The Shadows Have No Face || 𝐀𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐑

Wanting is a Terrible Thing to Desire

warnings for talk of past abuse.

~)(~

Nothing about this palace was calm. Everything was loud and glittery, way too bright. A complete and total headache on top of my already crippling body aches from all the flying I was forced to endure. If the Mother wanted to punish me for something, she was being sadistic about it.

I slept like a baby, though. The bedroom they had assigned me to was as large as my first apartment—not including the enormous bathroom. The bed was large enough for a family to fit comfortably, so soft and cushioned that I fell into it slowly, like quicksand.

The bath was the best I'd ever had, with water hot enough to burn in a tub that filled all the way to my chin. The rugs were soft fur that warmed my feet when walking across the dark wood floor.

And the views—the views.

Like looking out of heaven. A thick layer of fog hovered over the ocean in the morning, giving the mountainside a quiet and soft look. But the sunset was unlike any other. The clouds painted with brilliant reds and pinks, purples and oranges. The ocean glistened with gold, and the sun cast light into the palace, making the gold wall detailing shimmer.

I made my way to the dining hall for breakfast with a skip to my step. It had been too long since I slept that well, and I was feeling the effects of it. It seems I was the only one of our party who did.

Mor came in barely awake, her eyes still hanging heavy with sleep as she glanced across the room. Her shoulders hung low, and she walked with dragging feet. She practically fell into the chair and could barely keep herself sitting up.

Amren looked about ready to boil over. Her brows knitted with an endless frustration as she plopped down into the seat waiting for her. The chair towered above and made her look even smaller than she already was. I didn't want to ask what had put her in a mood today.

It surprised me when Azriel walked in—cause I expected he'd sleep through his alarm and half the day, seeing as he didn't end up going back to his room until three in the morning. There was no reason for it. He just had chronic insomnia and refused to ever take anything for it.

Illyrians are like that.

Of course, Helion waltzed into the room with an energy that made Mor sink deeper into her chair and made Azriel look ready to book it in the opposite direction. Amren gave the High Lord a cold, dead, unamused look.

"I'm thankful you decided to join me for breakfast this morning," Helion said, smiling at each of us. "It's been a while."

"And likely won't happen again," Amren said, eyes narrowing in on him.

He acted unfazed by it. "I hope you will share what your plans are for today—so I can know whether the alarms need to be rung."

"No alarms needed. We are just researching a spell today," Mor said, smiling softly. In a matter of seconds, she had gone from a shell of a Fae with zero energy to the Mor I had grown to know very well. Full of energy and the seduction that took her centuries to perfect.

"And which spell is that?" Helion asked, looking at Amren.

She sighed with annoyance. "The Seeing spell. We need to find the third of the Three Sisters."

The High Lord raised his brows in surprised. He clicked his tongue and said, "that is a very difficult and dangerous spell, Amren. Are you sure there are no other alternatives?"

"If you let us look through your library, maybe we could find one," she bit.

The room silenced with her words. I froze with surprised shock, looking between the shadowsinger and Mor, who both shared a similar surprise. The High Lord stared down Amren for a long moment. It was only when his eyes snapped away from hers and he laughed that I let myself breathe for the first time in minutes.