The Art of Courts and Lies (Book 1 in The Gifted Trilogy)

47- A Choice for the Future

The first thought that crossed my mind when I finally woke up was that everything around me felt too soft. The pillow behind my head, the sheets around my body, the mattress on my back. After the pain and harshness of the world I remembered lastly before blacking out, the comfort just felt like too sharp a contrast.

    But the moment I tried to move my head, a sharp slice of the familiar pain shot across my mind, causing me to let out a sharp hiss as I finally opened my eyes.

    "Oh, thank the stars" a voice breathed out with immense relief from beside me. I turned my head, ignoring the groans of my muscles, to find Porter sitting in a chair right beside the bed, clutching my limp hand in his. "You're awake. You're okay."

    "I wouldn't go that far" I mumbled back, wincing at the way every one of my bones seemed to protest as I slowly pushed myself up into a sitting position. A look of concern racked Porter's face as he leaned forward with steady hands to help, laying my back on the bedpost gently.

    "I was scared you wouldn't wake up" he admitted, brows knitted together in worry. "I got everyone out and went back to find you but when I saw you-" a shiver seemed to run down his spine. "You were terrifying, Wren. You were grinning like a maniac, forcing shadows down that king's throat. There was nothing familiar about you. It was like someone had replaced you with a crueller and more destructive copy."

    I looked away from him, shame rising to my cheeks. My mind might have been groggy but I could remember that moment clear as day. If I closed my eyes I could picture Nox on his knees, his eyes a complete black, repeating the words I whispered into his head. I could feel the cold yet thrilling energy that seemed to vibrate off my skin, a course of adrenaline like I had never felt before fueling my body. It was power, and in that moment, I had been relishing in it.

    But I had also been completely aware. Every move I made, every word I spoke, I acted with full consciousness of what I was doing. Porter may not have been able to recognize the girl he saw in that moment, but I knew her well. I knew she was merciless and powerful and cataclysmic, but I was not afraid of her. And even more than that, I was not ashamed of her.

    "How long was I out for?" I asked him, moving on to more important topics.

    "Only seven hours" he answered. "It's still the same day, only nighttime now."

    "And Tessa?" I pressed. "Briar and the other girls-"

    "Are all still missing. The Earth King hasn't re-appeared since then either."

    I let out a soft sigh as the question I had been wondering since I first woke up forced itself out of my mouth in a wavering voice. "And Nox?"

    "He hasn't shown his face again since the trial either. Neither has Lux. Whatever you did to him, he's not risking showing his face back here again."

    Porter's answer should have comforted me, but I knew better. If Nox hadn't decided to show up again, it wasn't out of fear. He was still alive, which meant that he was undoubtedly planning his next attack.

    "You shouldn't be here" I breathed out, my gaze falling back to those familiar brown eyes as I ran a hand through his russet hair. "Kess promised me he'd set you free after the trial-"

    Porter's eyes flashed with irritation at the sound of the Ember King's name. "And you expected me to just go? You thought that the second those shackles slid off of me that I'd be out the door? Meanwhile you're still trapped here passed out cold with nobody but enemies around you? Are you honestly telling me that you believe so little of me?"

    "Of course I don't" I argued in a firm voice. "I just wish for once you thought about your own safety first."

    "Damn my personal safety" he hissed back, gripping my hand tighter. "I threw that away the moment I came up with that stupid plan to get us out of here. Now all I care about is that you and I are still within reach and that you're still breathing."