A Court of Night and Starlight

Chapter XIV

Warning: This chapter contains themes of mental abuse. Proceed at your own discretion.

My eyes fly open and I gasp.

I'm sprawled on the floor of the bathing room. Outside, night has fallen, stars glitter like pinpricks of pale light, but they'll never beat the ones in the Night Court.

I sit up slowly and wince. How long was I out? Obviously more than hour. Did I miss dinner? Did one of Tamlin's sentries come in and check on me? Did they find me here and decide to leave and not make sure I was alright?

I wouldn't expect them to do that, anyway. If any found me unconscious on the bathing room floor, they would probably celebrate because they didn't have to hurt me themselves.

But what I saw...

Was that happening right now? Is my family currently in the Winter Court searching for Amaris and me? Hope sparks in my chest. But I still wonder how I was able to see them. I'm not a Daemati, and even if I was, I couldn't use the ability while wearing the blue stone cuffs, so how could I peer across lands to see my family?

I replay the whole encounter in my head. And I dread the answer I come to.

The Cauldron.

That was the ancient presence next to me. Watching over my shoulder. I was body-snatched by the Cauldron.

But why would it deign to grant me a glimpse of my family? Why not show me Mari, instead?

A horrible possibility occurs. What if she's dead? Just like my mother feared we both were? And the Cauldron couldn't show me my sister because she's no longer alive.

No.

I won't accept that. Tamlin and the Autumn heirs wanted Amaris alive and unharmed so she could destroy the Night Court. They wouldn't kill her.

Right?

Amaris

The Beast sits across from me.

I stare ahead blankly, seeing but not seeing. He sets the cup of tea he was drinking down on the low table between us with a clink that's too loud. The Golden One sits next to me.

We're in some type of lounge area. Outside the the sky is black and tiny little lights shine high above. They look familiar.

The Golden One takes a sip of his own tea. "Rumor has it that the High Lord and High Lady of Night are going Court to Court, searching for their missing children." 

"That's why she's going tomorrow," the Beast tells the Golden One. "Before they can arrive here and search the Spring Court." He focuses his green eyes on me. So green. "Are you ready to go home, Amaris?" The Beast asks me.

Home.

The word sounds familiar, just like the little lights looked familiar, but I can't quite place why.

"She's not going to respond unless I allow her to," says the Golden One.

"Then allow her," the Beast snarls.

The Golden One hums contently. "But I like it when the sweet thing is quiet."

The Beast rolls his eyes. "Be that as it may, if she can't talk then how will we convince the Night Court that she's not being mind-controlled?"

The one next to me sits up and stares at me with those golden eyes. So golden. "You may speak." 

The talons in my mind loosen, ever so slightly, allowing me the gift of speech. But my mouth remains closed. I have nothing to say.