Note: I'm not entirely sure about this chapter. It was a little rushed, because I hadn't written in so long, and I planned for it to be longer, but I didn't want to make anybody wait longer, so... I hope this isn't too bad?
CHAPTER 13
Feyre
"Hey, Fenwir!"
I tried to keep my eyes focused on Aelin, making it seem as if I was interested in what she was going to say. Instead, however, I was trying to break the wall in Rhys's head. I knew he was in there somewhere.
"What do you plan to do when Erawan takes over Erilea?" Aelin was inching toward the demon—slowly, not too fast that he would back away. There was a little crack, a sliver meant just for me. I could fit one memory through, but hopefully that was enough. I fit the memory of the cabin, how I had discovered we were mates. "You haven't answered my question yet, Fenwir," said Aelin. "Do you plan to serve him for the rest of your life, with no freedom of any kind?" She was close enough to be breathing on him; I was too focused to actually care. Besides, she wouldn't do anything—the Valg demon was disgusting, and she had her own mate to care for. Come on Rhys, I pleaded. Come back to me.
I saw a tiny hand come through, and I held on. I held on as if we were being dragged to hell.
"No shit, Sherlock. Of course I'm going to serve my father. And when he retires, it'll be my turn." Aelin was a snake—she was all over him. Surprisingly, I felt no anger, as if my mate senses knew that the male standing there wasn't Rhys I knew. Rhys, if you don't get back here this instant, I'm going to kill you for making think all these cheesy love quotes. "What makes you believe he's going to ever retire?" Slowly, she drew her knife, plotting to hold it against his throat. Don't hesitate to stab him, but don't kill him please.
"Erawan has waited all these years to take over Erilea. Even if it takes thousands of years for you to get him to make you a freakin' general, he will never, never let you overtake his throne." Quickly, as Fenwir processed what Aelin was saying, she held the knife up to her throat. "Now, leave my friend before I make you never see the sun again." Fenwir just laughed.
"You won't hurt me. You'll risk hurting your friend," Fenwir retorted. Aelin laughed—practically cackling with what she knew. "I don't care about being Fae. Being a queen and an assassin, however, are number one on my list. So remember this, Fenwir," She snarled his name out like poison. "When you go back to that damned abomination that is Erawan, tell him that he can either have Aelin Firebringer, Celaena Sardothien, or Queen Aelin Ashryver Galanthynius—it's all his choice." Fenwir sees how serious Aelin is being, and his eyes held a large amount of fear. NOW.
She thrusts her knife in his armpit, as quick as a mouse.
Don't hurt him too much; he's still my mate. She gives a silent nod.
Fenwir screeches in pain, and slowly, my Rhys comes back. His coal black eyes turn into a soft, creamy violet, and the first thing I do is run to him and hug him. "You bastard," I say, tears forming in my eyes, and a lump forming in my throat. "That Valg demon was almost as disgusting as Tamlin," I release him from my hug and see him smile. "Feyre," he says weakly.
Shit.
I had not thought this through. I winnowed him to the infirmary, took a scalpel, and cut my hand. "Drink this," I told him. When he didn't get up, I went into his head and commanded him.
If you want to live, you asshole, get up and drink this. As he was told, he weakly got up and drank my blood, his wound healing instantly. "Feyre, darling," he purred, as smitten as always, "Did you really think it would be that easy to get rid of me?"
That was when the tears started.