A Court of Madness and Depth

Chapter 2

After dinner I had fallen asleep almost immediately, mental exhaustion plagued me. Conversations with my father about my future were always a sensitive subject. Especially considering that I had no desire to leave our court, my home. Sleep had been the only escape from the overwhelming worries which battled for dominance in my mind.

The sound of metal on stone broke me out of my fitful slumber, causing me to jolt upright in my bed. A swift glance to the left showed a grappling hook secured around one of the columns which bordered the balcony of my room.

The rope attached to the hook was pulled taut.

Someone was climbing into my bedroom.

It was the darkest part of the night. The world was nearly pure blackness. I slowly rose from my bed, careful not to make an audible noise. I grabbed the twin daggers from their hiding place in the headboard and slowly began to approach the balcony.

I listened keenly, detecting the grunting of three males. With the tightness with which the rope was pulled I could tell they were large. My pulse quickened as I reviewed what my mother and brother had taught me. I had been trained exceptionally well and I had spent many hours sparring with many high fae and humans in the Night Court. However, I had no inkling as to who or what approached from below my window and this would be no sparring match.

My first thought was to cut the rope loose. I continued towards the grappling hook on feet as light as I could manage. I couldn't help but internally curse myself for dressing in such a simple black shift for bed. The light woven silk was hardly suitable for battle and provided little protection for my skin and organs. My feet were bare, which was fine for stealth, but could result in the smothering of my toes under a much heavier boot. Luckily, my hair was secured out of my face.

I had nearly reached the balcony's edge when a sudden bit of motion flickered in the corner of my eye. The fear was intense and immediate. My defenses kicked in without hesitation. How had someone already gotten into my room? The question pulsed through my mind. But there was no time to consider. My senses heightened and my eyes darted to the side.

Without a second thought I threw out the golden dagger in my right hand. It sailed through the air and into the shadows that swirled in that corner. With a sickening slice the dagger landed its blow.

My unfortunate target, the shadowsinger, clamped his hand over his mouth, a muffled grunt of pain broke into the otherwise silent room. My golden dagger protruded from his right bicep. A slow flow of red began to grow around his arm. His hazel eyes stiffened in a horrifying mixture of pain and fury. After a moment, which felt like an eternity, Azriel closed his eyes and when they opened again they were expressionless.

The shadowsinger slowly released his hand from his mouth and took in a deep breath. His index finger pressed against his full lips as he gestured towards the balcony.

I lifted myself from the ground and strode towards him, placing my hand on the hilt of my dagger. We were so close and it was so quiet I could hear every sharp pained breath from his mouth. I reached into his mind, telling him what I was about to do. He met my gaze and nodded once. I kept my eyes on him as I pulled the dagger from his arm quickly. I watched as the pain grabbed a hold of him and then loosened. He stiffened under the pain with a confusing pleasure which awakened a foreign sense of pride deep within me.

I barely had time to process what had happened when I heard the slap on the marble floor of my balcony. A large ruddy hand appeared over the edge of the balcony as the first male attempted to pull himself up. In a fit of rage I threw my right golden dagger with deadly aim. It struck his middle finger clean through. A scream ripped through the night air.