A Court of Stags and Night

Aelin

The ride was uncomfortable, but I relished it. The child within its cocoon pounded against its tight quarters, but it quickly quieted as I ran my hand over it. Rowan believed it would be a boy, but I knew it was a girl. Mother's intuition or something; it's what the humans say.

When we arrived, there was a light breeze, a promise of rain nearby. Perfect conditions for what this place meant.

I hardly remembered the night except for what Elena showed me. I'd pushed those nightmarish thoughts from my head soon after it had happened. It was my way of coping.

"Evangeline and I will look around. If you need anything, give a shout."

Lysandra's eyes were warm, but reflected no pity. I gave her a small smile in return as she turned away to Evangeline.

The river was calm this afternoon, the water a soft rumble through the otherwise quiet forest. It soothed my wild heartbeat and shuttered the darkness that snaked around me.

The water was cold, the multicolored leaves swirled around without a care. I released a faint warmth from my fire, to ward off any lingering effects of the water.

It seemed as if nothing had changed. Perhaps an updated bridge, but even then, I still saw things as they were then. The scent of my blood overwhelmed my senses, threatening to gag me. The child within my womb kicked unhappily. I cursed under my breath, but it shook me from those spiraling thoughts.

Evangeline and Lysandra played in the water by the bridge, and I allowed my magic to extend to them, only for it to recoil sharply. Any concerns of facing my past disappeared.

My magic was strong, and hardly ever felt threatened. The only magic that came close to defeating mine was the dark power of the Valg.
Which we had destroyed. So it brought up the question of why the same power lived here.

The closer I drew to the darkness, the stronger the scent of blood became. It was old and hard for me to recognize. No human would notice it.
Lysandra was immediately by my side as I stopped at the base of the bridge, Evangeline a step behind.

"What is it?" the shifter asked.

"Something wrong," I answered warily.

Lysandra took hold of my hand, ready to pull me back, but darkness swirled in my vision, pulling me off my feet.

Pain lanced through my body. The world disappeared from my sight as I succumbed to the dark pull.