✦ 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ✦

Sixteen

It was a split second before the darkness receded and Mala was finally able to catch her breath. The last time she had attempted this type of travel she had almost started retching and passed out. Expecting the nausea to overtake her she squeezed her eyes shut.

But it never came.

Peeking out beneath her lashes, there was no foul feeling in her stomach, only misplaced dread. When she realized exactly what she was doing though, she stopped short of herself, her brain short-circuiting. Only a moment ago was Nyx holding her hand and now—now he had his arms wrapped around her torso? Is this what he meant by, "keeping her safe"? Although the notion was half-appreciated, Mala wasn't some helpless fool who relied on fae men to take care of her errands. She wasn't the type of fae as Maeve was, she was better than that, had to be, to be a rightful ruler of Terresan. So instead of snuggling up to Nyx, as Serenity might do, she pushed him and his half-assed embrace away from her, eyes burning with questions.

Did close contact with the magical fae who transported here have any effect on the travel sickness that plagued her the other day?

"No, it don't does, but it was worth a try wasn't it? I do believe the tactic worked," Nyx answered her, reading her thoughts.

"If you wish for things to go well with this Autumn Court fae than I suggest staying the fuck out of my head, you bat-winged fiend," Mala growled at him, while a frown surfaced on his chiseled features.

"Oh Princess, I wouldn't dream of it," he refuted cheerfully, although his facial expression told another story, "Now, we need to go or we're going to be late, and as much as I love a fashionably late entrance, now is not the time for such theatrics."

"Oh I wouldn't dream of tarnishing your prestigious reputation, my faithful prince," Mala jokingly counted back, hoping to throw him off a bit.

Nyx stilled his walking movement, blinking rapidly, but said nothing. He cleared his throat, as if talking right now put him through turmoil.

"Let's go," was how he coldly responded, motioning swiftly for Mala to follow him.

When she turned around though, she didn't think she was capable of doing so. A sinister city sat in front her, tall and pointy towers with spindling spires. It looked like a creepy villain fairytale town, complete with eerie smoke and people who haunted the dusty streets.

"Welcome to Hewn City, also known as The Court of Nightmares," Nyx raised a hand to gesture at the vast city.

Court of Nightmares indeed, the place would be tormenting her thoughts for millennia. An uncanny castle and steeples were settled beneath a large and intimidating carved out mountain, with the rocks posing as clouds in danger of falling down. Did people actually feel safe enough to go about their daily lives when there seemed to be a constant threat of rocks raining down on them? Hopefully Mala wouldn't have to stay too long in this awful place to find out if the rocks were really that secure from their places on the ceiling.

As if reading her thoughts, which he probably was, Nyx the arrogant male himself declared, "Don't be too put off dear, we'll only be here for some time so that we may gain some information and then we may leave," he assured her, his voice purring in the back of his throat.

Him with his dearest pet names like dear and dearest, playing a pretend gentleman. Mala walked to his standstill side. A cat-like grin was gracing his elegant features, while fangs peeked out beneath his lips. And his lips, oh his lips—enough of that now, she couldn't spend all her time fantasizing things about Nyx when she clearly didn't even belong in the same world as him.

His grin widened and Mala tried and failed to keep her head blank. If he was reading her thoughts right now—

"Princess, as much as I'd love to read your mind every second of day and night, I regret to inform you that you really must keep the walls of your mind up and intact before anyone from this sleazy city tries to infract on your precious and treasured head," Nyx put his calloused well-formed hand on her backside, light as a feather but a noble reassurance that he would be at her side while she journeyed into the harrowed city.

As one would expect though, Mala made a promise to herself. A promise of that if Hewn City really did present itself as a Court of Nightmares, then she indeed would prove to be even more nightmarish than any of the villains in unrealistic fairytales. Karma was real, and she would serve it as due.

~tev <3