A Court of Surprises and Twists

Chapter 2

My head was pounding but I forced my eyes to open, only to be met with the sight of dirt.

I groaned as I sat up, rubbing the back of my head, what the hell happened?

"Who are you?" Someone snarled from behind me.

I whipped my head round but that made me dizzy. I tried to stand but just fell to my knees again, my body too weak to hold me up for some reason.

"She doesn't need telling off," someone whispered, I looked up to see a couple, a couple I had just read about I realised.

"What the actual fuck?" I whispered, my eyes wide, the tattoos, hair, eyes.

"That isn't your name," the male told me.

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to remember what I had just read, I had only just started the third book, Feyre had returned back from Spring, Tamlin was allied with Hybern, Ianthe would be pissed and hurt.

"What is your name?" The female tried.

"A-ava," I stammered, hoping they couldn't smell my fear.

"How did you get past my wards?" The male asked.

"I don't know," I told him, voice shaky.

"Azriel, take her to the Hewn City," he said, and I felt a hand on my arm.

"Don't touch me," I breathed flinching away from him.

The male behind me hesitated before grabbing me again.

I struggled but his grip just tightened, and I was tiny, I had no strength, this male towered over me.

We were suddenly gathered up in darkness and I was dropped into a cell.

"Vous vous moquez de moi, putain!" I yelled at the empty space the male had just been. You're fucking kidding me.

I sighed as I sat against the cold stone wall, the Hewn City was the last place I wanted to be in this world. How was I dragged into this book in the first place?

Of course, I would be dumped at the High Lord of the Night Court's feet. But I did get to meet Feyre, I'm not complaining. He can totally go into my mind, shit.

I began to build up what I hoped was a mental shield while I sat in the dark.

I had no idea how much time passed before Rhysand and Azriel winnowed back.

"Fancy telling us how you got past the wards?" Rhysand asked.

"I have literally no idea, I'm just as confused as you are." I told him, finding courage from somewhere.

He opened his mouth to ask something else, but a couple shadows escaped Azriel and came to me.

"أنت تتحدث لغتنا ، لكنك لست مغني ظل" They whispered to me, my eyes widened in surprise. You speak our language, but you are not a Shadowsinger.

"أنا أفعل ، وأنت على حق ، أنا لست مغني الظل" I said back to them, looking at where they swirled round my wrists. I do, and you're right, I am not a Shadowsinger.

I heard Azriel suck in a breath and I looked up at him.

"يتفاجأ السيد أنك تتحدث إلينا" A shadow whispered to me. The master is surprised you talk to us.

"أنا لن أضر محكمتك" I told him, looking him in the eye. I am not going to harm your court.

"What is going on?" Rhysand asked.

"She can talk to my shadows, but she isn't a shadow singer, that language is the one they speak," Azriel explained, looking a little put out.

"How?" He asked Azriel.

"You could just ask me, I'm sat right here," I muttered, crossing my arms.

"Go on then," Rhysand snapped.

"I'm going to sound crazy, but I promise I'm not, I'm from another world, and in that world the language I just spoke is called Arabic, I'm fluent in it, as well as others, I was reading a book and got tears on it, the ink glowed gold then I woke up where you found me," I explained.

"And we are supposed to believe that?" Rhysand asked.

"Yes, if you want, I will let you look at the memory of it, if you just look at that, I don't need you leafing through my fucked up life," I told him, eyes narrowing.

"I promise to just look at what you show me." He said, and he looked sincere.

I played through what happened again, reading the book, sobbing because of how screwed up everything was, drying my tears from the book, the gold light, waking up here.

"She's telling the truth," Rhysand said, offering me a hand up.

I accepted it and he pulled me to my feet.

"You should talk to Amren, but I warn you, she is grumpy at the moment," Rhys told me, I dipped my chin.

He held out his hand and I took it after he nodded, we were gathered up in darkness.