A/N: Hello, hello! This is my brand new one-shot for the ACOTAR fandom! This is set after ACOWAR and there are NO spoilers for ACOFAS in here! I am hoping that I can start posting my new multi-chapter ACOTAR story in the next month or two as this is my last full week of sixth form! I've had this one sitting around for a while and finally proofed it so I could post. Hopefully there are no mistakes, but if there are do let me know!
If you have the time, please leave a review on this story!
Keep Smiling!
The strangest sound draws me from sleep. At first, I think that perhaps it was a remnant of a dream but then it grows louder, right beside my ear. I ignite the faelight on the small beside table to my left before turning my head to the right.
Sweat is dripping off Rhys in rivers and I discover the source of the strange sound when I realise that he is actually gasping for breath.
"Rhys?" My voice trembles as I quickly move up onto my knees, my short nightgown straightening out and resting on my thighs. "Rhys?!"
My hands cup his cheeks and I shake his head slightly, trying to rouse him and my eyes widening at the feel of his burning hot skin. His breathing is becoming worse and the only thing that comes out of him is a slight moan.
"Come on, Rhys." I mumble to my mate, going down our bond. My heart drops to my feet when I can feel just how weak he is - his presence down the bond practically non-existent.
"Mor!" I scream out, keeping my focus on my mate. "Mor!"
Rhys wheezes so strongly that my heart simply stops beating. His breath is barely there and another moan escapes him. Summoning my healing powers, I push them into him and force him utterly unconscious in the hopes that his breathing may regulate. It helps, but barely.
"What happened?" Mor's voice travels and I turn my head to see her rushing into the room.
"I... I need cold water and towels." I say, my voice wavering. Mor doesn't question it before quickly moving into the bathing room.
I turn my head back to Rhys and stroke his hair back from his forehead.
"Come on, Rhys." I whisper, my heart thundering in my chest as I feel less and less of him on the other end of the bond. "Please."
I hear footsteps by the door and see Cass and Az appear, confusion on their features.
"Do you know what is happening to him?" I ask, my tone desperate.
I need answers. There has been no hint of Rhys being ill at all. Just yesterday, he had been his usual self - teasing me relentlessly when all I wanted was for him to be inside me. And now...
Mor returns with a bowl of water and cloths. I immediately snatch up one of the squares of fabric and douse it in the cold water before pressing it to Rhys' forehead, hoping and praying to the Mother that it will help him.
I feel Mor settle at the foot of the bed and I turn my head, seeing that she is holding the bowl for me. The cloth has already heated up so I soak it once again before replacing it on Rhys' face.
"What exactly happened?" Cass asks as he and Az move closer to the bed. His tone of voice... it sends shivers up my spine.
The cloth has once again heated up so I dip it once again, this time freezing it before putting it back on Rhys' head.
"I woke up and he was unable to breathe." I say, my voice quiet. It wobbles dangerously, a sob forcing its way up my throat. "I forced him unconscious to try and help him breathe, but it hasn't helped much."
I watch as Cassian's head snaps to look at Az, the colour draining from both of their faces.
"It's happening to him." Az says at the same time Cass bites out, "Shit."
"What?" I question, shifting on my knees slightly. "What's happening?"
Cass looks at Azriel before taking a step forwards. His voice becomes softer, something that does not happen unless something is wrong.
"You know that we have been helping the build of the new school down by the Rainbow." he says and I nod, moving to douse the cloth again, making sure to freeze it more this time. I run it over Rhys' face and neck as Cassian continues. But I look back at Cass when he remains quiet. "There has been a severe outbreak of illness in the area, which has now been sectioned off as of a few hours ago, but Rhys insisted on helping to ease some of the nurses' responsibilities."
A growl rips from my throat as I look at my mate.
Stupid, stupid male.
"How serious is it?" I ask, keeping my eyes on Rhys. His breathing is getting worse again. The silence makes me look back at the others and I see the look Cass gives Mor, see the way her eyes widen in panic. "Tell me."
Mor puts the bowl of water down and moves closer to me. She places her hand on my shoulder and I can see the sadness in her eyes. I look back up at the boys and see that they have stepped closer. It is Az who speaks,
"More than half of those affected have died, Feyre."
I choke back a sob as I look back at Rhys, my left hand resting upon his slower heartbeat.
"Not him." I say, holding the wet cloth harder against his skin. "If he does, I'm going to bring him back so I can kill him myself."
