The Shadow Court

Chapter 21 - Power

Ever since her awakening, Nadia had felt like she was sleepwalking.

A subtle pain constantly burned behind her eyes. Her body always felt cold and slightly numb. The memories of her time before waking up were scattered and blurry. Mostly images of a bush and a blonde-haired boy named Harley. Oddly enough, she remembered being in love with that boy. He'd introduced her to a new life; a new home. He'd shown her what the world truly looked like. She didn't, however, remember exactly what had happened to him. One night, he'd simply vanished, along with the life they'd created together.

Weirdest of all: he always called her April.

Walking felt strange, as if her body hadn't supported itself in years. Her muscles vibrated with some sort of energy, which the king had said was keeping her alive. However, Nadia never remembered dying in the first place. The energy, in addition to keeping her alive and warm, also allowed her to do some incredible things. Every time Nadia imagined something moving, it would happen by itself. She'd woken up a few days ago, and the king had relayed her whereabouts and everything about the Shadow Court telepathically, but she hadn't begun to explore her new abilities in depth yet. Her room consisted of a grey sheeted bed, a set of drawers for clothes (mostly sport or stealth gear) and a mirror lining one of the walls. However, the mirror contained a spiderweb of cracks from her latest experiment. She had simply waved her hand, feeling the energy flow from her mind to her fingertips, and the glass had shattered as if a bullet had been fired.

Telekinesis. The ability to manipulate objects with the mind. That's what the King had said. Now, his court had three apprentices. Three very skilled and very dangerous apprentices.

Nadia. The King's voice echoed inside her head. Report to the training room.

She'd been trying to rest for the whole day, but a hundred whispers resonated in her thoughts. It felt like being surrounded by ghosts. Overall, Nadia felt completely overwhelmed, like she'd died and come back to life.

A guard was waiting just outside the bedroom door. He escorted Nadia silently to the training room, probably under the King's orders. Callum and Rose were present as well, kneeling before their master. Nadia joined them, feeling the King's energy pulsing throughout the room with her telekinesis. The air rippled from the effects of his psychic mind, and Nadia could feel the vibrations. It was a strange sensation, almost like standing waist deep in a light swell.

"Good, you're all here." The King spoke aloud this time. "The reason I summoned all three of you, as opposed to your regular one-on-one training, is for an introduction."

Nadia narrowed her eyes at the ground. The other two apprentices had already met her, so she saw no point in any announcement.

"The Shadow Queen joined our ranks three days ago." The King stated, now pacing slowly in front of them. "However, the conditions of her transformation were significantly different." He paused. "The energy required to revive her almost depleted my power entirely. I'm afraid my abilities are limited now."

On Nadia's right, Rose exhaled loudly, like a sigh. "That doesn't seem strategic, your highness. You know the rebels will stage their attacks with you as their target, right? Don't you need all the strength you can get?"

The King made a raspy noise that sounded like a laugh. "I still have enough to deal with their little tricks, just not enough to destroy them all by myself." He stopped pacing and locked his red eyes onto Rose's. "That's where you three come in."