Chapter 11 Chapter 10
The Court gathering was even more terrifying than I'd imagined.
Kael had spent all day drilling me until I could summon and shape shadows without thinking, until my power responded to my will instead of my emotions. By the time evening came, I was exhausted but ready. Or as ready as I'd ever be to perform like a trained animal for a room full of vampires.
Now I stood beside Thalia's throne in a dress someone had brought to my room. Black silk that clung to my body and made me feel exposed despite covering everything. My hair had been styled, my face made up. They'd dressed me like a prize, and I hated every second of it.
"Remember," Kael murmured from his position behind the throne, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "Controlled. Impressive. Don't let your emotions take over."
I nodded slightly, not trusting my voice. The throne room was filled with vampires from the Nightfall Court, all watching me with varying degrees of curiosity and hunger. And at the far end, the envoys from the Crimson Court were being announced.
Five vampires entered, all dressed in shades of red that made them look like walking bloodstains. At their head was a woman with auburn hair and eyes that glowed like embers. She moved with the same predatory grace as Thalia, and the smile she gave the Queen was all sharp edges.
"Morgana," Thalia greeted, her voice cool. "How lovely of you to visit."
"Thalia." Morgana's gaze swept the room before landing on me. "And this must be the Shadow Witch we've heard so much about. She's younger than I expected."
"Age is irrelevant when it comes to power," Thalia said. "As you're about to see."
Morgana's smile widened. "I do hope the demonstration is worth the journey. The Crimson Court has traveled quite far on the promise that you possess something valuable. We'd hate to be disappointed."
"You won't be." Thalia stood, gesturing for me to step forward. "Seraphine, if you would."
This was it. The moment everything had been building toward. I moved to the center of the room, feeling hundreds of eyes tracking my every movement. My heart hammered against my ribs, but I forced myself to breathe steadily. Kael's training echoed in my mind. Control. Discipline. Channel the fear into focus.
"Show them," Thalia commanded. "Show them what Shadow Witch magic looks like."
I closed my eyes for just a moment, reaching for the power that lived inside me. It rose eagerly, hungry to be used after a day of constant practice. But this time, I didn't let it overwhelm me. This time, I was the one in control.
I opened my eyes and let the shadows come.
They poured from me like water from a broken dam, but instead of exploding outward in chaos, they moved with purpose. I shaped them into forms, creatures made of living darkness that prowled around the room. Wolves with eyes that glowed like stars. Ravens that circled overhead. A dragon that coiled around the pillars, so detailed I could see individual scales made of shadow.
The vampires drew back, and I saw fear flicker across more than one face. Good. That was what Thalia wanted. What I needed them to feel.
"Beautiful," Morgana breathed, but there was calculation in her eyes. "But beauty alone doesn't win wars. Can she fight with it?"
"Of course." Thalia gestured, and four of her vampire soldiers stepped forward, weapons drawn. "Defend yourself, Seraphine. Don't hold back."
My stomach dropped. This wasn't part of what Kael had prepared me for. We'd practiced displays, demonstrations, not actual combat against trained vampire warriors. But I didn't have time to protest. The soldiers were already moving, faster than human eyes could track.
Instinct took over. The shadow creatures I'd created surged forward, intercepting the soldiers. The wolves attacked in a coordinated pack, driving two of the vampires back. The ravens dove at another, forcing her to defend her face. And I shaped new shadows into weapons, a whip that cracked through the air and wrapped around the fourth soldier's ankle, yanking him off balance.
But they were good. Centuries of training showed in every movement. One of them broke through my defenses, moving so fast I barely saw him. His blade was aimed at my throat, and I knew with crystal clarity that if it connected, I was dead.
Shadow exploded from me in pure panic, and suddenly there was a wall of darkness between us. The soldier's blade struck it and stopped like he'd hit solid stone. I pushed, and the shadow wall became a wave that threw all four soldiers backward, slamming them into the far wall with enough force to crack the stone.
