A Muse of Night

EIGHTEEN

     There was a court dinner to be held, talk about the Keepers erupted around the room. After the trial of the bastards that killed me and the Queen, the Keepers have been isolated from our society.

Tapping my fingers against the wood of my chair, my shadow flickered around with anger. I watched it move, my emotions stoic as confusion rocked me. It only reacted when I was in danger. Alex sat next to me, leaning his head down as he whispered low in my ear. "What's wrong?" He asked me, I sighed knowing he wouldn't agree with my instincts.

"I don't know, my shadow feels something." I whispered back as court stayed in conversation about the Keepers. My instincts were nearly always right and since becoming a Vampire they've only become more intense. It was never nearly this peaceful in Night Court, especially with the recent events. I turned my head back to Alex, "Where are the guards?" I asked, looking about the room as I noticed there were only two guards in the entire room.

Then the lights flickered, eyeing the floor as my shadow moved around the room. My heart thumping deeply in my chest as my gaze turned up to another Vampire. Ambassador Taylor sat across from all of us, until his scarlet eyes rolled back into his face. Foaming at the mouth as his head dropped against the table. The light bulbs shattered above our heads as court erupted into screaming. A storm of spells screamed into the night as the hair on my arms rose to alert my mind, a metallic scent rolled in my nose. A mixture of blood and magic which only meant one clear thing.

Shit, I said low under my breath. Court scattered from the room with fear, taking over the air as the crowd disappeared from my sight other than a few Vampires. Majority of the Ambassadors stayed behind and drew up their guard, but that wouldn't help our situation. I looked to Leon and Jean, grabbing them by their arms as I said to them. "It's witches, find them immediately." I cued, they disappeared from my sight.

An Ambassador yelled at me as he tried to conduct himself correctly, "Who is going to protect us? Don't send them out!" He told me but I ignored him. Holstein stepping towards me as he clutched onto Kate's hand. The room rattled as a small earthquake gathered under our feet. "Look what you've done, you're going to get us killed!" He yelled, I opened my mouth and crossed my arms.

My palms brushing against each other as electricity struck against my fingertips. Conjuring a spell as the air left my body, choking on the feeling of someone's hands wrapped around my neck. "Silentium. Dolor." The voice snapped my attention to the door as an older witch stepped out from the light into the darkness. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she looked possessed. The Vampires around my dropping to their knees as she clutched their skin. Pain retorted in my body as I attempted to step forward, "You might have trouble conjuring magic now your highness, you can try but it might just kill you." She giggled viciously, clawing her finger out as she sought her magic.

Fingernails scraping against the ground as I tried to force my voice out. My vision breaking as the gaze blurred. Memories flooding my mind as I grew reminded of the day of my death. My shadow flickered around every instance of my body. Tempting me to curse the witch as I allowed my shadow to curl around my skin. Devouring her spell like I needed it, the thick air around me subsided. Leaving me back in power.

I took a harsh breath as I spoke, a smile found my lips as I looked up with my lashes. "Didn't your mother every teach you manners?" I asked the witch, her eyes widened with surprise.

"How?" She stuttered for a moment, "How did you stop my spell? Tell me!" When the older witch yelled the room shook, she had to be powerful to call such an earthquake with just her anger. The Vampires stood their ground, approaching the Witch in attempt to catch her. She laughed a final time before she called out a familiar spell. "Solis." Light beamed from her palms, we all hissed and turned away from the artificial sunlight. It burned my skin as I tried to cover my face with my hands.