"Yes," Maren said, looking at Lexi as if she were crazy to have forgotten. "When we decided to wed, you said you wanted a small party before the wedding that was all our own, with only the people closest to us."
"Oh."
Lexi's lips parted in awe. The party was everything she could have wanted. The decorations were elegant, yet modest with slight bursts of color in yellow, white and blue.
The warmth of the lighting gave the perfect ambiance, and the music was upbeat and lively. Guests danced, the colors of the Star Court among them, shining bright.
It was, in a word, perfect.
Like a dream.
"Lexi," Thirteen's voice resounded.
The court member emerged from among the crowd, her expression peaceful.
"Darling, I can't tell you how happy I am that you and Maren have chosen each other," she said, placing a hand gently on Lexi's arm. "And what you've done for our country will be written about in legends. I can't tell you how much it means to me — to us."
Her arm moved, gesturing to the dancing Star Court members.
Lexi's eyes widened, remembering that image. It flashed through her mind — Thirteen's serious expression as she gazed up at her, shadows cast across her face.
On a dreary November night, Lexi had stumbled home from the bars, drunken and with wobbly knees. Her neck, jaw and chest were marked with light bruises of lust and lipstick stains in shades of red and pink.
She'd just turned 21. Some of the older Knights in the guard had invited her out and treated her to an endless array of adult drinks and hearty laughs in celebration of her birthday. And that night, she celebrated to her heart's content.
Goddess knew she hardly ever had the chance to.
Lexi's family line, leading back to the thirdborn son of the Darkwood King, had since been under watch by the Empire.
Prince Koren Raine Darkwood.
Thirdborn son.
Fourthborn child.
First child born to the Infernal Bloodline.
And Lexi's direct ancestor.
Because of something as simple as timing, mixed with a dash of chance at the time of conception, Prince Koren was able to be born. And since then, each of his descendants were forced to take the name Raine, so that the Empire could watch their every move.
Surprisingly, Lexi didn't mind it as much as some might. Perhaps it was because she was raised with the knowledge that she was under surveillance or perhaps because she had nothing to hide.
Her family was provided housing, meals and the best education money could buy. They were given status in society and allowed to keep regular jobs, provided they never stepped out of line, with their powers or otherwise.
Nothing had changed for hundreds of years.
Until one day, Thirteen approached Lexi with a proposal, in secret.
"So I…I did it?" Lexi asked her.
Thirteen shot her a look. "Of course, child. Carbouran has been celebrating for days now. Our world is finally free of those dreadful spirits."
Relief washed over Lexi. In the long months tracking down the Darkspirits whereabouts, she hadn't realized the tension and stress that had built up in her own body.
She looked over at Maren, who gazed back happily.
Lexi lifted her gaze back to Thirteen, her heart hammering in her chest. Removing the Darkspirits wasn't just about making their country safe.
It was about removing the stain on her name.
That her cursed bloodline doesn't make her who she is.
And about proving to herself that she's good enough to marry Maren.
I did it? I actually, truly, defeated them? She asked herself.
And just as the weight on her heart suddenly lightened, she felt that cold grip on her shoulder.
Are you truly so pathetic that you've mistaken this fantasy for truth? The creature asked, amusement in its disembodied, ungendered voice. Even at your age, you still crumble at the weight of your own delusion.
Lexi shivered, unable to look back and meet its cold gaze.
In a second, the world around her dissipated into shadow, and she was thrust back into darkness.
Or do you simply enjoy lying to yourself?
Lexi's eyes widened in fear.
The monster chuckled.
It's sickening.
Unless she uses her power, the monster was never able to get so close. It always clung to the shadows, and she assumed it couldn't get closer without her using it.
Look at me...
Lexi stayed frozen in place, disbelief rattling her better senses.
Now, she knew just how wrong she was.
LOOK AT ME!
The monster jerked her shoulder back, turning her with a ferocity. Lexi shut her eyes tight, refusing its gaze. She could feel its heaving, bloody metallic breath on her face, as if it were truly standing in front of her and not an apparition of the mind.
Fine, it said more amused than defeated. If you won't listen to me, then perhaps you'll find reason in them.
And suddenly, Lexi was thrust forward. Viscous winds whipped at her, and her eyes were forced open by the strength of it. She struggled to catch her breath, taking in her surroundings all at once. There was a distinct ringing in her ear, like she'd been knocked unconscious and had begun to awaken.
She looked to her right.
Then to her left.
