A Court of Lightning and Shadows

Thirty-five

Briar's eyes shot open. The room was dark. So dark, she couldn't see her own hands.

Panic started rising as she reached for the spot next to her, but it was empty. Instead she grabbed on the edge of the bed.

The bed she was in was small. Smaller than the bed she shared with Azriel.

She threw the blankets off her body and found herself wearing a night gown. The one Alita had given her years ago.

This wasn't right.

Briar stepped out of the bed. The floor creaked as she stepped on it. The familiar creaking made her heart beat faster.

Her breaths became faster when she opened the door. Like always, it made a hard sound.

She never opened the door when she wasn't sure where her father and brother were.

The small hallway was dark. Empty. There were no sounds besides her heavy breathing.

She made her way down the hall and reached the stairs while shaking heavily. Every step made the steps creak. When she reached the bottom, she still heard no one. She saw no one.

It felt too real to be a dream.

Briar knew her father and brother kept weapons hidden around the house. In the 266 years she had lived here, she had never managed to find them.

The front door of the house opened and slammed closed. Briar pressed her back against the wall, trying to hide in the shadows.

She pressed her hand against her mouth to soften the sounds of her breathing. At the same time, she tried to call for her powers.

She felt nothing, like it wasn't there.

Briar pushed her hand harder against her mouth while she let out a sob.

She tried pulling on the bond, but it wasn't there. Like it had never been there.

The sound of boots on wood echoed through the house.

Briar only pressed her back harder against the wall.

The moon was the only bit of light in the house, shining through the window close to her. The source of the sound stepped into the moonlight.

She let out a sigh of relief as she found wings in front of her. She let out a sob as she stepped away from the wall.

A wave of shock washed over her as she realized who was standing in front of her. It wasn't possible.

Briar took a few steps back, trying to get away.

"I've been waiting for you." her father said.

Briar shook her head as she slipped down against the wall and started shaking her head. "This isn't real. This isn't real."

Her father took a few steps closer, until he was standing right in front of her.

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. Briar now stared in the eyes of the man who had ruined her life. He stared back at her with an unhuman-like face

"You," he started, "took everything from me." he yelled. "You locked me up, leaving me to die."

"Stop, please. Just let me go." Briar tried to push him away while sobbing.

"Everything would've been better if you weren't here." he said. She could hear the rage in his voice, but he was smiling at her, "Everyone would be happier if you were dead."

"Your poor mate won't have to deal with you anymore." he grinned, "I'm only doing him a favor."

Briar was shaking so bad, she couldn't bring herself to look at him.