Page 30 of Court of Aether and Shadows

The steps leading up to it were lined with precious gems that glowed with an inner fire, their light bending towards the throne rather than illuminating it.

As we approached the dais, Kaelon produced a robe of intricate golden armor, pulling it from the very shadows aroundus. He offered it to me with a deep bow, head inclined to avoid meeting my gaze directly.

I allowed him to drape the garment over my still-damp form, feeling the metal warm against my skin.

It was a masterpiece of Fae craftsmanship, each plate and link imbued with powerful protective magics. It molded to my body like a second skin, enhancing rather than hiding my physique.

I felt the armor drink in the light around it, adding to my aura of barely contained power.

Once properly dressed, I ascended the steps to my throne. The very air around me darkened and thickened with my proximity.

I sat with deliberate grace, throwing one leg casually over the arm of the throne in a deceptively relaxed pose. The void-stone embraced me, tendrils of absolute darkness curling around my form like possessive lovers.

I’ve returned to the place where I belonged and desired.

At the base of the dais, five of my Shadow Knights materialized from the darkness. My elite guards, beings of living shadow given form and purpose by my will alone.

Their armor was a deeper black than the darkest night, adorned with runes that glowed with a cold, blue light. Where their faces should have been, there was only a swirling void, occasionally pierced by points of light like distant stars.

As one, they knelt, heads bowed in absolute submission. The sound of their armor clicking against the floor echoed ominously through the vast chamber, sending a thrill of satisfaction through me.

"Speak,"I commanded, letting my voice resonate with otherworldly power. I felt the very air vibrate with the force of my will. This type of speech was different from how I spoke to my little Songbird.

It was bold with authority and eliminated any type of weakness.

The lead Knight raised its head, its featureless face somehow conveying both pride and subservience. When it spoke, its voice was like the whisper of steel leaving a scabbard.

"My Lord, we have captured the five humans responsible for the attack on your chosen queen. They await your judgment in the depths of the dungeons."

What divine timing…

A cruel smile curved my lips. I felt my eyes blaze with sadistic anticipation, the shadows around the throne writhing in response to my emotions.

"Excellent work, my faithful servants. These vermin will learn the folly of their actions."I leaned forward, dropping my voice to a silken purr that I knew was more terrifying than any shout could be."You will torture them, break them in ways their pitiful human minds cannot even conceive. When death finally comes for them, you will deny it, reviving them only to begin the process anew."

I felt the Shadow Knights tremble with dark glee at my commands, the points of light in their void faces pulsing rapidly in submission.

Their anticipation was palpable, feeding my own cruel excitement.

"Be creative in your methods,"I continued, my tone almost conversational."I want them to experience every form of suffering our realm has to offer. The Pits of Endless Falling. The Gardens of Flaying Thorns. The Chambers of Inverted Sensation. Use them all."

I paused, savoring the excitement that radiated from my knights.

Then, with a wave of my hand, I conjured an image in the air before me.

Her.

My chosen queen, in the human world.

She was training, her movements a deadly dance that stirred my blood. Even through the magical projection, her power called to me — sang to the darkness within me.

"When you have extracted every scream, every whimper, every ounce of suffering their bodies can produce, you will return them to the human realm,"I said, my eyes never leaving her image."One by one, their broken corpses will be discovered by those who dare to hunt my queen as if she were mere prey."

I shifted the projection, showing a group of men in suits poring over documents. My lip curled in disgust at the sight of them.

"These are the ones who think themselves her masters.,”I said it with pure mockery because that’s what it was.

Pure elation thinking they can cage my Songbird who was destined to be free. Defiant and all.

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