A Court of Shadows And Lights

CHAPTER 1

I was leaning against the bathroom sink, splashing ice cold water on my face as a means to relax myself. Every single muscle in my body was taught and it was driving me insane. I needed out of here and I had no clue how to manage that.

How long had I been inside already?

How long hadn't I seen the sun?

I had no clue of either of that. I just knew that it was long time to feel wind against my skin and have the sun shine in my face. I needed it so badly.

I wasn't locked up, not technically. Not like others down here. But I was still forced to remain here.

I looked at myself, seeing my hair that was once again showing those signs of red underneath the hair dye. I'd have to get some more of that quickly.

I don't think my eyes even knew what light other that this dim lighting was anymore. I don't think they'd readjust to sunlight. If I even ever got out of here to see it again.

But I had hope and that was more than I could say about others here. At least I was hoping that Feyre would find us a way out of this misery.

She was brave and strong and unlike anything I had seen before and she was doing it all for Tamlin, her love.

I didn't know what it felt like to do everything for someone, risking your life for someone. I don't think I'd ever do something like that. I don't think I'd manage to let someone in like that.

It's not like I trusted anybody at all down here. Nobody knew who I was or that I even existed and that was for the best. When nobody knew who you were you had the best chances of survival.

So I slipped through the crowds as every day, my head down low and my eyes on the floor. I had no intention of ever making eye contact with any of the people down here. They'd find interest in anything with two legs and I didn't want to be that interest one bit. I wanted to be left alone and be able to go out to the surface again.

I could hear the music rumbling under the mountain and I saw the desperate people dancing together and trying to forget about everything bad in here. Although it was truly impossible to forget about everything bad when that said bad was sitting right there in the throne and looking down at everyone, observing.

Amarantha was truly a wraith. She behaved like one and she talked like one and I think every single person in this entire room hated her. Although she hid all that through the power she held over everybody.

The most power anybody had probably ever held above this many fae. And she not only had one High Lord to her mercy, but two. Two of them.

One of them being sat right next to her, his jaw constantly tight and his face revealing nothing of what I knew he was feeling.

Guilt and horror and pain and grief and sadness and so much more pain.

Tamlin truly felt horrible, but he didn't look it one bit. He didn't look at Feyre who was fighting for her life. For him. For their love.

Maybe I despised him for it, because I knew she was doing everything and he didn't even grant her the slightest bit of emotion or help.

But the second High Lord she had wrapped around her finger was terrifying. He was different than Tamlin in so many ways. Because he was the High Lord of the Court of Nightmare. The court of Night. I don't think it made much difference.

But he stood there every single day of these years we had been trapped Under the Mountain and he endured it. He didn't let any emotion show on his face either, but unlike Tamlin he also had his emotions inside in check.