A Court of Shift and shadow

VI

Katies POV:

I flew as fast as my Sparrow could, waiting for the winged males to show up behind me. All I hoped was that I would reach the Manor before that, to get into safety, that my father's magic would keep them out. I hit the shield sooner than I thought and a bit disoriented I managed to get down to the ground and shifted to Fae form. But the shield still stood there before me, locking me out from safety.

"Let me in..." I whispered, putting my hand on the shield "I'm home... Please let me in..." Tears started to fall down my cheeks, and the sky followed as a rainfall started around me. Teased me by falling through the shield as if it was not there.

"Let me in..." I turned my head to the sky, waiting for the winged males to come. But the shield stayed up and no shadows landed. I curled up against the shield falling into a shallow sleep as the rain continued. At one point during the night someone found me and brought me inside. Because I woke up in my room, inside, safe... Once more I started to cry, if I ever had stopped.

"Stop it." My father said, I turned to see him sitting on a chair in a corner. "Don't be weak." I wiped my tears and tried to prevent any new ones.

"Father..."

"Quiet." He rose and started to walk out of my room. "You will stay here, and I hope you don't do something like this again." He left and I couldn't hinder the tears anymore. How would I ever get his trust back after this? My mind went blank, no plan, no remote way to get back the trust I had broken. Slowly the world seemed to shrink around me, the walls of my room closing in. A ringing echoed in my ears slowly taking over all thoughts. The air became thin. All I could do was to gasp, hoping I wouldn't faint. Only to fail, collapsing into darkness and nightmares.

Time lost all meaning, my windows were blocked off, hindering any sunlight from coming in. My meals delivered so far between that I guest it was still only one a day. But I wasn't sure. I didn't dare to shift, of fear what my father would do. But I did have my memory of the moments in the clouds, the feeling of freefalling. In the darkest moments I tried to remember it, fearing that that memory was the last one.

As the plates of food came, I counted them, hoping to get a small sense of time. One... two... Three... Four... The next two was so fare between that I almost threw up when I ate it. When I was asleep dreams of being in the rain came back, and when I was awake the ringing noise came. Often forcing me to scream to lose it. Weak, I was weak. My door was locked from the outside, and no way for me to opening if from the inside. Not that it would matter, my fathers shields was on the other side as a precaution. After the ninth plate of food, my father came into my room. His stare making me bow down my head and hope that he didn't have a bad day.

"Katie." He started, I only nodded in response. "I hope you have thought about what you did." A quick nood. "I also hope that you will never do it again."

"Yes..." it was barely a sound.

"Speak so I can hear you." He said.

"Yes." I said again, a bit louder.

"Good, now tell me, who let you out?" I hesitated. "Who." He said again, his voice lowering to a growl.

"Casandra..." I whispered. My father only nodded in response.

"Did anyone see you?" I kept my eyes to the ground, the two winged males flashed before them.

"No..." did he hear the lie, did he smell my fear?

"Good." A hand touched my face, bringing it up. "I will open your windows, letting some light in, but you are not allowed out of the house. Do you understand?"