Page 75 of Crown of Light and Ashes
The thought unsettles me. I pour myself shadow wine, a rare vintage that can intoxicate even immortals—and drink deeply.
Hours pass. The fire burns low. My mind wanders through corridors of memory, revisiting moments better left forgotten. I shouldsend for Nesilhan, but instead, pour another glass, seeking temporary oblivion. My darkness had pushed Isil to take her life, and our child's life. It was my doing and I hate myself for it. Shadows coil and darken more, my mood plummeting. I take another large swallow of wine, and I don’t stop until the bottle is gone.
Eventually, as midnight approaches, something tugs at my awareness—the blood bond, strangely muted. I reach for it instinctively, seeking Nesilhan's emotions through our connection. Instead of the usual barrier or emotional tumult, I find only distant echoes, faint and troubling, as if she's somehow been dampened or blocked.
I sit up, wine forgotten, focusing on the bond. The muffled quality of this connection sets my shadows writhing. I reach again, stretching my awareness through the magical tether, pushing harder against whatever is interfering.
Still muted, but there—a thread of consciousness, distant and fragile. Something is wrong. Or has the fairy started to interfere again?
Unease transforms into something darker. I rise, throwing open my chamber door.
"Guards!" I call to the men stationed outside. "Where is Lady Nesilhan?"
They exchange nervous glances. "We haven't seen her since late this afternoon, my lord. She was last spotted near the eastern gardens around sunset."
"What do you mean you haven't seen her?" My shadows darken around me. "Has anyone seen her since sunset?"
"There was... an incident in the eastern gardens at sunset, my lord," one guard says hesitantly. "Lady Nesilhan seemed distressed. She was breaking things in the corridor afterward. The garden staff thought it best to give her space. That was perhaps three hours ago."
Fury builds in my chest. "And no one thought to inform me of this?"
The guards pale. "We... we assumed you knew, my lord."
"Find her," I order, shadows lashing violently. "Now."
I stride toward Nesilhan's chambers, shadows billowing like storm clouds. The dampened quality of our bond grows more unsettling with each step.
Her chambers are empty, the bed untouched. I probe every corner with my shadows, seeking any trace of her presence.
Nothing recent.
"Lord Kaan." Emir appears beside me, his expression grave. "The eastern wing guards report Lady Nesilhan hasn't been seen since her... outburst at sunset."
"Have the palace searched," I command. "Every chamber, every passageway, every garden. I want her found immediately."
Emir nods sharply before relaying my orders. I continue alone, my shadows tearing through the corridors ahead.
In the eastern wing, I find evidence of Nesilhan's distress: a shattered vase, a torn tapestry. I've seen her destroy beautiful things when emotions overwhelm her, but this feels different. More violent. More desperate.
The trail leads to a corridor near the old treasury before disappearing. My shadows find faint traces of her scent and something else—a chemical odor that makes them recoil.
"My lord?" A guard approaches cautiously. "We've found blood."
My shadows freeze mid-swirl. "Show me."
In a small alcove, crimson stains the stone floor—not much, but enough to trigger a primal rage that sends my shadows into violent patterns.
"Have it tested," I demand, my tone barely recognizable.
I kneel beside the stain, shadows probing the substance. Fresh, perhaps three hours old—matching the timeline of her disappearance. And there,a small object half-hidden in the shadows.
A silver ring. I recognize it immediately—the band Nesilhanconstantly fidgets with when anxious or deep in thought. A personal item she always wears. She would never willingly abandon it.
Cold fury crystallizes in my chest as I close my fist around the ring. "Who was assigned to her guard today?" I demand of the nearest soldier.
"Damir, my lord. He was supposed to report in after her evening meal, but..."
"But?" I growl.