I nurse Rhys throughout the night, ordering Azriel and Cassian to find healers that could help my mate. After all we have been through, I am not losing him to a bloody illness. Mor stays with me, replenishing the bowl of water when needed. At some point, she forced my dressing robe on my arms because I refused to take the time to change.
Rhys gradually gets worse, his body trying to fight the illness but I can see the toll it takes on him. Tremors have taken hold of his body and his breathing is a wheeze once again. Sweat is still pouring off his skin, despite all attempts to cool him down. The sheets below us are soaked and I have already changed them once.
My heart aches fiercely in my chest at the sight of him this way. In over a century of us being together, I have never seen him like this... Well, he has never been sick.
"Feyre." Mor says, grabbing my attention. My eyes sting from lack of sleep, but I have to keep an eye on Rhys, make sure he will be all right. "It's midday, and you need to rest for a while."
"I can't."
"You need to, Feyre. I'm not asking you as you are my High Lady, I am asking you as your friend and your family to rest for a while. You've been up practically all night and you need to at least eat something."
"I don't, Mor." I say, allowing authority to seep into my voice. I can't focus on myself when Rhys is as he is. "I need to help get Rhys better."
I lean over and soak the warm cloth once again and move to put it on Rhys' forehead. But then his wheezes become worse.
He can't breathe.
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!
I drop the cloth on the covers and rise up higher on my knees. I put my hands on his stuttering chest and push myself into him, willing him to just breathe. Suddenly, his breaths come unlaboured and his heartbeat picks up.
It takes a moment before I realise that he is breathing at exactly the same time as me.
"Feyre." I look at Mor and see the concern there. "You can't do this. It is going to exhaust you very quickly and you won't have the energy to do it again for a long time."
"I don't care." I say, allowing some tears to fall. "I refuse to lose him after all we have been through. A century of life with him isn't enough and I won't be able to do anything if he leaves me now."
Mor doesn't say anything else, which I am highly grateful for.
I focus all my attention on keeping Rhys' breathing steady with my own. It doesn't take long until I begin to feel dizzy, my strength waning considerably. I fall onto my side, trying to keep my connection with Rhys as I attempt to stay upright.
"Feyre..." I vaguely hear Mor's voice but there is a thudding in my ears that can't be shaken.
I flex my fingers on Rhys' chest as I try to find the energy to move back onto my knees, but I can't. My vision begins to blur and I groan as the thudding grows louder. I slump towards Rhys, my head landing on his shoulder as I try to keep contact with him; desperate to keep this connection.
I'm suddenly pulled away from Rhys and my vision clears.
"No." I say weakly, trying to reach my mate again.
I need to help him.
Stronger arms take hold of me, around my waist, and pull me back and away from the bed completely.
"Let me go!" I shout, wanting to reach my mate again. But the arms do not relent. I pound my fists against the strong, muscled forearm but it makes no difference with the amount of strength I have.
"You are going to kill yourself if you continue doing that." a rough voice says to me, continuing to pull me back as I watch Mor trying to control Rhys' gasping. Cass' arms are unyielding around me.
"I cannot let him die!" I shout, trying to break free and help my mate.
"He won't." Cass mumbles in my ear, his voice soothing. "Let Carlis do his work."
I stop struggling as I watch Azriel guide in a young male healer. He hastily bows to me before rushing over to Rhys and checking him over. A sob breaks free from my mouth as I reach back down our bond and Rhys' presence has disappeared even more. There is such emptiness there now. Mor comes over and takes me out of Cassian's arms before folding me into hers, holding me up as my legs shake. She guides my head onto her shoulder and sways us gently.
"How long has he been like this?" Carlis asks.
My words stick in my throat but Mor seems to sense this.
"It began in the very early hours of the morning when our High Lady called for us to help. She made him sleep to help with his breathing after he was gasping but as you can see, over time he has worsened considerably."
Carlis sets his bag down on the foot of the bed and pulls out a small bottle. I lift my head.
"What is that?" I ask, my voice rough.
"This, High Lady, will decide whether the High Lord lives or not." Carlis states, holding up the bottle and showing the light blue liquid inside. "I have given this concoction to everyone suffering with the illness. Sometimes it works, but a lot of the time it is ineffective because the fae is not strong enough."
I increase my grip on Mor's arms as she holds me up. My eyes fix onto Rhys, his chest barely moving at this point.
"Do it, please." I tell Carlis.
We all watch as the healer tips back Rhys' head and pours the liquid down his throat. Almost immediately, Carlis gathers his things and walks over to me.
