A Court of Lightning and Shadows

Two

Briar sneaked out of the house, hoping they hadn't smelled anything. She ran straight towards the familiar little tent owned by Alita.

Briar opened the tent, revealing the older lady sitting on a chair with a book in her hand. Alita's head turned, looking at her with confusion.

Briar ran towards a bucket, emptying her stomach in it. Her brother's words and her bleeding had found its mark.

Alita walked towards her, holding her hair back.

Briar was really thankful she wasn't asking questions. The woman knew about her family and what they did to her, but Alita wouldn't start that conversation herself.

Briar sat back down. Alita already grabbed the potion, putting it in Briar's mouth.

She swallowed it fast, before it would come out again.

"Are you okay?" Alita grabbed a glass of water and gave it to her, so she could wash away the nasty taste of vomit.

Briar nodded. "I started my bleeding in the middle of the room. I panicked." her head hung low feeling dumb for sneaking out of the house.

She hoped her father and brother hadn't noticed it.

"Come to me every morning, for the next week." she already knew what to do. Briar had been doing it for decades.

Briar stood, making her way out of the tent.

"Briar." Alita stood behind her. "Would you like to help me in the kitchens today? I can use some help with cleaning."

Briar nodded, knowing this was an opportunity to escape the hell she called home. She didn't really know how to cook or bake anything. She only knew how to make breakfast, even though she tried to make something most of the nights.

She was lucky that her brother and father didn't eat at home for most of the time.

Briar walked back to her house. The second she walked in, she was shoved against the wall. She tried not to scream. Her head already throbbed from the impact.

"Why did you sneak out?" her father screamed in her face. It looked like he was sniffing. Briar's heart went wild.

"Why did your smell change?" he asked.

"I went to see Alita. I... threw up and needed to get the taste out of my mouth" she hoped he would believe her lie.

He let go of her, giving Briar a chance to run upstairs.

Before Briar walked to the camp kitchens, she changed her wrappings. If anyone noticed... They would sell her out. Everyone in this camp would do it for money and the trust of her father.

She entered the kitchen and was greeted by Alita. She only smiled back and got to work.

It took them 2 hours to make dinner. Briar cleaned the mess. With the right instructions and help she could make something.

They always made dinner early, since it took them very long. The Illyrian warriors ate like beasts.

Briar walked out of the kitchen, back to her home once more. There wasn't much to do in the camp for females.

She wouldn't call it boring, since there was always something going on, but it sure came close to it.

Briar walked inside, finding the house empty. She was finally alone.

Briar grabbed a book from the shelves, knowing that now was finally the time to relax and read. She liked to read, having learned how to read from of her father, saying she would be nothing without learning words.

She was glad he had learned her, otherwise she wouldn't have anything to do except for chores.

It was peaceful in the house, almost too peaceful.

She didn't know when, but she had fallen asleep. Her eyes immediately opened when she heard someone screaming her name, running down the stairs.

She straightened.

Her father walked into the small sitting area. His face red with anger. Briar wondered what she had done this time.

"When?" her father grabbed her wrist, pulling her outside with him.

Her brother came walking towards them. Her father slapped her across the face. A few Illyrians who walked by stopped, looking at what was happening.

Briar winced in pain.

"What did she do?" her brother asked, almost sounding amused. Her father's eyes flickered over her.

"How long?" he tried to sound nicely. Briar's eyes were fixed on the ground.

He knew.

Tears formed in her eyes. Her head was yanked up, her eyes now burned in to her father's.

"How long!" he screamed so hard, that the whole camp might have heard it.

She was trembling. "Decades." it came out like a whisper.

Her brother looked confused while her father ran a hand through his hair. Walking away in frustration.

Her brother gave her a blow in her guts, causing her to double over and fall to the ground. He seemed to have realized it.

It all happened really fast. Her brother held her up by the arms, while her father punched her in the face.

She could feel her nose crack, blood streaming down her face. The worst part was, when her brother grabbed her left wing. He snapped it.

Briar screamed.

Her brother flew away, landing a couple of feet away. She had shot out her lightning, causing him to be blown away.

Her father had ordered a few guards on her. Hands moved over her body on all sides. It all became too much, too many hands touching her.

She felt dizzy from all the blows she got, the pain in her wing and the disgusting feeling of people touching her.

She blacked out before she could let a tear slip.