Lexi stood, fourth in line among six — two young men and a young woman at her right, and two girls, in their mid to late teens to her left.
Her heart hammered in her chest, in woeful submission of her true feelings. But more than that, Lexi was confused. The six of them stood, lined up at attention behind a throne, standing on a royal perch. Lexi, herself, was directly behind the throne, hidden from the naval, down.
The world seemed to be drained of color — like someone had washed a painting in a grey-blue sheen. Shadow and light were more contrasted, so when she looked beyond the perch, the crowd appeared to blur into shadow.
Lexi did not recognize their faces, yet her instincts told another story.
Fear toiled inside her.
She craned her neck forward to get a better look at the person sitting on the throne but could not see his face. He was a grown man but his age a mystery. His scruffy, unkept hair was the color of a raven's wing and skin pale as the makeup on a corpse.
Soon, she began to hear the faint, chaotic cacophony of a crowd — wild and excited. Her mind and vision were disoriented, so when she was finally able to pick up sound, she became more rooted in the moment.
Then, Lexi felt a slight tug at the cuff of her shirt.
She turned to her left, gazing down at the girl. She was no more than eighteen, her skin a deep shade of brown and her eyes were so dark they were almost black — like her own. The girl's hair was pulled back in a sleek, braided ponytail that swung gently behind her.
"Stop fidgeting," she mouthed, her almond shaped eyes commanding her to stop.
And yet, Lexi couldn't help but notice the silent plea behind those dark eyes.
She was confused yet felt the seriousness of the situation.
"Silence."
His voice echoed through the halls, piercing Lexi's ears with its deep tenor.
Everything inside Lexi came to a sudden halt.
Her breath.
Her body.
Even her eyelids refused to blink.
In fact, the whole room fell to a sudden silence.
And then, the man on the throne stood.
He was no taller than a regular tall man — muscular and fit, yet no larger than the average soldier.
And yet, his presence commanded everything within her to come to a complete halt. As if even the act of movement in his presence were a sin. As if it were absolutely imperative that she hang on his every word, holding her breath until given permission to breathe.
As if autonomy or choice were illegal.
She stood there, staring at the back of this man's head. She wanted to move, but his energy weighed down on her like a rushing waterfall. It took everything in her just to keep her shaking knees locked in place so that she would not fall and cause a scene.
"For his bravery," he spoke.
His voice carved through her heart like frozen iron.
Her fingers shook at her side, twitching, though the rest of her body was still as stone.
The girl beside her grasped her hand — quickly squeezing it — but not entirely in comfort. It was like she was begging Lexi to stop moving.
"I have decided to reward my son — who defied what was thought impossible — carrying the bloody blessing from my loins, of the Otherworld."
Quickly, the girl released her warm grip on her hand.
Lexi looked down, unsure why.
But when she faced back forward, she understood completely.
Lexi had not known his face, yet gazing into those eyes — completely void of life — she knew exactly who he was.
He had turned to face them, gazing at her with those soulless eyes —
The Darkwood King.
"Koren Darkwood," he spoke, his steely gaze fixed on Lexi.
"You are honored with the title of Commander of the Aphotic Army[1]."
Lexi couldn't remove her gaze from his.
He kept her in place with nothing but his gaze, lightheaded and without breath.
And then, he turned back toward the crowd of shadows.
She watched as The King lifted his arms, and just as the crowd found its voice again— their voices were cut off by the piercing sound of nothing.
In less than a second, silence swallowed the world around them.
The King was frozen in place, his arms lifted toward the heavens, as if he'd just made some grand declaration. As if that waste of time were more than a narcissist's feast.
Lexi couldn't hear anything at all, not even her own breath. She exhaled sharply, though no sound met her ears.
She blinked, finally, and found the courage to move.
She turned her head to the left, and a shiver ran down her spine.
Both girls stared back --- even the whites of their eyes void --- like the Kings.
Lexi's breath grew more frantic, yet no sound dared make the mistake of escaping in the hall of the Darkwood King. She stumbled back, and instinctively, her head snapped to her right.
And just like the two on the left, the three on the right stared back, their eyes a similar abyss.
Lexi took another wobbly step, her back meeting the cold of a wall.
And just when she thought she was completely trapped, something seized her by the collar and yanked her through.
[1] Fun fact: Aphotic literally just means void of light. A -- meaning none or without. Phot -- the Greek root word for light. It basically refers to the deep zone of water where light cannot reach.