A Court of Lightning and Shadows

Twenty-two

Briar had been training with for a while now Rhys. He had walked into the study about an hour ago ago, snatching his mate away from him.

Rhys had quickly told him about the camps they visited. He said everything was fine and that most of the females were still training.

Madja would come and check on his wounds tonight when Rhys and Briar returned.

Everyone had left the house or even the city for the day. Azriel's only job was to get new information about his spies, since he still wasn't allowed to leave the house. Meaning he was alone. Again.

He had finished the paperwork with Briar's help. They worked in silence the entire time. She only spoke when Rhys asked her to come with him, saying goodbye to him.

Azriel was still figuring out their bond. He would give Briar all the space and time she needed. He was already happy that she trusted him and that he had the ability to make her feel safe. He wouldn't push her to do anything else.

They needed to go slow, and Briar had asked for time. So he would listen to her and his own heart.

Briar had been trying to control her powers for over an hour. It didn't go as well as last time.

Rhys had thrown a shield around himself. When they started, she shot the lightning around the entire clearing, having zero control over it. Rhys had jumped in front of her and had thrown a shield around them. He now stood a safe distance away from her.

"Try to hold them with you, don't let them shoot away." he said.

Briar nodded and frowned her eyebrows, focussing on the feeling within her. The warm feeling started tingling in her hands, and it felt more controlled.

Briar watched the lightning sparkle in her hands. It felt like she could control it, like they didn't want to shoot into the air.

Rhys stepped closer to her, "That's good." he said, "Now try to shoot something in the air."

Briar let her left hand fall to her side, only focusing on her right. She watched the sky. It was clear and blue.

She lifted her hand higher and focused on shooting it into the air. The dancing lightning left her hand as it shot into the air, disappearing high above.

Rhys clapped slowly, "That was good." he said with a soft smile. "We will continue to work on this." Briar could feel the shield fall around him.

He hesitated before he spoke, "That time at dinner, when you lost it." Briar swallowed as he continued. "A storm started forming, it reacted to you." he said. "How did you do that?" he asked.

"I don't know. I don't remember much." she said.

"Do you have much energy left?" he asked. Briar nodded. "Try calling for a something like that." 

"I don't think I can do that. The last time it happened it was because I lost my mind."

"You can. Use your emotions." Rhys told her reassuringly  She felt a shield settle around them both, incase she lost it again.

"Focus on a memory and just think about the storm. Think about the clouds pulling together."

She did as Rhys told her to, closing her eyes and focusing on a memory. A memory that made her incredibly mad.

She had come home from helping Alita in the kitchens. When Briar opened the door, she found her father sitting on the couch, a glass filled with liquor in his hands.

"Where were you." he said, his voice neutral. Something he did on purpose.

"I- I was helping. In the kitchens." her voice trembled.

He slammed his hand on the table in front of him, "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying." she said. Her father stood and walked over to her. Briar didn't dare move or walk away.

"You come home way too late lately." he looked her up and down, "I don't want my daughter to be known as a whore." he spat the words at her.

Tears formed in her eyes, "I was with Alita. In the kitchens. I promise." she sobbed, "Please."

"Don't act pathetic." his face only turned angrier, "Me and your brother are the ones you should feel sorry for. We need to live with your presence."

"Why don't you just kill me?" she yelled in his face while tears rolled down her face. Briar immediately shut her mouth as she saw her fathers expression change.

Her father slapped her across the face, leaving a red mark on it, which would bruise badly. Briar's hand flew to her cheek, tears still rolling freely down her face.

Her father grabbed her throat. She couldn't breathe while his grip only strengthened.

Briar started choking as the air was blocked out of her lungs. She tried grabbing her fathers arms, attempting to get him away from her.

He waited until she was about to pass out and let her fall to the ground. She gasped for air, breathing heavily.

She stood again, facing her father. His knee slammed into her stomach, making her double over. Briar screamed in pain.

"You want to die?" he knelt so he could face her. A grin appeared on his face. She looked into his eyes. There was no kindness in them, only hatred.

Her father laughed and lowered his mouth to her ear. "You don't deserve an easy death."

Briar sobbed. Her father punched her in her face, making her fall onto the ground again. He kicked her in her stomach over and over again. The pain became unbearable.

She almost passed out after some time, she hadn't even noticed her father leaving.

Her brother was now seated in front of her, a similar smirk on his face as she had seen on her fathers face.

Briar didn't have the strength to sit up or to stare back.

She felt him pull her up. Her entire body ached, screaming in pain. She fell in and out of consciousness, only becoming aware of her surroundings too late.

She was in her brothers bedroom, a way too familiar place.

Briar sobbed, "No, please don't." she begged. Her brother came into view as he pinned her down. She tried to get away, but his hold was way too strong.

"I'll do anything, please don't." she had repeated that same sentence every time.

Briar fell back with a loud scream. It was raining now, her clothes soaked and her face wet with both tears and water.

She hadn't been aware that she had been crying until now. She had been stuck in the memory.

She found Rhys's face. His eyes widened, and apparently he had been screaming her name. "Briar calm down." he yelled through the rain.

Briar only became aware of the purple light around her after he said that.

Lightning slammed into the ground next to her. She didn't feel the impact, as if they didn't affect her.

Rhys stayed where he was, a worried look on his face. He couldn't get any closer because of the storm. They had to get away from the clearing. Rhys had to winnow them.

Briar stood and stumbled over to Rhys with her drained body. He grabbed her arm and winnowed them back to the river house. She passed out before they arrived.