A Delicate Darkness | AZRIEL (ACOTAR)

xvi. samhain

SAMHAIN

Fireworks and sparklers and ornate dresses.

Echoing, disembodied laughter. Pointed fingers, heckling at-

At her. Faces she knew but couldn't discern.

Ravens flew in a whirlwind of black around her. Traitor. Traitor. Traitor, the birds sang.

She fell to her knees, the impact rippling the liquid pooled at her feet. It was warm and thick and...

She gagged. Blood. Too much not to be lethal. She lifted shaking hands, her palms stained with the malevolent red.

"Two centuries wasted on you..."

She batted away the heavy wings of the ravens, their flight now uncoordinated and panicked. "Father-?"

"You were supposed to be everything the crone said."

A large hand cupped her cheek, though it belonged to no arm, no body. On one of the calloused fingers was a ring - vulgar and golden and bearing House Vanserra's crest.

Those ravens bit and scratched at her face, pulled at her hair and mocked her for its colour. Their squawks turned into the croak of an old woman's. From the ashes and brimstone of His forge, she said. A child born in ice, she said. The fruit of divinity, she said. The peace between brothers, she said.

Where are your brothers now? The ravens laughed and laughed and through wet eyes, Auroria saw the pool of blood trickle towards corpses whose red hair glared even brighter.

A figure - neither male nor female, and blindfolded - loomed over them, wreathed in shadows and though it was as dark as an abyss, it hurt to look at. Suddenly, its head snapped up at her, as if sensing her gaze. She scrambled backwards, utterly terrified. It is too soon for you, child.

Run.

The grip around her face tightened. The raw skin inside of her cheeks bit into her teeth. A coppery tang muddied her tongue, as it did her skin.

"I'll just sire another daughter."

· ─────── ·☽𖥸☾· ─────── ·

Auroria awoke with a jolt. Her hair clung to her cheeks, to her neck, wet with tears.

"No, no, no," she muttered, no more intelligible than a chant as she jumped out of bed, the cold air invading her skin.

Eris had said to leave it all to him. To only be ready, for when Night came, there would be no room for hesitation.

But...

Was that a dream or a Dream?

Father couldn't kill them all off, right? He wouldn't, he-

Would.

You're naive, chastised a hardened voice in her head. Go. Waiting for Samhain leaves you in greater danger. Trust no one - not even your brothers. Not even Eris. Eris is the reason for all of this.

"No, no," she muttered, shaking her head resolutely.

She couldn't leave now, in the middle of the night. If she didn't turn up in the morning, Father would know. The whole palace would be on high alert searching for her. Father could advance his plans and it'd condemn the brothers she'd left behind.

No. Stick with the plan.

She didn't know how Eris contacted Night. She didn't know if Night would come. She didn't know anything.