The beginning of Gwyn and Azriel

Orange Trees

  Gwyn did not want to wake up.

  She did not want to stand, or eat, or speak.

  Gwyn most definitely did not want any confrontation with the Shadowsinger any time soon.

  She was beyond humiliated.

  What he must think of her? Gwyn shook her head.

  Gwyn almost made a pact with herself to never speak to him again. But, in a moment of harsh anger, she had climbed out of bed with her wobbly legs, and had made her way to the courtyard.

  Where the Shadowsinger was practicing, sweating in the morning heat.

  And she had held herself, using all her strength to tell him her plan.

  Now, she was forced to attend a meeting with Azriel, Tamlin, and Lucien. Gwyn almost wished she had shut her mouth and rot in her room.

  She never wanted another pair of eyes to look at her again.

  The idea of being in close a proximity of other people, made her stomach crawl.

  The men were already waiting for her as she descended down to the living room.

  But the sight of the table in the middle of the seating area, made her freeze in her tracks.

  Azriel seemed to have noticed her hesitation in seconds, "How about we go outside instead? I believe Tamlin would agree to that," Azriel gave a strange look to the beast.

 "Uh, yes, I would like it better outside actually," Tamlin quickly agreed.

  Gwyn only nodded, unable to form words just yet.

  The group sat themselves outside on one of the wooden benches and Gwyn followed to sit on the farthest one.

  Azriel pulled out a map of the spring court and began to scribble areas.

 "I believe that the majority of the nightmare Suriel's are stationed at the darkest part of the forest," Azriel circled a spot in the map.

 "I do not think the main problem is where they are located, I think we need to find out how to destroy them," Lucien chimed in, crossing his arms around his chest.

" The inner circle dealt with creatures like this a very long time ago. We had to train to tackle our most horrendous nightmares, that is why I was able to-" Azriel closed his mouth.

  Gwyn already knew what he was going to say.

  That he was able to fight through them.

  Because he was not weak...not like her.

 "Anyway, that does not matter. What matters now is that we all learn to tackle our fears before we can make an appearance in front of them again," Azriel gazed at her from his bench.

 "That is, only if you all agree."

  There was a long pause, as if no one wanted to admit that they did not have the strength to battle their worst nightmares.

 "I will do it.." Lucien's voice shook.

 "There is no way I could sleep knowing that any minute the people I love may be cursed. I could not risk my mate," Lucien continued.

  Azriel lowered his head, his eyes full of shame, again.

  Then Lucien turned to Tamlin and waited for his answer.

 "I have already seen my own nightmares."

  And that left Gwyn.

  They all looked at her with...pity. She only wanted to sink back into her room and never wake up.