Manipulated Court

Truth and Confusion

April woke slowly, the sunlight filtering through her window a pale gold. Her head felt thick, her thoughts sluggish as though she was waking from a long dream. It had been weeks since... since the daemati. She couldn't remember everything, only that her father had assured her it was necessary. Yet, every morning she woke with a strange, empty ache in her chest, as if something important had been stolen from her.

Before she could dwell on it, there was a sharp knock on her door.

"April, get dressed. You're coming with me," Tamlin's voice called through the wood. "We leave in an hour."

"Where?" she asked, blinking in confusion as she sat up.

"The High Lords meeting. Andreas can't go." He said it matter-of-factly, as if it explained everything. But it didn't.

April frowned, feeling a strange twist in her stomach at the thought. She hadn't been to a peace meeting of the High Lords since she was a child, not since the day Tamlin showed the other courts her existence.

They were meant to keep peace and balance among the Courts. She had always admired her father's strength in those settings. But now... something felt wrong.

She hesitated, but the command in Tamlin's voice left no room for argument.

By the time they arrived at the Day Court's palace, April's nerves were frayed. The court was as beautiful as ever, the golden light of the Day radiating through the shimmering halls, but the grandeur only made her feel small.

When she entered the hall, all eyes went to her and her father. She felt nervous. And judged, as if they could strip her bare and see her inner conflict. April greeted the High Lords, but kept to her expected place right next to her father as the'd been instructed to her whole life.

And then the doors to the meeting hall opened, and she froze.

The Night Court delegation entered.

She spotted him instantly. Nyx. Tall, powerful, and utterly beautiful. His dark hair framed his handsome face, his violet eyes glittering with amusement and something... darker. Her heart stuttered in her chest.

Why does he seem so familiar?

As her gaze locked with his, a shiver ran down her spine. Flashes of something—of him—flickered through her mind. His voice, his presence, the way he'd looked at her before. But when? Where? She couldn't place it. Couldn't make sense of the vague, fragmented memories.

Nyx's eyes darkened as they held hers, and suddenly his voice brushed against her thoughts.

You look as beautiful as the last time I saw you, April.

She stiffened, her breath catching in her throat. She couldn't help but think of the daemati who had left deep mental scars. How—?

Get out of my head!

She shot back mentally, her confusion quickly turning to anger. Still, she couldn't stop thinking about his beauty and the way his wings were powerfully tucked behind his back.

He laughed softly in her mind, the sound teasing her.

Can't resist, can you?

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, trembling as the meeting began. She tried to ignore him, tried to push him out of her thoughts, but Nyx was relentless.

Every now and then, his voice would slip into her mind with a teasing comment or a compliment, and each time, her confusion grew. Why the hell was he speaking to her now? Why did it feel like they had spoken before? What was this pull between them?

She was barely listening to the discussions happening in the hall. Her mind was too tangled in questions she couldn't answer, emotions she couldn't name.

And then, as soon as the meeting adjourned for a short break, Nyx cornered her in one of the palace's quiet hallways. His tall frame blocked her path, his piercing blue eyes burning into hers.

"You don't remember, do you?" he asked, his voice low, almost accusing.

"Remember what?" April snapped, backing up a step.

"Our encounter. In the mortal lands. You were volunteering, helping the humans. We spoke." His voice was edged with a frustration that matched her own rising panic.

April's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't... I don't know what you're talking about. I've never been to the mortal lands."

Nyx's expression changed, his amusement vanishing as realization dawned in his eyes. "Something's happened to you," he muttered, more to himself than to her. "Your memories... they've been messed with."

April's heart raced, and for a split second, doubt flickered in her mind. But she shoved it down, shaking her head vehemently. "You're wrong. You must be mistaken. I've never met you before."

"You have." His voice was rough with anger, with desperation. "Something happened to your memories, April. I don't know how, but they've been erased."

"Stop!" she said, her voice breaking as she backed away from him. "You're lying!"

"I'm not." His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist gently but firmly. "Think. Why do you feel like you know me? Why do I seem familiar to you?"

She yanked her arm free, her chest tightening with fear and confusion. "Just leave me alone," she whispered, turning and rushing away, her mind spinning.

She didn't believe him. She couldn't. But as she hurried back into the meeting hall, her thoughts refused to settle, and the memory of Nyx's voice lingered in the back of her mind like a shadow she couldn't shake.

She could only hope that now he would leave her alone. Leave her be with the comfort of now having ever met him. But... the doubts never really left her. Not for the next two weeks, during which she drowned in boredom inside her cage.