A Court of Light and Shadow

Chapter 7

THE HEIRESS

I sat with the girls that evening, sipping in our tea's as my mind wandered back to this afternoon.

Azriel had managed to help me unfurl my wings. To spread them completely. I could only hold them that way for— maybe— five minutes tops.

The red headed girl. Gwyn, she had told me her name was, rambled quite a lot. She was a sweet girl, but she was shy-ish.

I shouldn't say a thing, for I did not speak much myself.

The other girl, with the wings. Emerie. She was definitely a mom friend. Wise, but quiet like. Her wings were- horrifying to look at. She gave me the vague detail that they had been clipped. The thing that nearly happened to me merely yesterday.

One day, and I was already in 'fighting leathers' and drinking tea with girls who claimed themselves to be Valkyries.

The world had truly gone crazy.

Nesta, the eldest sibling of the sisters, was nice? She had this cold feel to herself, a sharp edge. These three matched well together. I did not want to intrude into a group this tight.

"Was it true?" Gwyn asked, leaning forward in her seat with her tea still in her hands. "The whole— Illyrian camp rescue mission, that was for you?"

A deep line formed between my brows.

Rescue mission? Why would they?

The High Lord, those two males. Didn't they have better things to do than save naked females from their doom?

Nesta had nudged Gwyn in her side pretty hard, earning a "what?" from the female.

I smiled at the attempt to scolding.

"I don't know." I told Gwyn honestly. "Cassian has been looking at me funny after the whole, Clotho situation." My eyes were fixated on the tea in my hands. The warmth seeping through my hands, into my veins. Warming my soul with every sip. "The uhm- the Shadowsinger, he's been—" what was the word?

"Nice?" Emerie finished my sentence for me, and I nodded.

"He usually doesn't speak much. Or at all." Nesta said, "but that's kind of-"

"-hot." Gwyn finished.

All of us looked at the priestess. Surprised that she would say that.

Nesta smirked, and Emerie did the same.

"Gwyn's got a crush on the Shadowsinger." Emerie informed me after a moment. "But that male.. He's either very blind, or just flat out oblivious."

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Have you seen him?" Emerie snorted, "He's all gloomy and weird. Those shadow things consume him all the time."

Darkness was comfort. Shadows were friends.

Right?

"He's a Shadowsinger." I said.

The girls nodded.

"Isn't he supposed to be consumed by them?" It was quite confusing. But my curiosity got the best of me.

Nesta and Emerie explained to me what they knew about the Shadowsinger, and what he could do. They explained many things, and answered my many questions over tea. We gossiped about Cassian, Nesta's mate, and about Azriel. Of course.

About Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court.

Velaris, Nesta told me. The City of Starlight.