A Court of Light and Shadow

Chapter 20

THE WARRIOR

Blood.

Loads of it. The deep red staining the tiles, the irony tang flaring up my nostrils. But there was no source of pain.

My fingers splayed on the marble beneath me, a sigh of pure and honest relief. Shaking, trembling. My fingers stained red. Wet, and eternally stained with the mark of betrayal. The queen had been willing to mar with a wound that could have been fatal. The queen betrayed any feeble amount of trust we had in her in the first place.

My chest constricted with that tight feeling of betrayal, my entire body stiffening at the warmth pooling around my body. Over my skin, the tang of iron becoming stronger.

What was it that earned me this punishment.

What was it that made my feel so light, yet heavy all the same. The world was awfully quiet, while my mind flooded with every question known to man.

Why me, first of all. Out of anyone here.

Why me?

The world was cold, and utterly quiet. It grew darker, and for once, it brought comfort. For once, I did not fear it.

I wanted it to embrace me entirely, to feel the cold of the marble flooring. I was ready to embrace my fate, however painful it may be.

The warmth of that iron substance beneath me warmed the first layer of my skin, but cooled just as quickly. The world fell sideways, in such slow motion, I could barely remember where I was.

I could barely remember who I was.

My back hit the marble faster than I anticipated, the feeling of slick, warm blood beneath me. My head found its way to the side, my cheek embracing the warmth of the floor to be comforting.

A scream. But the blood still flowed. The puddle growing. It didn't hurt.

Thank the mother, that it didn't hurt.

Touch. So light, so gentle. Warm, but shaking. Panicked, and unsure. They were trying to get my attention. To wake me up.

My eyes were open, despite the weight of my lids. I was met with turquoise. Such soft, gentle eyes. Her hands moved so gently over my face, "It's all right." She whispered to me, her voice carrying so much adoration. "I'm right here." Her smile, so perfect. The corner of my lips quirked up. A bead of moist settled in one of the corners. It travelled down my cheek. I no longer believed it to be drool, as my tongue recognized that tang of iron just as well as my nose did.

I smiled up at the female. Her gentle touch being my last aid of comfort. "It doesn't hurt."

She smiled sadly at me, her thumb tracing my eyebrow. I noticed how her eyes were foggy. Tearing up, most likely.

Those wings, those powerful wings, cocooned us. They were okay. She was okay.
Both her hands cupped my face, her touch so gentle. So soft. "You're okay, Hitori." She told me, and a tear rolled down her cheek. "You will be okay."

"Never make promises you can't keep, princess." I swallowed hard. She laughed softly at my words, and nodded her head.

"I'm a female of my word, Captain." She told me, her hands still on my face. Her wings still cocooning us both.
My hand slowly reached up, despite its weight. I tugged a loose strand of her gorgeous hair behind her ear. Leaving a single line of red along her cheek. She grabbed onto my hand, and held it to her cheek. "I'm so sorry." She whispered.

"Whatever for?"

"Allowing you to get harmed."

Her eyes gleamed with tears, and I merely smiled at this sight of my princess. My queen.

"I'd do it again-" My hand slipped from hers, moving back to that cold marble floor. "In a heartbeat."

The world grew heavy, the weight becoming so great.

"I'm tired, your Grace." I whispered to the female above me. She smiled, her thumb caressing my cheek ever so gently, one last time.

"You may rest, Captain." She told me so softly, every muscle in my body relaxed.

"At ease." I whispered.
And his eyes closed at last. I had refused to let him go alone. Nobody deserved that kind of pain.

But now here I sat, releasing a choked sob while my hands gripped his shirt.

"Amaya, we must go." A voice said. Cassian. "We have to go, now."

Strong hands grabbed me by the arms. A crimson light shining in the corner of my eyes.
I could not leave him here. I could not leave him to be torn apart by hounds for supper.
I was being pulled.

Not without him.

Not. Without. Hitori.

"Amaya. We have to go!" Cassian said.

"No." I struggled. "Not without him."

"We do not have time, Luna." Azriel snarled at me.

"NO!"

I screamed. I screamed loud enough that every ounce of me burned. The grip disappeared, and the world turned bright. Bright enough that not even the moon could compare.

I took this opportunity—this window— to run. Racing to his body. Grabbing his face, not caring about the blood or the gore surrounding our bodies.

"Not without you." I whispered.

Cobalt and crimson mixed together as one stood behind, and the other in front. They would leave him behind, but I could not. Hitori was as much a part of my court as I was a part of Rhysand's.

He deserved a proper farewell. A proper burial.

The light still shone bright in the chamber as I held onto his body.

"Take us home." I whispered to no one in particular. Though one thing listened.

White engulfed us both, blanketing us from the world. But only for a few seconds. A final caress of the gentleness that was all things night.

Take him home.

And we were back. Back in the real world.
Still holding on to his body. Never letting go of him.

————

The world had gone dark when I got kneeled down in front of that dais.

Only a flash of cobalt filled the room, signaling Azriel had come. He had taken on the first guards he could find. Using none other than Truth-Teller to impale his enemies.

But what Azriel didn't realize, was that the other two guards saw their chance.

Unsheathing their swords, long and sharp objects. Made to impale even the heaviest of warriors.

A blade, so suddenly plunged clean through my friend. The soldiers fled.

Hitori, left to die in his own blood.

My mother was long gone, before I got to him.

To leave a male to die alone, while his death was an unnecessary cause, was worse than a standing humiliation in front of the people. I refused.

So now here I sat. Staring at the bloodied corpse that was my friend.

Hitori Caldwell.

The Captain of the Royal Guard.

A loyal male, worthy of anything and everything.

Yet given nothing.