"I can do nothing more for him, High Lady. It is up to him now." he tells me, then turns his head to the boys. "Fetch me if I am needed again - you'll know if you need me before the stars are seen."
Gathering what strength I have left and trying to ignore the hollowness in my chest, I move back to the bed, reclaiming my spot beside Rhys. Tenderly, I pick up his right hand, his mating band catching the light, and rest my cheek against his palm.
I turn my head and press a kiss to his pulse point. A frown immediately works its way onto my brow when I don't feel his pulse there. Quickly scrambling to my knees, the hollow feeling inside growing worse, I kneel over my mate and press my palms to his chest.
There's nothing there.
Nothing.
A broken sob escapes from me. Then another and another.
I reach inside me to our bond, and it is just like the bloody Cauldron all over again. The bridge between us is in pieces, floating away from me on a phantom wind.
There is no way in hell am I going to lose my mate.
I attempt to connect with him again, throwing myself into him, but Cassian pulls me off, trying to drag me away as I sob for my mate. Mor moves to grab me as well but I knock them away with a hard wall of air before rushing back to Rhys.
That hard wall of air moves to surround us as I make our little bubble explode into darkness, small faelights bobbing around; like little stars of our own.
"Come on, you stupid prick." I say to him, my shaking hands cupping his cheeks. "I'm not letting you get away from me. I'm right here, stay with me. Don't leave."
I lean down and kiss him then, pushing forth every memory we have shared. Every kiss, every fight, every ounce of pain, of happiness, of sorrow, of love, love, love.
My lips split from his with a sob and I heavily lay down beside him, my head beside his on his pillow. He remains so still.
He's not coming back. My mate, my love, my heart...
He's not coming back.
No.
Suddenly, a large intake of breath makes me lift my head and I stare dumbfounded as Rhys' eyes open before looking at me. New tears slide down my cheeks.
"Oh, my darling." he whispers before suddenly gripping me and sitting up. I end up sitting on his lap, my legs curled around his waist and my head buried in his sweaty neck. "I'm right here. Right here."
"But you were gone!" I cry out, pulling away so I can look him in the eye. My nails dig into his shoulders before I realise what I am doing and release my hold.
His left hand cups my cheek and I hold him there with both hands.
"Not any more. I couldn't leave you, Feyre darling. Never. You're stuck with me."
I surge forwards then, crushing my lips to his. I wrap my arms tight around his broad shoulders as his wrap around my body, one hand tugging at my hair. Our kiss grows more and more passionate before I sob into Rhys' mouth, because I almost lost him... again.
You promised me that I would never have to feel that pain and emptiness again. I say to him down our bond, my right hand moving to fist in the hair on the back of Rhys' head as I continue to sob. I can't go through that any more, Rhys. No more, please. Please.
Rhys hushes me, bringing our foreheads together. I feel his darkness soothing my own and I drop the wall of air keeping our family from us. The darkness surrounding us then disappears too.
"Rhys?" Mor questions and I turn my head to the shocked faces of our family. I slip my head down to his shoulder, my left hand rising to rest over his heart. Steadily beating, I remind myself. "You're alive?"
Rhys turns his head to kiss my forehead, his hand running up and down my spine. A moment later, after soothing his mate, he turns back to our family.
"You can't get rid of me that easily, Mor." he says, tightening his hold on me. "Though, I will admit, it was close."
"Your heart stopped beating, you bastard." Cassian says, levelling Rhys with a hard stare. "You put any of us through that again, especially your poor mate, and I will kill you myself."
I feel Rhys nod. "It won't be happening again. Not after hearing Feyre in such distress and feeling her trying to grasp at our bond."
"You knew?" I ask, raising my head. Rhys swallows thickly before nodding. "How?"
"I'm not sure exactly." he admits, looking at the boys and Mor. "It was like I was trapped in my mind, unable to feel anything or do anything but watch and listen."
"I have heard a few people experienced that - the ones who survived." Az comments and I look at him. A frown works its way onto my brow. "They've said that they could hear what was going on around them and they fought their way back. It's how they survived."
I look back at Rhys and push back his hair from his forehead.
I love you so much. I say to him, looking deep into his eyes. So much.
Rhys smiles softly and leans in to press a gentle kiss to my lips.
"I love you too." he murmurs in reply. He then looks at Mor, Cass and Az standing beside our bed, shock still on their features. "So, who wants to eat?"
A loud snort escapes me at his words and I bury my face in his shoulder, a surprising laugh bubbling over.
He's all right. My mate, my love, my Rhys...
He's all right.
End note: Thank you for reading! Please review if you can! :)