A Court of Light and Shadow

Chapter 31

THE HEIRESS

"This is quite the land, my star." The Queen mused to me. My mother had arrived on the lands of Illyria, with a guard flanking each side.

So proud, such ego.

In those 6 seperate months with Azriel, and Cassian, I was taught never to let my ego go to my head. It would play with your mind, and put your weaknesses on display. It would cause mistakes. You'd lose all sense of balance, which always meant death on the battlefields of Illyria. That rule stayed with me, always.

"There won't be much left of it if you burn it." I snapped back at her.

Despite my floating bonds with these people, I had grown quite fond of the Night Court. It would still puzzle me as to why our powers were connected to Dusk. There was no history on it. Nothing to read up on. Dusk had vanished, and never resurfaced, until today. Until me.

Even now, I stared at my mother with nothing but hatred and disgust. There were things I would never forgive her for.

Bits and pieces of my past would stay where they had been buried. Things were fresh now. I had new memories to build. I would not let her ruin me.

"Pity." She mused again, "I've been craving for some place new."

Her voice annoyed me. "What is it you want, mother?" The siphon on my chest flared with rage.

My mother's eyes burned into me, her face sharing no emotion. But even as I stared her down, realization after realization began to hit me. I inhaled deeply to try and bring some calm to myself, to be collected.

"Where is Thesion?" I asked—more like snarled. Mother laughed. An outrageous cackle that would bring steam from my ears if she wasn't careful.

"Your boy toy has other matters to attend to." She quipped.

Sure, Thesion had been my first love many centuries ago, and we had broken things off quicker than I had expected.. But even so, I did not appreciate her new name for her most loyal warrior.

"What matters?" I asked.

Her head cocked to the side, her eyes squinting while her nostrils flared. She breathed in. I was fucked. I was righteously fucked, and I knew so the second her teeth were bared to me.

Two words slipped from her lips. And I froze.

"Seize her."

The sentries at her sides unsheathed their blades, and with wicked smiles on their stupid faces they marched their way forward. Mother kept her ground.

For once I didn't feel the need to scream. To cry, and beg for mercy. For once, I felt confident with myself. Confident enough to hold my own ground, and to fight for my damned life. The siphon on my chest flared to life once more as the two males reached me. It was over. I had sworn to myself to put an end to all of this, right here, right now. And if there was one thing that was true, it was that I kept my promises.

With whatever little knowledge of my mother's ways I had, I held out my hands. Maybe to be cuffed or grabbed. But I was not going to surrender. The sensation of life flowed through my very veins. Instinctively I closed my eyes, but even from behind my eyelids the flash of light was hard to ignore.

A cry sounded.. Two cries, and the sound of two bodies dropping to the ground. Two seperate thuds, and I opened my eyes again.

Both sentries lay there, dead. Their wicked smiles contorted into silent screams of pain, their eyes staring right at me. I killed them– and all I did to do so was close my eyes.

Marvelous.

My eyes stayed glued to these sentries for only a few seconds, because despite their unnecessary deaths, my mother still stood right there.

Our eyes met once more, and a smile as wicked as her own finally found its way onto my face instead. A smile to challenge her, and everything she has ever held dear.

"You're quite something." Solana mused to me. She may be my mother, but she has never been my mom. "Who knew you held such powers in those bones."

I snarled at her, "You did."

"Oh?"

If I could rip her head clean off her torso, I would. I definitely would. I hated her guts, and then some. But I still had some decency left inside me. Not a lot, but some.

"You have always known I would become what you could never be." I snapped, taking a step closer. She stood her ground. "I was merely a pawn in your game. You would sacrifice me if it meant you'd gain power."

"And what if I did, Luna?" She asked, her head tilting ever so slightly. "What if I did sacrifice you for the greater good?"

The laugh that left my lips was unstoppable, and a shock to even myself.

"The greater good?"  I asked with a foul laugh, "You are willing to tear apart a Court that is not yours, for powers that do not belong to you." I stated, "You call that, the greater good?"

Her death would be a relief. Anger boiled my blood. It made my skin burn.

"I sincerely hope this is some sick fucking joke." I spat, taking two steps forward. Finally, she took one step back.

"You have something in possession that has never belonged to you, Luna." She started to explain. I cared very little for her words, but I'd let her speak. Whether I'd let her finish her words however...

"If it means I have to tear apart a world that is not in my name– I shall do so." She now took a step forward, but I did not falter. I stayed put. "This can go one of two ways, my star. I'm giving you a fair chance to choose the one you favor."

Silence filled the air, even as dozens of warriors lost their lives fighting for a war they never wanted all around us. I made a choice. I had made it far before she ever realized, that if she would bring down this land, she would have to bring me down with it.

And in that moment, as hatred finally boiled over, I knew what I had to do to bring my choice to reality.

A sacrifice was in order.

Light enveloped us both.

And the world fell quiet once more.