A Court of Song and Shadow

Chapter 22

I am winnowed back into my fathers throne room, where a large group of the court is watching from the shadows. I see Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel all begin to walk toward me, but my father places a shield around them so they can not come to me. From the looks of them being perfectly intact, I would assume that my father had suspected they did not help me. I feel that small fire of my power light once more in that dark chamber within me, I see my shadows come from Azriel's side and join me once again. My shadows seem to fill a piece of me that had been missing ever since they left my side. I look for my mother at my fathers side, and my heart drops when I do not see her anywhere in this room-- I know what is about to happen. 

"Clip her wings."

My father's words rumble through my body but I do not have the strength to fight the guards that begin walking towards me. I see out of the corner of my eye Rhysand trying to fight against the shield that was placed around them. Azriel and Cassian are also pushing against it. My entire world goes still as they place their hands on my still-healing wings. One guard enters the room with a large pair of clipping scissors that are always used to clip the Illyrian women's wing. I look to my brother who mentally breaks through the shield around them and I feel his presence at my own shields in my mind. 

Are you okay? My brothers asks. 

No. I respond truthfully. 

You will be okay. He says and I just look at him and shake my head slowly. I see his face drop  and tears form in his eyes as I show him my memories of what had happened after I sent them away at Hybern. 

I will never be okay. 

You saved the Illyrian women and children, Velaris-- 

And twenty healers--our people--died because of it. I point out. Are they at least safe?  

Tanwyn took the ones that were willing to go with her to the Valkyrie camps--about half of them. The other half were returned to their homes where their families know not to inform our father that they were returned to them. Luckily father or the guards who took them from their homes did not even care to learn their names so he cannot find them again. Rhysand tells me. A small amount of relief flows through me at his words. 

Everybody is okay? Mor and Tanwyn?  I ask.

We are all okay. Mor had to return home because her father came back early and Tanwyn is back at the Valkyrie camps helping the Illyrian women heal. Rhysand is silent for a moment and then continues. We tried getting back to you, Velaris. We all did. Father had the entire Night Court on lockdown when he discovered you were missing. I could not risk the others getting caught because he would have killed them on the spot so I had to fake a letter that you wrote saying where you were so father could get you back. 

And how long did father know where I was? 

He knew within hours of us returning. My brother admits sadly. 

And how long was I gone for? 

A week. Rhysand's voice seems to break in my mind. My throat tightens at the thought of my father leaving me to be tortured for a week in the hands of our enemy we were about to go to war with. Leaving me at an Illyrian camp after being whipped was one thing--but being left in another kingdom with the cruelest people on this world--

I turn and look at my father--who has no emotions written on his face. This man was the one who sent those women and children to their ultimate demise--he was the one who sent those healers to their deaths all so he could have me back to just torture me. 

It turns out my father and I were not so different after all. 

"Fuck you." I say to the High Lord of the Night Court. The room goes silent once again, even my brother stops fighting and the three boys look to me with wide eyes at what I had just said to my father. I should have known what was coming next.

"Punish that useless scarred Shadowsinger first, show her what we can do to her kind. Clip his wings first. Then take my son and the Illyrian bastard and give them ten lashes each." My father orders the guards, and I look to Azriel and see him flinch at his words--actually flinch. Something in me snaps at the sight of that, not snaps-- clicks. I watch, in shock, as the guards grab him and force him to kneel on the floor. He does not even try to fight them. I could feel, and see, the golden strings between us as the bond clicked into place.

The mating bond.