Chapter 11: New Wings and New Friends

Karlene:

There was a bubble of anxiety and fear, and guilt building inside of me.

I did not mind being Fae, or at least I told myself that every time I noticed a difference. It was that Elain had decided she had nothing more to live for, and I couldn't heal that. I knew Graysen had become a daily addition to Elain's world, but I had missed just how important he was to her. now she was Fae there was no chance of that relationship continuing. I hoped every day for her to fall in love with someone else, or to find the light and companionship somewhere else. I was out of ideas on how to bring her love for life back. I loved Elain, but like all wounds before magic was reality, it would have heal in its own time.

Rhysand had explained the mating bond thoroughly to me. It seemed like common knowledge to everyone who had been born Fae. I would not accept being less educated that others ever again, especially since I was to live forever. Armen taught me much more about the world above the wall, history lessons were peppered in whenever I had time between healing. I thought, though Armen complained about everything, that she enjoyed teaching, gifting knowledge in whatever way she wanted.

There was always healing. My lessons had started to incorporate practical situations. I had promised, more liked begged to help in the healers' tents during the war and now I could heal.

The Cauldron had somehow given me actual healing power. Rhysand, when I told him, nervously, had told me to redouble efforts to master it with Madja. He didn't feel threatened or excited. He was kind, but not excited or nervous at all. He made a comment about the High Lord of Dawn, Thesan, who had healing powers himself.

With Rhysand's blessing and Madja's strictness, my focus on Elain became secondary. War was coming. I couldn't magically help Elain in the remaining time we had, so I decided to do my part in ensuring there was an after where one day she could be truly and fully happy again. I spent all my days with Madja.

I poured more and more of myself into learning what I could about the Fae, though we spent most of the time learning how to use the powers of healing the Cauldron had given me. My days were also filled with learning about new potions, damages of in-battle healing, and the difference in the Fae's heighten healing.

The textbooks Rhysand had brought for me whenever he returned with another letter also helped in my shortened education. Rhysand and the others never gave a set time frame of when we would be transferring out of the city, but Madja did her best to cram everything in before I would be on the fields.

I was ever so slightly grateful that Cassian's wings had been injured so I had a safe patient to learn on. Madja had said that it was likely I would go whole weeks working on wings following a battle. Between this learning, the lack of healers, and the distrust between courts, I could only ever work on wings. So, she made sure I would be able to do anything I could be needed to.

The quick training wouldn't have worked with anyone who wasn't already familiar with treating varying aliments, but the wings were the things I was most interested in learning. It was newest, and most different. There was simply nothing that could compare. Two weeks into treating Cassian, all of his bones fully mended, we stopped administering the draft that kept him asleep. Illyrians needed to fly and move and be free, and the more Cassian moved his wings, the more likely it was that they wouldn't heal right. It wasn't a risk Madja or Rhysand said they needed to take. Had the battles already been going on, and going badly, they would have woken him before he healed completely.

Cassian's eyes opened wide, he immediately tried to rise to his feet. Hands going for weapons that had been removed weeks ago.

I let him get to his feet, and take in his surroundings. Honestly, he was dangerous until he could assure himself that there wasn't danger.

We had moved the furniture in one the living rooms of the House of Wind so a bed large enough for Illyrian wings could be laid down. I had been reading nearby, waiting for Cassian to wake.

"Good morning, Cassian. You've been asleep for a while, so your wings could heal. They're fine. You're fine. Everyone else is fine. You have splints on your wings, so you can't open them, but I can take them off now."

I rose quickly and started untying. He asked for the general information, how long he had been asleep, how long until he could fly. Then after there was nothing I could tell him about his healing he prompted me with a name.

"Az?" Even though I told him everyone was fine the words were laced with worry.

"Off spying in the human realm, I'm told." That was yesterday, but no harm in day old info. He had been out for two weeks.

"Rhys?"

"I'm not sure what he is doing today, but he makes a point that I don't eat alone. Uh, because Nesta and Elain are still adjusting and don't like company. They are here in the House of Wind."

"Feyre?"

"She is in Spring Court, acting spy. She saved us all." Before he could asked for the last piece of his family I added, "and Mor is with her father, but I've gathered that that isn't a good thing."

He didn't respond. Didn't say a thing. I finished my work silently.

"Okay, go ahead and practice folding and opening. You'll be a bit sore. Do it ten times, then eat lunch. Then keep doing it. In three days, if you continue to work on them, you should be able to fly again." The atrophy wouldn't have been so bad on any other body part, but wings were fragile and so he needed to be back into top shape before we let him try to hold his whole weight.

Cassian ate ravenously. We had left out breakfast, so he could eat when he woke up. After, I returned to my book, watching him work his wings over the top of it. After he finished his reps, he looked at me, as if in permission to leave.

"Please go bathe now." I said ardently. After two weeks, though we had sponged most of the blood off, he was starting to stink. Cassian disappeared into the halls with a chuckle.