Court of Aether and Shadows (Crowned Monster Trilogy #1)

33. Skin Care Of The Century

Skin Care Of The Century

~ S PARROW~

I sprawled across my bed in the academy dorms, watching in fascination as Nyx arranged what seemed like an entire store's worth of skincare products on the crystalline vanity.

The void wolf moved with deliberate grace, organizing bottles and jars that seemed to contain everything from captured starlight to actual galaxy dust.

"Alright," Nyx announced, holding up a delicate glass vial that swirled with cosmic energy. "We start with the pre-cleanse oil. It has essences of void-touched roses and starlight extract." She caught my bewildered expression in the mirror and grinned, her galaxy eyes sparkling with mischief. "What? Don't tell me you've never seen a proper skincare routine before."

I shifted uncomfortably on the silk sheets, still not used to such luxury after years of threadbare cots.

"Actually..." I started, watching as she applied the oil in precise circular motions, "I just use soap and water."

The vial nearly slipped from Nyx's fingers.

She spun to face me, her multicolored hair creating aurora patterns in her wake.

"I'm sorry, you what?"

"Soap. Water." I shrugged, feeling suddenly self-conscious under her incredulous stare. "Sometimes I'd get lucky and find unscented lotion at the drugstore, but that was pretty much it."

"Sweet celestial mercy," Nyx breathed, abandoning her routine to perch on the edge of my bed. "You're telling me you've never properly cared for your skin? Not even basic moisturizer?"

A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

"The Underground wasn't exactly big on self-care, Nyx. Especially not for the only female who'd managed to claw her way up the ranks."

Something in my tone made her galaxy eyes soften.

She reached for my hand, her void energy wrapping around me like a comforting blanket.

"Tell me?"

I stared at our joined hands, noticing how her perfectly manicured nails contrasted with my practical, unpolished ones.

"You have to understand, in that world, anything feminine was seen as a weakness. Makeup meant you were trying to seduce your way to the top. Skincare meant you were vain. Even basic hygiene products were..." I swallowed hard, old memories surfacing. "Let's just say the comments whenever I had to buy tampons were enough to make me start ordering them online."

"Those absolute bastards," Nyx growled, her void energy darkening with anger.

"It wasn't just that," I continued, the words spilling out now that I'd started. "Every time I emphasized my femineity, like wearing my hair down instead of the strict bun, using scented soap instead of the standard issue stuff, it would lead to...suggestions. Implications about how I'd really earned my position."

Nyx's grip on my hand tightened.

"So you stripped away every feminine aspect of yourself."

"It was easier that way," I admitted quietly. "Keep my hair severe, my clothes practical, my face bare. No products that could be considered frivolous. Nothing that would remind them I was different. The more I emulated their masculinity, the more they had to acknowledge my skill instead of my gender."

"Oh, Star Girl," Nyx murmured, her galaxy eyes swimming with emotion. "How exhausting that must have been, constantly policing every aspect of your appearance just to be taken seriously."

I hadn't realized I was crying until Nyx reached up to brush away a tear with her thumb. "The worst part?" I laughed wetly. "It worked. The more I suppressed any hint of femininity, the more missions I got. The more respect I earned. Until eventually..."

"Until you became exactly what they wanted. A weapon without softness," Nyx finished softly. "A warrior who happened to be female rather than a woman who could fight."

"Yeah." I looked around at the luxury of my academy room, at the delicate bottles promising beauty and indulgence. "Sometimes I wonder if I even know how to be feminine anymore. If I remember how to care for myself beyond basic survival."

Nyx stood suddenly, her void energy swirling with determination.

"Well then," she declared, pulling me up from the bed, "consider this your first lesson in reclaiming your right to be both warrior and woman." She guided me to the vanity, positioning me in front of the mirror. "Fifty-three steps might be a bit much to start with, but we'll find what works for you."

"Fifty-three?" I choked. "You're joking."

Her galaxy eyes met mine in the mirror, dancing with amusement.

"Each one a small act of rebellion against a world that tried to strip you of your softness." She picked up a crystal bottle filled with something that looked like liquid moonlight. "Ready to start your revolution?"

Looking at my reflection — at the woman who had survived so much, who was finally free to explore all aspects of herself — I felt something tight in my chest begin to loosen.

"Yeah," I said, managing a small smile. "Show me everything."

"Hold still," Nyx commanded, carefully applying a mask that seemed to contain actual starlight. The substance shimmered between her fingers as she spread it across my cheeks with practiced precision. "If you think this is excessive, you should see my bath routine. Void wolves are particularly fastidious about cleanliness."

"Really?" I tried not to move my face as she worked. "Even with all the chaos you cause?"

She snorted, her galaxy eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Especially because of that. You think I want void residue clinging to my pores? That stuff can literally create micro-black holes. One wrong move and poof! There goes your entire skincare collection into another dimension."

