A Court of Water and Shadow

13

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TW: Thoughts of suicide.
Do not read the bold words if you wish to skip.
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Consciousness was a teasing thing.

One minute I would be dreaming of my mother's light laughter as she braided my hair, and the next I would be struggling to open my eyes in the arms of the creature.

I couldn't hold onto my dreams long enough and I didn't ever want to wake up to see the thick drool drip from the creature's sharp teeth and onto my face.

This time I dreamt of my father cracking eggs into a skillet and watching the sizzle and pop as it cooked. My mother strolled inside after a long day of teaching and kissed us both before washing up while I diligently buttered the toast.

Breakfast for dinner—my mother's favorite.

It was her birthday. I had insisted on buying her something nice, even though I was too young to have any money of my own. So, my father and I spent the day in the market looking for a gift.

Nothing was good enough for her in my eyes. We walked from vendor to vendor but nothing caught my eye. My father, being the patient one, had just smiled and held my hand as I led him through the crowd. I on the other hand, was cranky and tired. By the end of the day my father was carrying me on his hip while we continued to search as my eyes grew tired, then I saw it. A beautiful necklace that was blue and shiny, just like the ocean. With newfound energy, I twisted in my father's arms until he let me down, then we purchased the necklace.

My mother wore it every day since then, saying that it was her favorite gift she's ever received.

—

A pounding headache rattled through me and my bones felt like they had been withered to nothing. It was an effort to force my eyes open, and even then the world around me just seemed too blurry.

But I wasn't in the air anymore, so I let out a weak sigh of relief.

My fingers were stuck together against something cold and hard. It reeked of blood and sulfur here...wherever here was.

As my eyes focused on the dim Fae lights, I noticed that I was in some sort of underground cave cell. That was the reason I smelled sulfur. Rock surrounded me on three walls as well as above and below me. On the fourth wall was a lattice of metal bars with a slot for a key.

With my raging headache, I couldn't seem to focus on a single thought. My mind was a maze of dead ends and constant left turns. I couldn't seem to find my way out of it.

Where am I? Why am I here? Why are my fingers stuck together? What happened?

What happened.

My parents are dead.

That thought rang through me like a numbing chill. It was the missing puzzle piece to put the image together. Those creatures attacked and I killed them. I wasn't fast enough. They ripped my mother to shreds then clawed into my father before I could kill them. I sucked the water from them.

I felt too numb. Was it because of my parents death? Or maybe it was the chill of the hard floor against my cheek.

My father told me to live. I have to live.

With a wimpy groan, I moved my head to look at my limbs. My fingers were stuck because metal handcuffs that covered my entire hands were prohibiting movement. I couldn't straighten my fingers to call to my powers. Even if I tried, I had a feeling these cuffs were reinforced with faebane. My feet weren't cuffed together, so I forced them to move so I could sit up.