one’s people”, Elain said with a glazed look. 

Bryaxis of course knew the middle Archeron sister was a seer and again only inclined her head towards the young female and moved on towards the door while in her head the words spoken by the seer churned around and if her feelings we're correct on this one and they would find who she supposed they would find, they were in for quite the ride.

The door opening startled her out of her thoughts and she came face to face with the High Lord of the Night Court. Rhysand looked at her warily, probably sensing her Powers the moment she appeared in front of his house. She smirked when she sensed a lot of hastily thrown up wards around the house. If she was so inclined she could rip his wards to shreds without even a thought but he didn't need to know that, she'd let him keep his peace of mind for now.

“I am here to inform you that I'll be gone for some time with your second in command, your sister in law, your general and your spymaster”, she said, barely containing her grin at the stricken expression on his face. When he looked about ready to argue, she let some of her power slip out, forcing all color to leave his face. To his credit he quickly composed himself even though he couldn't fully hide the tremble in his hand from her.

“And where exactly do you plan to take half my inner circle and for how long?”, he asked.

“We are going with Bryce and Hunt on a little world jumping adventure”, she grinned. “We will leave tomorrow at ten from the House of Wind, for how long we'll be gone I don't know exactly, but your little seer back there could probably tell you”, she said feeling Elain tense up where she still tended to the garden obviously listening in to their conversation, not that Bryaxis particularly cared.

“You need to stop underestimating her Powers and you girl”, she said, turning towards Elaine. “You need to stop acting like a flower on a wall and stop fearing what it is that you hear and see and embrace it as the gift that it is. Knowledge is power, knowledge can win wars, knowledge can save lives”, she said sternly before she winnowed back to the library with one last nod towards Rhysand, who looked like he had just seen a Ghost.