𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 - they see right through, can you see right through me?
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐘𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒, each breath they took turning into misty tendrils that curled around them. Alicent shivered, her fingers numb despite the thick gloves she wore, and pulled her black cloak tighter around her body.
Two weeks had passed since they'd set out from the warmth of Velaris, and still, the biting chill of Hybern showed no signs of relenting. Azriel and Alicent pressed on, their boots crunching through layers of frost-crusted snow as they made their way ever northward.
As they trudged through the snow-covered landscape, the world around them seemed frozen in time. Leafless trees reached towards the sky like skeletal fingers, their twisted branches casting eerie shadows on the pristine whiteness below. The only sound was the crunching of snow under their boots, a contrast to the lively hum of Velaris that Alicent had grown accustomed to.
Despite the desolate beauty of Hybern's winter landscape, there was an underlying sense of danger that kept Alicent on edge. She knew that they were venturing deeper into enemy territory with each step they took, their mission to reach the north becoming more perilous with every passing moment.
Her gaze darted to Azriel, his face was a mask of concentration as he scanned the horizon for any signs of danger. His wings were hidden due to glamour, frost was glittering on his black hair. She marveled at how he seemed unaffected by the cold.
The air grew thinner and colder with each mile they covered, and she felt the sting of it in her lungs with every breath. But the Shadowsinger remained steadfast, his pace unwavering as he led them onward.
His presence both comforted and unsettled her. The bitter cold seemed to mirror the icy resolve in her heart. She had spent days cultivating his trust. Each smile, each shared secret, each moment of feigned vulnerability had been meticulously crafted to bring her closer to her goal. Her heart beat a little faster as she thought about the lies and half-truths that had earned her the trust of the Inner Circle. It had been almost too easy, really. Their desperation for allies in this war had made them blind to the viper in their midst.
The cold seemed to seep into her very soul, not just from the biting wind, but from the icy resolve that had taken root in her heart.
A swath of bitter resentment surged through Alicent as her thoughts lingered on the Inner Circle. Those she'd once admired as a child had transmuted into her enemies, blinded by their own arrogance, oblivious to the ironclad duplicity she'd adhered to her sleeve. She felt no remorse for the eventual chaos she would brew within their lives. They held no place in her heart. She hated them.
