Chapter 12: Feyre Returns

Lucien:

The House of Wind as Feyre called it, was not ideal. She snuck away from the balcony and I knew she was going to see her sister. Sisters. There was only one I wanted to see. Had to see.

I followed them down the halls at a distance they wouldn't hear or stop me. Cassian led Feyre into a large common room, but I couldn't see much beyond. I could not even remember what she smelled like, and only the mating bond was reminding me what she looked like.

How had Tam and I never invited Feyre's family above the wall, or taken Feyre for a visit. Things could have been better. Feyre was worried that Elain was not adjusting well, and thousands of questions swarmed my mind at the thought.

The door shut and the three of them filed down the hall to another room. This meeting was quieter. And the room. Even from the other end of the hall I could smell her. I had to see her, just to make sure she was alright, nothing else. Not unless she wanted it. That smell was going to drive me to something stupid.

Rhysand and Cassian stood in the doorway, giving the sisters space. In the room there was a small figure, thin and unmoving. Too pale for health. She was so small. Maybe I imagined it, but I could feel the mental pain, the pain of just being so sad.

Feyre dragged her attention from the sister on the floor to us, to me. Feyre said her goodbyes and slipped the door closed.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked quietly, but not softly. A question that I needed answered.

"I have to figure it out." Feyre snapped before I could finish. Silence. Terrible halting silence.

"I'll show your room." Rhysand walked down the hall, towards the stairs. Of course, they wouldn't let me be near her.

The table had only two unclaimed seats and yet Karlene, Elain and I had yet to sit. Actually Karlene and Elain were not here. There was seat next to Nesta open and when I made to sit there, she slapped a hand over it. Claiming it for someone else. There was nowhere else to sit, I couldn't exactly sit at the head. After pointing that out to Rhysand, he basically forced me to sit there.

I sat at the head of the table. Something Tamlin would have never allowed. Not for a dinner, especially not for the first dinner with a new guest. I did not dare push it. Not when they held this power over me. They weren't cruel about it, but did acknowledge that I wouldn't be leaving without her. Not that I had anywhere to go. Not that I wanted to take her away from her sisters.

Elain, Elain, Elain.

Rhysand snapped his fingers and food appeared. Everyone began scooping food on to their plates, no rhyme or reason, just that they wanted food. Cassian had taken one bite when the clock struck the hour.

He rose from his seat and practically jumped off the balcony. His plate they left, as if he had just gone to the bathing room.

Nesta leveled a glare at me, an assessment perhaps. I reached for a plate of something in front of me and tore my gaze away from Nesta.

Thunderous beats of wings sounded outside the balcony doors where Cassian had not bothered to close them. Karlene in his arms. He was carrying her. I supposed she couldn't get up here by herself.

He set her down lightly, and her arm strained on the strap of a giant bag. Cassian took it from her, and she cast an odd glace at him. As if questioning whether he really intended to carry it for her. She waved towards the table as she passed, but continued into the hallways that held rooms and libraries. Cassian followed after her, with the bag. "She'll be right back." Mor added with a small smile.

Minutes passed, everyone talking too much to finish eating. Most dinners with Tamlin we talked little in between the bites of food.

Bare feet slapped lightly on the floors. Karlene, freshly washed, appeared a moment later. Wet hair and indeed bare feet. She looked tired, exhausted. Whatever she was doing in the city was too much, too stressful, too involved.

Karlene took the chair between Nesta and Feyre. Karlene hugged her sister tightly and then started eating. Quickly, as if she hadn't eaten all day, but not grossly.

"Karly," Nesta snapped. I bristled at the tone, the disgust in her voice. "Did you not eat today?"

"I did, but I threw up my breakfast and I knew I would do the same to my lunch, so." She raised her eyebrows as if that explained everything.

"What were you doing that made you throw up, I thought healers had stomachs of steel." Cassian shoveling food into his mouth now that his tasks for the day were done.

Karlene grimaced, "I used to, but now everything is more intense." She drained her glass and Feyre refilled for her. "The guts of people take up a lot of space, so it's likely that not everyone will remain intact in the coming months. Unfortunately, they smell very, very strongly when punctured." She gave Nesta a small smile, only because she looked so uncomfortable at the thought of guts spilled.

"You know, Karly, when you say it like that, I worry you're not quite ready for the brutality of war." Rhysand drawled causally.

"Well, I would like to keep this meal where I put it." She patted her stomach. They smiled at her, all of them. Nothing like Elain, wasting away in her room. All of their attention was on this sister, not on the one that was dying in her room. If Karlene was a healer, she should care for her family first. Nesta was a viper on edge, Elain a ghost, but Karlene was comfortable here.

Mor, sitting next to me said, "Karlene, do you remember Lucien?"

Karlene's attention moved off if the food, rather somberly. When she surveyed me there was nothing kind or lovely in her gaze. She turned her attention back to Mor and shook her head, mouth still full.

"Lucien was with Tamlin, in his court, until recently." Mor explained. The rest of the conversations around the table had stopped at this introduction. All waiting to see what Karlene, what I would do.

"I was at Hybern," I said to her, hoping she would remember. She met my gaze, unflinching and calm. Too calm for the trauma I had brought up, stupid move.

"If you were there, you might recall I spent most of the visit in various states of unconsciousness. I don't remember much." She turned away from us, utterly done with that conversation. But there was not another one she could turn to. Everyone at the table was staring at her, so when she had turned her head, she was met with Azriel, Rhys, Armen, and Feyre all assessing her closely. "What?" she asked.

"Lucien is Elain's mate." Feyre said quietly. Karlene flicked her eyes up at that, to Feyre then to me. Nesta looked ready to spit at me. Or maybe Feyre. Everyone else was tense, ready to stop a physical fight the second it began.

Karlene reached across to the corner where the clean plates were. Then started loading it up with small amounts of everything. Like a sample plate.

"You are not going to eat more." Nesta said, uncompromising.

"No, I'm going to try and get Elain to eat, unless you want to." Karlene bit back.

"I do that all day, while you're off playing nurse." Nesta seethed.

"You know, Elain doesn't need to be babysat. You could get a hobby." Karlene stood, with the plate in one hand, a roll of silverware in the other.

"I am doing things." Nesta started, as if rearing to land an insult, but Karlene cut in before she could finish.

"Thinking up insults to fling at Cassian does not count as a hobby." Karlene had moved as she said the words, already she was several feet away.

I could tell Karlene had not tried that argument before, and already she had moved away. Nesta was dangerous, and perhaps she wouldn't hurt Karlene in physical ways, but her insults could do just as much damage.