A Court of Lost Things

Part 1

My fingers gripped the dual Illyrian blades as my father came up behind me. His magic swirling around us, we had been training when a female appeared before us. She looked ready to kill us and I had no idea who she was.

Do you know her?

No. Be ready.

I stood my ground watching the female wearily. She was beautiful with golden hair like Mor's and a long silver gown.

"You will pay, Rhysand! You and your family will pay for what you did to my husband! My king!" Confusion shoots through as I glance at my father, whose jaw is clenched. He must know who she is now. Before I can ask, she throws a vial of something cloudy at me. All of a sudden I am falling and screaming.

"Dad! Daddy!" I hadn't called my father 'daddy' since I was a young child but now, as I was thrown into a whirlwind of silver shadows, I didn't care as I am sure certain death is coming my way right this second.

"Seren!" His roar filled my ears as I fell down. I tried opening my eyes to see what is happening, to see where my father is but the white mist, whatever it is that the woman threw at me made my eyes burn.

"Daddy!" I grip for anything, anything that could help me, but I knew, as soon as my father's roars soften into nothing, I'm very well far off his reach. Then winds are whistling past me, I try to flair my wings but the wind forces them against my back and I felt my face turn into a grimace at the acheness of the force. My swords are ripped from my hands as a scream leaves my lips. Tall trees come up to me fast as my body crashes across the branches. I hit from branch to branch as my momentum slows but pain fills my body. I try to wrap my magic around me but it seems to be harder, more distant for me to reach. I tried to lure my magic out again, but my left wing gets caught on a branch and a shriek bubbles through me as I try to readjust so I am falling on my stomach. My hair snags on bark and comes loose from its bun, ripping a patch out of my scalp. My hair tumbles down around my face wildly and my fingers claw at anything to slow the fall but I only lose two fingernails at the action. Before I could see the blood that is surely gonna come rushing out, the soft grass rise up to meet me and with a loud thud, I finally stop my descent with a moan. I can't move for a moment as the pain just screams through me. My fingers dig into the soft grass as I try to sit up. A wing comes around me and a stick poking through the membrane is the first thing I see.

"Shit," I hiss. Tucking my uninjured wing against me, I grab onto the stick. With a count of three, I try to yank it out only to let it go with a harsh breath of pain. Horses hooves and shouts ranged in the distance, so I slowly crawl to hide in a bush beside me, grimacing at every move my sore muscles made. I peak out at the group coming towards me who seems to be led by a white-haired male with piercing blue eyes who is obviously fae. He looks young, maybe a few years my senior. Even from where I sit I can see he looks like an entitled brat with his cocky posture and the small smirk forming his glossed mouth. The ache in my wing causes me to try to sit up but it only hurts worse and I cry out silently. Trying to grab ahold of something to keep from falling, I was too late and I suddenly ended up flopping in front of the riders. For an Illyrian trained soldier, I am quite clumsy at the moment. The male climbs off his horse and comes running over to me. I tuck my wings behind me but find the left one is harder to move. The male kneels before me as I slowly drag my eyes up to his. He is in green and gold attire with an emblem of a stag on his muscled chest. Closer now more than ever, I met his eyes and I realize he has a gold circle forming around his pupils. I could smell his scent, the smell of the forest, so fresh and wild radiating off him and the pain lessens. Blinking my eyes, I see him staring at me and I look down, seeing black swirling shapes of what I assume to be tattoos creep up his neck. So much like the tattoos from my court except, there is a certain difference to it that I don't exactly know.