The Shadows Have No Face || 𝐀𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐑

My Blood Reveals Your Memories

trigger warnings for blood and gore

I couldn't sleep. As much as I desperately wanted to, I couldn't. I was so tired. My body ached with a need for rest that I couldn't give. All I could do was lay in that terribly uncomfortable bed and stare at the ceiling, going over in my head a million times what happened.

What happened...

I could still smell the now barley lingering scent of him—could still remember how it felt to hold him close and press my lips to his. Terrible. Wicked. Horrible. I was horrible for what I did. I ruined it. Everything. Ruined.

I finally slithered out of bed when the sunlight blinded me. My feet dragged across the floor, and I was only half conscious as I dressed for the day. Last night's clothes still hung on the edge of the bed, I couldn't find the will to put them away yet.

I had missed breakfast by an hour. I didn't care—I couldn't eat right now. Not after that. My nose burned with the scent of him lingering throughout the common space. Sticking to every surface he had ever touched. A memory of him, etched into everything with the scent of sandalwood and smoke, chocolate and wine.

Amren lounged on the sofa, massaging her temples. Mor looked up from her book and said, "there you are. You missed breakfast."

"Couldn't sleep," I said, before falling back into the only chair that didn't hold his smell. Someday—one day—I will forget what happened. I will no longer care about that smell.

Amren stood as I sat and said, "now that you're finally awake, we can get into that stupid library."

"Where's Azriel?" I asked.

"Already gone," Mor drawled.

I blinked once, twice. "What?" My voice may have held too much emotion, because Amren noted it.

"He's already in the stupid private library—has been there since sunrise like a crazy person," Mor said, slowly getting up from her chair.

"At least he understands how important this is," Amren hissed. Mor paid no mind.

I followed the two down some obnoxiously decorated halls. Everywhere I looked was a new wall of bragging riches. This place was like a window into the High Lord's soul—entirely too much.

Guards led us into the library and followed close behind. I didn't know what to expect, but this... this wasn't it. The room was brightly lit from tall windows that looked out to the valley below. High ceilings painted the vast expanse of space, twinkling as we moved, changing as time passed. The dark wooden shelves rose high, with ladders that moved along tracks on their own.

I would expect to find a million books stuffed into this room. Everything looked to be planned out around a desire to fill as much space as possible. It was silent as the dead, every possible sound we made echoed across the room.

Amren took the lead, walking straight to a table of books stacked in high piles. A pair of wings towered above the wall of books, and as we approached, a head popped up from beneath. Golden eyes peered at us with a look that spoke how badly he wished for the three of us to turn and walk the other way.

Amren pulled a chair out and sat, taking the wall of books and distributing them out to Mor and I. The shadowsinger gave her an annoyed look and said, "I had a setup."

"I don't care," she bit back.

He dipped his head back down into the pages of a tome, ignoring everything around him.

"What are we looking for again?" Mor asked, flipping through parchment pages.

"Keyword—nullification, and anything else that I deem important," Amren answered.