A Court of Lightning and Shadows

One

This story hasn't been edited in a while, so there might be some grammar or any other issues.

TW: shit family. small mention of rape towards the end (not directly).

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Briar was sitting on the roof of her house in one of the many Illyrian camps. The night sky was bright tonight.

Briar loved watching the stars. It felt like they were calling to her. Her father had told her about her mother, that she loved the stars too.

Briar had never gotten the chance to know her mother. She died while giving birth. She was a Fae. Most Fae died while giving birth to an Illyrian child. Briar survived, her mother didn't.

Her father, a cruel men, still blamed it on her. She didn't know how it was her fault, since she wasn't the one who fucked a Fae. He must've known Fae can't survive giving birth to Illyrian babies.

Fae couldn't get pregnant easily, but of course her mother had.

Briar sighed and stood, walking inside the house. It was quiet and dark. Meaning her father and brother were still drinking themselves stupid.

Briar hurried to her small room. If they found her still awake... She didn't want to think about it.

Her room only had a small bed, a closet with clothes and a small desk.

She quickly undressed and put on one of her pajama's. A simple shirt with shorts. She hated wearing night gowns. It was too naked.

She lay down and pulled the blanket to her shoulders, feeling safer that way.

With her Fae senses, she could hear them from miles away. Her father and brother hid her Fae heritage. From the outside, Briar looked like an Illyrian. Her body was Illyrian.

Round ears, dark brown hair, brown eyes. She had gotten her powers from her mother.

They started to show when she was little. She played around when it was storming, sending little flashes of lightning into the ground.

Her father had beaten her into oblivion when he saw it.

She tried using them when no one was around. Small flashes of lightning would flare out of her fingers, but she didn't dare try something bigger.

The only thing that they hadn't taken away yet, were her wings. They still clipped the females in her camp, even though the High Lord had forbidden it.

Briar had started her bleeding when she was 101. Before, she drank potions and starved herself.

When she started it, Alita, an older Illyrian woman, helped her hide it. The woman was old enough to know all the tricks. It was smart and many females used it. The males were just too dumb to see it.

She herself, had her wings clipped. She wanted to help younger females with keeping their wings.

Alita made some sort of potion for her. It helped her hide the scent. Briar didn't see her father and brother enough for them to notice when she had her bleeding.

It was now early spring, meaning her bleeding would start soon.

She fell asleep before she could think about it too much.

—

Briar woke to a loud bang on her door. She immediately stood from her bed. The sun was already up. She slept in.

Her father opened the door, his face full of rage. She had never seen the man smile.

"You worthless piece of shit. Get up and get downstairs." he said with such anger, she thought he might hit her.

Briar only nodded, focusing her eyes on the ground.

She quickly put on a simple brown dress and made her way downstairs. She prepared herself for the screaming she would get. Or the blow in her face from her brother.

When she walked into the kitchen, she immediately started on breakfast.

Her heart was beating out of her chest. If they had her Fae hearing, they might have heard it.

Her father and brother were discussing something about training, arguing softly.

She walked to the small table and gave them their breakfast, avoiding their eyes while putting the plates down.

Before she could turn away, her brother grabbed her wrist, yanking it back.

Briar's eyes shot to his, anger rising in her chest.

"You know I hate it when you act like this." he said, almost smirking at her.

Briar's eyes widened "Like what?" she was a fool for talking back. She knew what it would bring her.

"Like you are a scared servant girl—" he stood, towering over her. ", we all know the hatred you have for us and what you can do. But you still dare not looking us in the eye."

They always had something to blame her for.

Her brother made her look into his eyes. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "You are only good for one thing, be happy I'm keeping you alive."

Briar felt like she might vomit, thinking back to every moment.

Her brother sat down, with his back towards her. That's when she felt a huge wave of pain fall over her.

She had started her bleeding. In the middle of the house. In the same room as her father and brother.

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A/N
Hi!! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter :)). Just so you know, the first few chapters will be introducing you to the story line and to Briar.

If you have any feedback or ideas, let me know (:

(Started editing the chapters again on 18-12-21, since I noticed a lot of mistakes.)