A Court of Shadows and Lies / ACOTAR FF

Chapter 92

My jaw was tight as I stood cross-armed and opposite Erinyes, who was levitating in place with her limbs splayed. She was breathing heavily, her gaze zeroing in on me as Niamh circled her, murmuring chants under her breath. My aunt worked counter-clockwise.

Thanatos' daughter had only just woken up, but the magic that thrummed out of her hadn't taken a moment's rest. In fact, it seemed to scream at its owner to wake up while my sister and aunt worked their imprisonment spells on her. The anger and hatred was pouring out of every pore, every breath, every blink.

She fucking despised us, especially me.

"Whore," she seethed, foaming at the mouth. "You are a disgrace to this bloodline, letting a simple fae, an Illyrian, to cum inside of you."

I pursed my lips. She wasn't the first to say that to me, nor would she be the last.

"Is that your kink?" she pushed. "Do you like fucking lesser males?"

Does she know her mother was of similar stature to Azriel? That she was essentially impure, much like many of the fae who lived and breathed. Why did it matter to her so much, anyway?

"I can see what you fear, Jezreel," she laughed maniacally, tugging at the invisible chains that held her in place.

"Do not feed into her," my aunt commanded, stopping in between Erinyes and myself. Her back was to me while she raised her hands, with Niamh doing the exact same behind Thanatos' daughter. "Do not give her more than what she already knows."

"Death," Erinyes cackled, throwing her head back. Black veins thrummed against her transparent skin. "Not your death, no, that is too easy for the female who has already died. No, no, no, this is the death of all at your hands."

My breathing became shallow. "I could have told you that."

"Jezreel," my aunt snipped and I quickly shut myself up, wincing at the slice of my name. It was straight to the point, chastising me like she had done when I got a little too feral as a child. She turned her head, looking at me with her stunningly fully black eyes. "If you cannot control yourself around her, then you need to leave."

"I can control myself," I murmured, my face straight.

Erinyes' laughed. It was haunting, an echo that was unsettling but also familiar.

The way it chimed, rolled in the air, snuck through my cracks.

It reminded me of the shadows that cooed me to my death as a child.

"Don't worry, the bastard male will fuck that control out of you," she giggled, showcasing her sharp teeth.

My shadow wriggled in response.

It hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Jezreel, leave," my aunt commanded. I was about to object but she shook her head. "Take Etta with you."

Etta?

I turned on the spot and found my mother's mirror of a child stood there, watching Erinyes intensely.

Or perhaps, the ghost of mother. Etta's face had sunk, her cheeks no longer full and blemish free. She had heavy eyebags, the contours of her face sharp in the dimly lit room. Her lips also seemed to have become smaller, tauter, like horrible thoughts had manifested into something physical. She didn't look well at well.

Quietly, I made my way towards my sister, reaching for her wrist, but she pulled away, stepping to the side as if I were a diseased animal. She looked at me with a deep-seated hatred, just like Erinyes had. The stare stung, digging deep into my soul.