Princess Of Spring

Chapter 8

"What have you done?" I scream at my dad once the realisation has settled in.
"I've only done what's best for you April." My dad sounds awfully calm for someone who just found out his daughter knows about his lies, just announced that he would be marrying his daughter off to the son of another High Lord and for someone who has just locked their daughter inside.
"This isn't what's best for me, dad!" I scream, the tears are still falling from my eyes.
"You will stay here until you marry Eris, then you will be moved to the Autumn Court." He says.

I turn and run up the stairs. I slam the door to my room. I'm still crying. I can't leave the manor. I can't leave the manor. I can't leave the manor. That is the only thought that is running through my head. I realise that my dad will never change and I'm trapped until I marry Eris, then I'll be trapped at a different court.

Then it occurs to me. Nyx will realise that something is wrong when I don't show up to our meeting spot. But it could be too late by then. I don't know how to escape, but I know that I have to.

That night, I'm lying in bed when I get the feeling that I'm not alone. "Hello?" I say to the darkness.
"April! Are you ok?" Nyx's voice calls out of the darkness.
"Nyx! How are you here?" I respond as he appears out of the shadows.
"I winnowed here, I felt you panic. Are you ok?" Nyx says as he sits down on my bed. I crawl to him and he wraps my in a hug.
"No. No I'm not fine. My dad has trapped me in this house and is marrying me off to Eris." I cry into his shoulder.
"Don't cry. I'm not going to let that happen. I'm here to get you out." Nyx says.
"You can do that?" I ask. Hope fills me and I wipe my tears away.
"Just say the words and I'll get you out of the manor, I've taken down the spell Tamlin used to confine you to this building. It's the same one he used on my mother." He responds.
"Get me out of here Nyx." I say as I look into his eyes.

He lifts me up and walks to my window. He extends his wings and jumps. He flys out my window and over the wall. I was free. I was free. I didn't have to marry Eris. I wasn't trapped anymore. "Where are you taking me?" I ask him as he lands, although I already know the answer.
"The Night Court. You'll be safe there. My parents know what has happened, they are willing to let you stay with us." He says.
"Great. How are we getting there?" I ask.
"Like this." He grabs my hand, and the world fades to black around me. I squeeze my eyes shut.

When I open them, we are standing on a hill. "That was winnowing." He says.
"Can you teach me?" I ask.
"There will be plenty of time for that." He responds.
I look at the view from the top of the hill. There is a city sparking in the moon light. "It's beautiful." I comment.
"The city is meant to be viewed at night." He responds. We begin to walk towards the city.
"Where are we?" I ask. The thought just occurred to me that I didn't know where we were in the Night Court.
Nyx turns to me and smiles. "April, welcome to Velaris, the city of starlight."