A Court of Shadowed Hearts (ON HIATUS)

Chapter Five

Cadryn POV

Turns out I didn't have until tomorrow to wait for the real work to begin. When Keir had made his little announcement about Azriel and I sharing a bedroom, I'd been too horrified to register his words: I shall see you two at tonight's ball. Of course, if Azriel hadn't dumped a glass of cold water on me an hour into my nap I would have missed it entirely.

"What the hell!?" I exclaim, shooting up in bed and cursing the Spymaster for my now wet shirt and hair.

Azriel was a dark shadow at my bedside, a small pool of light reflecting off his tan skin. Yes, he was shirtless and fully awake. He must not have slept at all, only pretended.

"The party starts in half an hour; you need to get ready." His voice is cold and hard as steel. "If you'd actually paid attention earlier you would've known that."

Not even a day into this mission and already I'd made a fool of myself. "Put a damn shirt on." I snap, yanking back the wet covers and storming to the bathroom, making sure to slam the door behind me.

"You'll see just how long I can take to get ready," I mutter to myself. I grab the nearest towel and start drying my hair. "prick."

"I heard that."

My blood boils. I easily spot the toothbrush he'd already placed near the sink and I grab it, nearly knocking down the soap bar and his bag of toiletries next to it.

The bathroom door nearly flies of its hinges with the force I use to open it. I throw the toothbrush as hard as I can at his groin - the only place I was sure to be able to hurt him.

But alas, my efforts went unrewarded as he caught the item in his hand, stared down at it for a silent moment, and then roared with incredulous laughter. "Did you just throw a toothbrush at me?"

What should've felt like years of resentment starting to let out only felt like I'd made an even bigger fool of myself. A strangled noise escapes from my chest as I retreat back into the bathroom cursing the still laughing Spymaster.

This was going to be absolute hell.

* * *

When Keir had used the word 'ball' he wasn't being sarcastic. What had formerly been a throne room designated for darkness, a place for evil to reside, was now an elaborate setting of celebration; as if someone had taken darkness and put a crown upon his head.

Long tables encompassed the dance floor, bedecked with foods of all sorts, from pomegranates and fruits to roast pork marinated in golden honey. As far as decorations went, there were black wreaths strung above our heads, lanterns that should have provided clear yellow light were dimmed to a deep glow that cast the room in eerie shades that almost resembled blood.

"Well Keir certainly wants us to know he's master of this hellish place." I remark to Azriel quietly as we tour the room. None of the nobles did more than glance in our direction, it surprised me that only few of them were sneering, given Azriel's reputation. We hadn't been announced upon arrival either.

From the excessively massive wardrobe in our room I'd found an exquisite cornflower blue dress, veiled with a layer of the most lovely sparkling nylon mesh. It was simple and elegant and I'd almost been tempted to wear it - until Azriel had commented that it would match his siphons and told me that I should wear it because it would make sense for us to match as a 'couple.' So I'd shoved it back on its hanger and donned a velvety black one instead. The colour didn't match me as well as the blue, dulling my light hair and blue eyes, but there was no way in all hells I was going to wear something that would make me look like part of Azriel in any way. Since I was barely any good when it came to hairstyling, I'd left it loose hanging down my back, tied half up and half down.