A Song of Silence

Chapter 101: Shadows in the Dark

Thank you to @loulouiseml for your support of A Song of Silence and the 100th chapter of my book! Your support means the world to me!!

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The stadium went stark silent after my proclamation. Gasps and murmurs followed my words. The winner of the duel was giving up her power to her younger sister? It was almost unheard of for someone to give up power and here I was giving it up of my own free will. I glanced to Karasi to meet her worried gaze. She knew of my plan and suspected of her true heritage since I had gone to her rooms and explained my plan not a day prior. I was not suited for a throne alone. It was too corrupting and I would never be respected by the assassins unless I ruled by fear. I was not my father and that was not how I wanted people to see me.

Karasi on the other hand was widely respected by many for just being a seer. That was why seers were often kept in the Capital city, near the royal family, so that they were as protected as the royals themselves. Karasi was a reverential figure and had not allowed her seer status to corrupt or change her. It was one of the things I greatly admired about her. She had been blessed with power and endless support all her life and it had not changed her. That was what would make her a good leader if the assassins. She would clean the guild of corruption and change the organization to be a force for good. She had the vision, bloodline, and drive to do so. I had every faith in her that she would be able to do wonders with her position once I made sure the transition of power was complete.

The referee stuttered at my proclamation, "I am sorry, my lady. I must have misheard you. Did you say that you were giving up your newly won position in favor of your younger relative, Lady Karasi Sightseer?"

I nodded at the young fae female. She seemed nervous at the new turn of events. A change of power was rocky at best, but power being freely given from one person to another after it had been won made for rocky times. "You heard me correctly. I am giving up any and all claim to the guild throne in favor of Lady Karasi SightSeer."

She seems stunned and appalled, "But...but why, my lady?"

I shake my head at her, "It is not a throne for me, that is all. I never wanted it in the first place and chose to fight for my own reasons. Lady Karasi will rule better than I ever could anyway." She seems comforted by my words. The crowd still silent around us, watches our interactions. Sensing that the crowd will soon grow bored, I clap my hand and order, "Every assassin is to report to the keep immodestly for the appointment of the new Grand Assassin!" As if like clockwork, a large number of the crowd, dressed in assassins gear or disguised as a civilian, ruses and heads for the many exits in the colosseum. Some by standards make their way to the keep as well. What is to come us sure to be a show and nobody wants to miss it.

Turning to Karasi, I say, "Wear whatever you like, but remember, it will set the precedent for the rest of your rule." She nods before walking off towards an exit as well. Left all alone in the middle of the empty stands, I finally gaze at the bloated, lifeless body of my father that still lays in the sand. It is pitiful and doesn't resemble in the slightest, the man than he used to be. Strong and capable, yet cruel. Now he was only a bloated corpse of flesh, bones, and too little blood.

"You did well," a familiar voice said behind me. A small smile appears on the corner of my mouth before I manage to cover it.

Turning around, I respond, "How would you know? You weren't here."

Azazel smiles at my sass before answering, "My presence would have distracted you and turned the crowds attention towards me once they learned who I was. Tonight was about you and only you. I did not want to take that away from you with my presence."

I cross my arms stubbornly, "And when my father was beating the living shit out of me? Where were you then?"

Azazel looks sorrowfully at my bare arms that used to be covered in bruises. Trying to keep things light, he responds, "I thought you didn't need a male to fight your battles for you?" Noticing my unchanging expression, he adds, "I would have rushed down to the sands if I didn't believe that you could win on your own. I did what I could by moving my shadows to speak to you, but if I had thought you were in any real danger, I would not have hesitated to reach you." He reaches for me and grabs my forearms delicately, "Are you angry with be for not interfering, firefly? Speak truly."

A sigh of relief escapes me before I can stop it as I lunge forward and embrace Azazel. "No, I'm not angry. Just posed at myself that I got the shut kicked out of me, that's all." Azazel relaxes in my arms and hugs me back.

"Good," is all he says before I pull back from the hug. Still holding my forearms, he looks down at my missing hand mournfully, "I am truly sorry about your hand."

I shrug my shoulders, "Oh, it's alright. I hadn't really felt it's absence until now and compared to being dead, I would have rather to have lost my hand."

"But you still lost it because I didn't intervene," he argues.

I raise my eyebrow at him, "Didn't you just explain why you couldn't step in and help me? Look if this continues, we are going to do nothing but talk in circles. What is done is done and there is nothing that can be done about it." Instead of agreeing like I want him to, Azazel remains quiet, his brows furrowed in concentration. "What, what is it?" I ask. Instead of replying, he puts his palm to my one remaining hand and closes his fingers around mine. I reluctantly mimic his actions as I wait for his next move.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but my abilities are fairly unique for a controller of shadows."

"Yes, I had noticed, but what does that have to do with anything?" I reply.

"One of my more unique abilities is to create objects out of shadows. Even sometimes shadow people."

"So?" I ask, utterly confused.

"It was not an ability that I was born with, but one that took years of practice in order to hone my abilities to be the best that they could be."

"Your point," I asked, now on the verge of becoming irritated.

"I taught my mother how to do it and Adonis as well."

Well that was a surprise. "They actually learned how to do it?"

"Yes, in a surprisingly short amount of time they managed to learn it quite effectively." He responds.

"Are you going to take long to explain this? I have places to be."

A short chuckle erupts from him before he continues, "My point is, what if you could do the same with your missing hand. It wouldn't be a true hand, of course, and when your magic was drained you wouldn't be able to create it, but it would be something, at least."

A small spark of hope arises in my chest, "Fo you truly think I could learn such a thing?"

"Of course," he responds simply.

"Well, how did you teach them?" I ask.

"I simply told them that their magic is an extension of themselves. It takes whatever form they wish it to take, so why can't you just will it into something new?"

"Because magic doesn't work that way," I respond simply. It was something we had all her taught from a young age by our magic tutors. Magic only worked the way it first manifested. For me it was spiderwebbed lighting and Azazel thick, heavy shadows.

He only smirks before responding, "Does it?" Before he disappears into thin air.