Manipulated Court

The way back

April slipped through the door of the manor, her heart pounding in her chest. The moonlight filtered in through the high windows, casting eerie shadows on the floor as she moved silently, hoping no one would hear her. She had taken great care to make sure no one saw her return—no one could know where she had been.

Her mind was still racing from the encounter with Nyx. The way he had spoken to her, the unsettling power he held, the questions he'd asked... her mind was a whirlwind of confusion and frustration. Why did he have to appear? Why now? She shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts.

She had just reached the stairs, about to slip up to her room unnoticed, when a deep, familiar voice stopped her cold.

"Where have you been?"

Her breath hitched in her throat. Tamlin.

April turned slowly, her stomach twisting in knots. He stood in the shadows near the hallway, arms crossed, his eyes hard as they locked onto hers. His presence was like a wall, immovable and unyielding, and the tension between them crackled in the air.

"I was..." She hesitated, scrambling for an excuse. "I went for a walk."

Tamlin's jaw tightened. "A walk?" His voice was low, but there was no mistaking the anger simmering beneath. "It's nearly 3 in the morning, April, and you expect me to believe you went for a walk?"

She stood straighter, meeting his gaze, though the weight of his authority pressed down on her like a suffocating force. "I just needed some air."

Tamlin took a step forward, his eyes narrowing. "You've been sneaking out for days. Don't lie to me."

April's hands clenched into fists at her sides. She had expected this. He always found a way to control her.

"I was just helping them. The humans. I need this, to feel free for a moment." Her head low and her fingers trembling.

"Free?" Tamlin's eyes flashed with fury, his voice sharp. "Free from what? You have everything you could possibly need here. I'm trying to protect you."

"Protect me?" April's frustration boiled over, her pulse pounding in her ears. "You're suffocating me! I feel like I'm trapped in a cage, with no way out!"

Tamlin's face hardened, his lips pressing into a thin line. "You're not in a cage. You're safe. And I will not allow you to put yourself in danger by running off without telling anyone where you are."

"Danger?" April's voice cracked with emotion as she stepped forward, her eyes filling with tears. "You don't get it. You're the one who's keeping me from living, from helping, from doing anything that matters! All I wanted was to volunteer and help the humans, and you won't even let me do that."

Tamlin's eyes softened for a brief moment, but his voice remained firm. "It's too dangerous for you out there. Especially now. There are threats you don't understand."

"Threats? Or is it just that you don't want me to be out there?" April's voice was bitter now, the hurt and frustration pouring out of her. "You don't trust me. You never have."

"That's not true," Tamlin snapped, his control slipping for a moment. He took a step closer, looming over her. She stepped back. "I'm doing this because I care about you. Because I don't want to lose you."

April shook her head, the tears silently spilling over now. "No. You're doing this because you want to control me. Just like you control everything else."

Silence fell between them, thick and heavy. Tamlin's expression was unreadable, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to contain his emotions. For a moment, she thought she had seen shadows of pointy claws appear from his hands, which made her shudder.

She almost thought he would understand, but then his voice hardened again, cold and final. "You're not leaving this house again. Not without my permission. It's for your own safety."

April's heart shattered at his words, the last bit of hope she'd clung to slipping away. She stared at him, the man who was supposed to be her father, her protector, and felt nothing but anger and despair. "I hate this," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I hate you."

Tamlin flinched, just barely, but his face remained stern. "Go to your room, April. We'll finish this in the morning."

She didn't respond, didn't argue. She turned on her heel, her vision blurred by tears as she fled up the stairs. The moment her door closed behind her, she collapsed onto the bed, the sobs wracking her body. She felt like a prisoner in her own home, trapped by walls she could not only see, but also feel pressing in on her from every side.

Eventually, the exhaustion from crying overwhelmed her, and she drifted into a fitful sleep, her chest still heavy with grief.