"Okay Ziláa let's start with a basic explanation of your power" Azriel chirped.
Ugh. We've only been at it 5 minutes and I'm already annoyed. Shocker.
The courtyard we were training on was mercifully empty, aside from these 3 batboys stood before me. I guess Cassian and Rhysand were here to make sure I actually went along with Azriel's training.
I was going to, maybe if I had control over the shadows I could actually use this power on Ziven, be rid of him and isolate myself from everyone again. And be rid of this 'inner circle' nonsense.
"As much as I'd love to stay and watch this brothers, I have business at the moonstone palace" Rhysand states, spreading his wings preparing to fly until Cassian starts teasing him.
"Awwh is someone feeling lovesick! Rhys and-" Cassian hits the ground with a thud, he gets up rubbing his shoulder from where he'd been pushed over but Rhysand had already shot to the skies.
Rhysand has a lover? No one had mentioned anything about him having a lover?
"Okay so Ziláa" Azriel starts, diverting my thoughts. "Do you know what you are?" He asks.
"Uh a girl?"
Cassian who had since stopped rubbing his shoulder burst out into hearty laughter, earning him another push to the floor from Azriel.
I smirk, knowing it's pissed Azriel off.
He ignores it. "A shadowsinger"
"Come again?"
"A shadowsinger,"
"Well my shadows don't exactly come out with any melodies"
"No but I'm sure they whisper to you? Yes?"
"I suppose" I mumble, annoyed that we aren't getting straight to the training if he knew all of this.
"So as shadowsingers, we are able to hear and feel things that others can't, as well as control shadows, if you learn how to do it properly." He wields his shadows around, and mine whisper louder at the sight of his.
Mate mate mate
I ignore them.
"If you don't learn to control them, they'll eventually consume you Ziláa" yeah right.
"Well I've been absolutely fine for five centuries thanks." I spit
"Is that why I see them whipping around you in such a wild manner when you're angry?" He gestures to them as they were doing exactly that. I roll my eyes and cross my arms.
Cassian walks over to go and take a seat on a rock further away, half observing, half bored.
"My shadows can sense yours you know," he begins "I know how to look out for them now and I realised days ago that I felt you under the mountain."
I scoff "what would you know about it? You weren't under the mountain bay boy." If I angered him enough then perhaps he'd refuse to do this and I'd have the rest of the day to myself.
He smirks "you weren't in the war shadow girl" okay, touché.
"At least in the war you can fight back, what chance did any of us have against Amarantha?" Boiling rage washes over me and my shadows burst out.
"There! Now use those shadows and squeeze them like you would an orange." He'd been trying to make me mad too?!?
"Some of us eat our oranges instead of squeezing them." I try to squeeze but it was like trying to grip a bowling ball with oily hands.
"Squeeze it, you can do better than that" he encouraged earning another eye roll from me.
I squeezed as hard as I could but nothing was happening, I gave up and my power fizzled out.
"Ugh it's pointless" I whine
"Maybe you're right." He stated matter of factly. "Even your shadows are mocking your pathetic attempt." Excuse me??
I'm quick to retort "They're actually mocking your stupid wings"
"You go on about my wings a lot Ziláa, I'm beginning to think you might like them" he delivers with a wink
"Up yours"
"Didn't know you were into that" he pretends to be shocked "again"
~~
It's impossible to focus on the book I'm reading as I shift my aching body in the chair I'm slung over in the library trying to get comfortable.
I'd joined everyone for dinner tonight and was glad for the food, save for Rhysand who was staying up at the moonstone palace for a week, no one mentioned his apparent lover over dinner.
I kept having to re read the page I was on because of the impossible task of concentrating tonight, the copious amount of faerie wine probably didn't help that either.
The fire snaps and crackles near and my shadows flicker in anticipation, sensing the disturbance in the shadows.
"I know you're there" I drawl
He appeared, handsome and elusive, wings gleaning in the firelight, shadows dancing around him and his eyes full of a comforting darkness. He's like some carnal fantasy you could dream about but never touch.
I found myself staring at him for a while, a tingle going down my body and landing in my pelvic area.
His facial expression didn't change, but there was a flicker in his eye as though he knew, as though he'd felt the same tingle. No. I snapped myself out of it and went back to reading my book.
"Some people find others staring at them whilst they read to be rude you know?"
No answer.
"Is that really all you came here to do? Stare at me whilst-"
"No." A calm tone.
"Oh?" I inquire
"Based on some of the books you've read, and some that I have in the past, I brought you a suggestion." He brings a book foreword, it was black and gleaning and the tips of the pages had a gold tinge.
"Thanks but I don't need your suggestions."
His shadows flicked. "Just take it anyway, for if you ever run out of anything to read."
He hands me the book which i immediately throw across the library and carry on with mine.
He doesn't say anything, just huffs and strides out, not bothering to pick his book back up. So touchy.
I roll my eyes at that, was he really trying to act like he knew me from the books I've been reading? I had no idea he was keeping note.
YOU ARE READING
A Court of Watchful Shadows
Fantasy"I don't need to tell you pricks anything, I have my own reasons for being here and they don't concern three idiots who won't-" I was cut off as a force came slamming into me. I look up in anger at the man who was now towering over me, his nostrils...
