A Court of Shadows and Pain

Thirteen

Valery had just made the discovery that she wasn't good at making first impressions. She wasn't used to being around this many people anymore. At least not in this way.

Sometimes she wished that her shadows would disappear. To completely leave her alone.

It had been a few hours since she stormed out of the dining room. Valery had taken a long bath, trying to avoid the mirror after so she wouldn't see all the scars that had formed on her body. But with the scars being everywhere, it was almost impossible.

After sitting on her bed for what felt like hours, she didn't know what to do anymore. She couldn't sleep. It was around midnight when she decided to get out of her room, making her way to the rooftop of the House. Maybe she could let her shadows fly free for a while so they wouldn't blow up something inside the House.

It took her a while to reach the roof but when she finally did, she made her way to the edge. She sat down on it, letting her legs dangle while letting the tight leash on her shadows go, giving them more space. They almost erupted into the nightsky.

Valery sighed as she stared at the stars.

"You're not going to throw yourself off the edge, are you?" a deep voice behind her spoke.

Valery turned around to find the Shadowsinger standing behind her. He had stalked up to her, her shadows not noticing. Some sort of humor glistered in his eyes, but it soon disappeared as he saw her face.

He cleared his throat. "Mind if I sit down?" he asked while pointing to the space next to her.

She waited a few seconds before answering. "No." she decided on. From what she had seen of him, he was probably the most quiet person to keep her company. And she didn't want to admit it, but maybe some conpany was what she needed right now.

The Spymaster sat down next to her, leaving a few feet between them. His shadows were resting around his shoulders. A lot more relaxed than hers.

His eyes moved from her to the shadows that flew through the darkness of the nightsky. It was almost like they were playing.

"When did you find out about your shadowsinger abilities?" Azriel said, breaking her peace.

Valery didn't look at the Shadowsinger when she replied. "When I was about 15 years old." she said. Azriel stayed silent for a moment.

"They saved my life." Valery added. She then decided to turn and look at him. "What about you?" she asked.

Azriel's gaze felt heavy on her. "I don't remember the exact moment, but I was very young." he answered.

She turned away again, her eyes fixed on the night sky. "So what's your sad story?" she asked. He probably wasn't going to answer her question, but it was worth a shot.

Valery didn't know why she kept this conversation going. Maybe she needed someone other than Rhys to talk to. Maybe she needed someone who didn't know about all the cruel things she'd done.

Azriel stayed silent for a few seconds. "I was locked away in the darkness for years." he told her. There was probably more to the story, but she didn't want to pry into his life any further. "What about you?"

Valery swallowed. "When I was young I always talked to the shadows. Tried to play with them." she started. "But they finally came in handy when my entire family was murdered before my eyes. They saved me by helping me escape."

Silence took over once again.

Azriel had let some of his own shadows loose. Blending in with her own.

"I'm sorry if I invaded your privacy. It's just, I have never met another Shadowsinger." Azriel said from beside her.

"It's okay." she said. "I asked you a question as well, so we're even." she smiled at him. It was nice to talk to someone who recognized her powers. Someone who knew what it felt like.

She could hear Azriel hesitating before he spoke. "I noticed your shadows being... restless." he looked at her. Almost as if waiting for her to confirm his thoughts.

She decided to ignore him.

"If you ever need help..."

Valery cut him off by standing. Her shadows flew back the her shoulders.

"Goodnight." she said before disappearing into the House, leaving Azriel wondering what he said wrong.