The room fell silent. Even my shadow creatures had frozen, responding to my shock at what I'd just done.
"Impressive," Morgana said finally, though her voice was tight. "Very impressive indeed. It seems the rumors weren't exaggerated."
"They weren't." Thalia's satisfaction was evident. "The Shadow Witch is everything the prophecy promised. Powerful. Deadly. And she belongs to the Nightfall Court. Any attempt to take her will be met with the full force of her abilities. I trust that's clear?"
"Abundantly." Morgana's eyes never left me, and I didn't like what I saw in them. Not fear. Interest. Like she was already planning how to steal me despite the demonstration. "Though I wonder, does she always respond so violently to threats? That kind of power, triggered by fear, seems difficult to control."
"She's learning," Thalia said, but there was an edge to her voice. A warning.
"Of course." Morgana smiled and turned back to Thalia. "Thank you for the demonstration. The Crimson Court will take your message under consideration. Though I suspect this won't be the last time we discuss the Shadow Witch's future."
"I suspect you're right," Thalia said coolly.
The Crimson Court envoys left, and the moment they were gone, my legs nearly gave out. I'd done it. I'd actually done it. But the cost was written in every trembling muscle, every gasping breath.
Kael was beside me instantly, his hand on my elbow steadying me. "You did well," he said quietly.
"I nearly killed your soldiers," I whispered.
"They're fine. Bruised, but fine." His grip tightened. "You protected yourself. That's what matters."
"Is it?" I looked up at him, and I saw something flicker in those silver eyes. Something that looked almost like pride.
"Yes," he said firmly. "It is."
Thalia descended from her throne, and the room cleared quickly, vampires melting away until it was just us. The Queen, Kael, and me.
"That was adequate," Thalia said, which I suspected was high praise from her. "Though Morgana is right about one thing. Your power is still reactive. Triggered by emotion. That makes you unpredictable."
"I'm working on it," I said, finding my voice.
"Work harder." She turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, and Seraphine? Don't think I didn't notice how quickly you protected yourself. How thoroughly. You have killer instincts. Good. We'll need them in the days to come."
She left, and I sagged against Kael, suddenly too exhausted to stand on my own.
"Come on," he said gently. "Let's get you back to your room."
He half-carried me through the corridors, and I was too tired to be embarrassed about it. When we reached my door, he helped me inside and guided me to sit on the bed.
"That was too much," I said. "She pushed too hard."
"She tested your limits," Kael corrected. "And you exceeded them. That's good, Seraphine. It means you're stronger than even I realized."
"I'm terrified," I admitted. "All the time. I'm so scared I'm going to lose control and hurt someone I don't mean to hurt."
"Fear can be useful." He knelt in front of me, his hands on my knees, his eyes level with mine. "It keeps you sharp. Aware. Just don't let it consume you."
"How do you do it?" I asked. "How do you live for centuries carrying all that power and never let it control you?"
"Practice," he said. "And honestly, Seraphine? Sometimes I do let it control me. I'm not the saint you seem to think I am. I've made mistakes. Terrible ones. But I've learned from them. And so will you."
We stayed like that for a moment, him kneeling in front of me, me looking down at this ancient creature who somehow made me feel safer than I had any right to feel. Then he stood, stepping back, putting professional distance between us again.
"Rest," he said. "Tomorrow we continue training."
"There's always tomorrow," I said tiredly.
"Yes," he agreed. "But each tomorrow, you're stronger. Remember that."
He left, and I collapsed onto the bed fully clothed, too exhausted to even kick off my shoes. Within minutes, I was asleep.
I dreamed of shadows and blood and a woman's voice whispering a warning I couldn't quite hear.
And when I woke hours later to find Azrael sitting on the edge of my bed, his expression darker than I'd ever seen it, I knew something had gone very, very wrong.
"Get up," he said urgently. "We need to talk about what just happened tonight. Because Seraphine, you just painted a target on your back bigger than you can possibly imagine."