A Court of Water and Shadow

18

The girl had spent her days training with Zagra. There were less killings required from her, so I was glad to see something different in her daily routine.

Maybe the King was too busy with the wall to call for the girl. Maybe he was guided by the thirst for revenge that he had forgotten about his greatest asset. Or maybe the King knew very well what the girl could do for him, but because of her past he wouldn't risk losing her.

I've decided that option number three is the winner, especially because Zagra has been more cautious with his words lately.

They've focused solely on training—which was odd for someone as lust-driven as Zagra. He still sent her devouring looks when they ended up in interesting positions, but he stuck to the rigorous routine instead of pursuing what he wanted.

As the girl tucked a stay hair behind her ear and put up her wrapped hands to fight again, Zagra frowned at the top of her head. "Training is over. Your servant will have to fix that before anyone sees."

The girl simply dropped her hands, but I was curious to know what had made him end training so early. My answer came shortly after when the girl was led into the bathing chambers by Zagra. The same handmaiden sat there with a sad smile and a bucket of black hair dye.

The girl's white roots were showing.

A sharp pain ran through my non-existent self as the handmaiden guided the girl into a chair and tipped her head back over the tub. With careful fingers, she spread the dye over the roots, then cleaned out the tub to be used for bathing. After the girl's bath, the dye was rinsed out and the girl was...well she was back to normal I guess.

After her touch-up, she found Zagra waiting outside the bathing chamber for her. "Do you have nothing better to do?" She asked with no real interest.

Zagra snorted and took her hand in his, leading her down the halls towards the throne room. "My father has some news for us. I figured I'd walk you there since you enjoy my company so much."

If I could laugh, I would be laughing as hard as Cassian after hearing the world's worst fart joke right now.

The girl stayed silent as they approached the King, then they bowed before him. A few tense moments passed as he slowly drummed his fingers against the armrest of his throne. A deep scowl was plastered on his face and his eyes seemed to hold a severe deadliness to them. Everything about his demeanor was all too normal for the girl, so she waited calmly for the King to speak.

Finally, he exhaled and narrowed his eyes at the two of them. "Our attack on Adriata wasn't a victory. Tarquin had backup from the Night Court arrive too quickly, but we got what we wanted."

A whirlwind of emotions ran through me. Adriata was attacked...again? Tarquin...if I remember correctly he was High Lord Nostrus's cousin. So why would he have backup arrive? The last question that rung through me was of the Night Court. Are my friends okay?

My need for the King to send the girl on a mission was overwhelming at this point. I needed the girl to get out of here.

Zagra nodded once. "As long as we've weakened them and pushed them to gather, then we've succeeded."

The King smirked at his son. "They'll be too distracted with the war to see it coming my son. As for my assassin..."

Yes. Send her. Please, please, please send the girl.

The King leaned forward in his seat. "I have someone special for you to kill today."

The girl nodded once in acknowledgment and turned her head to see a group of Fae walk into the room. Some of the faces looked oddly familiar to me, but I just couldn't place where I had seen them before.

Phia—the name barreled through me as my memory succeeded. The girl on the front, who was no longer a girl but a woman, had such a striking resemblance to the younger girl I taught in the classrooms. There was no way it could be her, and yet, the King battled Adriata, so maybe it was her.

"These Fae caused quite the stir of trouble for us in our attack. There were rumors that you had a hand in teaching them, isn't that right Evelyn?" The King's menacing voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

Phia's eyes widened in realization. "Miss Hart? Is that you? What's going on? Get us out of here!" She pulled on her faebane chains, which earned her a kick on the backs of her knees from the guard next to her. She crashed to the ground with a wince as dread filled me.

The King let out a chuckle. "This will be fun. Let's get it over with." He gestured to the group of students that I once taught, but the girl probably never recognized.

I could stop this. I could try to break through and fight for my students. I'd have to bring the whole kingdom down in the process, but it would be worth it. Now all I had to do was—

"She's more useful to you alive than dead." The girl's monotone voice echoed through the room, silencing the sobs of her students. "They all are."

The King's eyebrow rose, and he leaned back in his seat to study the girl. Zagra froze from beside her, giving her a warning glance. "And why is that?"

With a look of indifference, the girl stared right into the cold, dead, eyes of the King. "Right now all you have is me. Under my training, you'll have an entire army by keeping them alive." The girl gestured to my students.

Why was she fighting for them? Maybe the girl wanted something else to do during the day. Or maybe she was so sick of the killing that she wanted my students to do it for her.

There was a small part of me that wanted to believe she cared about sparing their lives, but that was just unrealistic.

The King stood very slowly, then walked with a feline grace towards the girl. This was it, this was when she would die. A part of me felt a little relieved at the thought.

When he was a breath away, he lifted the girl's chin with one finger, then spoke with a tone so sharp and deadly, even Zagra shivered next to her. "Remember your purpose my dear assassin. If I wanted to hear you speak, I would demand it. Kill them, or I'll make you wish you were dead."

As if the threat held any weight to the girl...but to me it was very unnerving. What kind of misogynistic pig did he think he was ordering the girl around? How powerful does he truly believe himself to be?

The King took his finger and moved it to her jaw, then turned her head to the group of my students. "Kill them."

She didn't need to be told another time. Her hand flung out, and in a gruesome moment, my students were dead.

—

Almost everyone I had known in my previous life is gone.

If I ever return to the surface of the fog, how much of me would be present? How much pain would I feel? Would I remember the lives the girl has taken or the awful memories she's made here? The risk was almost too great.

As the girl sat in her cell and tried to sleep, I thought about Adriata. More specifically, I thought about Tarquin. He had to be the new High Lord. Something bad happened to Nostrus...I can feel it in my figurative gut.

And my friends. Rhys, Cassian, Azriel, Mor, and Amren...they had to be okay. They had to. Soon the King will be forced to use the girl's abilities for the war. Soon the girl would be set free, and in turn so would I.

Soon I'd see my friends.

—

A/N

Thank you so much for 1k views! It means a lot to me to see the support that this fanfic is getting :)

Also, your comments are hilarious, so thank you for making me smile.

I hope you all have a great night!

-em