The mental image made me laugh, which earned me a light tap on the nose with a product-covered finger.

"I said hold still! And yes, I'm serious. Most people think void wolves are all about destruction and mayhem, which, fair enough, we are, but we're also obsessive about purification. It's like..." she paused, searching for the right words, "the chaos is our art, but our bodies are our temples."

"That actually makes a lot of sense," I mused. "But how did you end up running with wolves from other courts? I mean, the political tension alone..."

Something flickered in Nyx's galaxy eyes — an old pain quickly masked by her usual mischief.

"That's actually kind of a funny story." She reached for another product, this one seeming to contain crushed crystals suspended in what looked like liquid aurora. "I wasn't always the confident, devastatingly gorgeous void wolf you see before you."

She fell quiet for a moment, focusing intently on applying the mask around my eyes.

When she spoke again, her voice carried an unusual vulnerability.

"The Void Court...they're not big on different. And I was very different. Still am, really, but now I own it. Back then, though?"

"They bullied you?" I asked softly, seeing a flash of my own past in her expression.

"Relentlessly," she confirmed, her galaxy eyes distant with memory. "Being a female void wolf was rare enough, but I also refused to fit their mold of what a proper void noble should be. I was too loud, too colorful, too much of everything they thought should be contained and controlled."

Her hands stilled on my face for a moment.

"Cypress and Solaris were always around because of their families' political obligations. The Elemental and Aether Courts love their diplomatic visits." A small smile curved her lips. "They thought I was a boy at first. I kept my hair short back then, and tried so hard to blend in. But they were the only ones who ever stood up for me."

"Really? Even with the court rivalries?"

"Especially because of them," Nyx laughed, resuming her careful application of the mask. "See, everyone expected the Elemental and Aether heirs to ignore void court drama. To maintain that perfect diplomatic distance. Instead, these two idiots would literally cause natural disasters and solar flares whenever they caught someone harassing me."

She grinned at the memory.

"The first time it happened, I'd been cornered by some older void nobles who didn't appreciate my 'disruptive influence' on court traditions. Suddenly the ground starts shaking, and there's Cypress, barely old enough to control his elements, creating miniature earthquakes while shouting about 'leaving his friend alone.' Meanwhile, Solaris is standing there glowing like a supernova, trying to look intimidating despite being about as threatening as a baby phoenix."

The image made me laugh, which earned me another tap on the nose.

"Stop moving! This mask literally contains captured nebula essence. You want stars up your nose?"

"Sorry, sorry," I giggled. "But how did Liam fit into all this?"

"Ah, our broody shadow wolf," Nyx's galaxy eyes softened with fondness. "He actually came along later. By then, Cypress, Solaris, and I were thick as thieves. The infamous troublemakers of three courts. We met Liam during a formal gathering at the Convergence. He was all proper shadow court protocol, following his mentor around like a good little puppy."

She leaned back to admire her handiwork with the mask before continuing.

"But there was something in his eyes, you know? This barely contained wildness that called to all of us. Turned out he was just as desperate to break free from court expectations as we were. It just took him longer to admit it."

"So four misfits from different courts just...became a pack?" I asked, trying to imagine a younger, more reserved Liam.

Nyx's laughter filled the room like crystal wind chimes.

"Oh stars no, it was a disaster at first. Liam and Solaris were constantly at each other's throats. Aether and shadow instincts and all that. Cypress kept trying to play peacemaker while accidentally causing environmental catastrophes. And me?" She grinned wickedly. "I might have deliberately created void rifts under their feet whenever they got too annoying."

"But eventually?"

"Eventually we realized we were stronger together. That all the things our courts saw as weaknesses or flaws were actually what made us perfect as a pack." She stepped back, admiring her handiwork with the mask. "The same way all these different products work together to create something beautiful. Sometimes the most powerful magic comes from combining things that everyone else thinks should stay separate."

Her galaxy eyes met mine in the mirror, suddenly serious.

"That's why none of us hesitated when we felt the bond with you. We know what it's like to defy tradition, to create something new and wonderful from pieces that supposedly don't fit together."

I reached up to touch the mask, feeling its cool energy pulsing against my skin.

"Thank you," I said softly. "Not just for this, but for sharing that with me."

Deep down, I felt like this quiet confession involving the past was something normally Nyx would never share with just anyone. Her willingness to share with me, though, despite us barely knowing each other for a full day was much appreciated.

Made me feel as though I wasn’t simply an outsider. That we all had hurdles we needed to jump over to become the individuals we were destined to be, here and now.

Nyx's smile was radiant.

"That's what a pack is for, Star Girl. Now, just wait until I tell you about the time Cypress tried to impress a cute elemental noble and accidentally created a rainbow tornado..."