Sorry I haven't posted in a really long time (for a month I think). I've been extremely busy with my exams and for the first two weeks I've been studying and then there was that whole week of exams after. The other week I didn't have any inspiration to write at all and only finished this chapter today. Also, I hosted an edit competition on Instagram so please give the winner, highladyofthenorth, a follow. I apologize once again for not updating sooner and I'm so sorry the story has been so dry recently.
We left Vallahan in two days' time. Lucien and I had protested against it, saying we needed more time to uncover what else Vallahan was keeping secret from us.
"I've taken care of it," Rhys had told us, and I had gotten him to confess his plan later at night.
On the last day, Adonis took us sightseeing around the kingdom. We had asked him if there had been any High Priestesses in the kingdom at the moment but he merely answered with a vague shrug. Come to think of it, he had never told us what Valloria's rank was other than her being his advisor. Was she a High Priestess or an unusually powerful priestess?
Elain had assumed that Adonis didn't know anything about the High Priestesses in Vallahan because they didn't come under his rule- like us in a way, except the came and go as they pleased.
Throughout the entire day, Adonis turned from Vallahan's ruler into our tour guide. I was surprised he wanted to show us around himself, not send one of his own to do it. We didn't talk about what had happened that night, about his disappearance and what had happened after, although he didn't know I knew where he had ran off to.
We were all smiles, even as we had been brought to the port to leave. Adonis invited us to come back anytime, much to his council's horror. Being the honoured and kind guests we were, we invited him to do the same for the other Prythian lands; his face had paled but he still gave us a forced grin and said he would very much like to, but not in this period of time.
We were resting on the ship, once more on the three day journey back to- home. Did I consider Velaris my home now? Vallahan was certainly a place that sang to me in words of power, but Velaris- home.
"I didn't know you had acknowledged Velaris as home," Rhys said, walking towards me from another cabin in the ship with a soft smile on his face.
I remembered our conversation several months earlier- and my outburst in the end, where I had said Velaris would never be my home and winced at the memory.
I never really said sorry for what I said that night. I said into his mind.
Oh, you said sorry in other ways.
I laughed a little at that.
The captain of the ship interrupted us then.
"A message came from your general, together with a package from your third in command, the overseer of the Court of Nightmares," He said.
As it turns out, Nesta was training the Illyrian women there whilst Cas dealt with the other commanders and training for them and the soldiers in the camp.
"Did he say anything about how they're taking- the wings?" I asked reluctantly.
"Cas can take care of himself. He would kill anyone who dared insulted him about his wings there," Rhys reminded, "But we've still been requested to make an appearance there- for a meeting and message that Cas said couldn't be written down on paper, quoted from his message itself."
I nodded, my consent to us going to the Illyrian camps.
Lucien and Elain would head back to Velaris on their own by the ship. Rhys and I would winnow to the camps- apparently we were in a rush (Rhys's own words) and we had to get to the Illyrian camps as soon as possible.
The Illyrian camps were exactly as soon as I remembered them- worn-down, rough on the edges and something off about the whole place like the last time we were here.
None of the irritating commanders had come to greet us- thankfully. I wondered if part of the reason was because they had finally realised why Rhys had made me seem like a threat- or maybe it was because there were still remnants of the primal instincts that the mating bond had left behind in Rhys. He had more control over it now, he had shown that that day I had danced with Adonis. But there had still been flickering bits of those instincts every now and then through the bond.
We walked on our own to the cabin Cas and Nesta had chased the Illyrian commanders from. We found him there- but no sign of Nesta.
"Where is she?" I asked Cas, plopping myself down on a couch.
"Training the female Illyrians," He replied.
Rhys raised an eyebrow and we shared looks.
Cas must have thought that we had shared looks because we thought that it was a bad idea but no. Rhys nodded and asked, "When did you have the time to train her?"
His face paled at that. "She's not exactly training them with her combat skills."
I frowned. "How else would she be training them?"
Sudden understanding, slight astonishment and amusement flitted through the bond. "What?" I asked. "What are you getting that I'm not?"
Now all I felt was amusement. "Feyre, darling- I'm certain Cas means that Nesta is training them with her powers."
My mouth contorted into an O as realisation dawned on me. "Her powers manifested," I breathed. "But when?"
Cas shrugged, "She wouldn't tell me."
"She won't get mad at you when she finds out you told us?"
"Oh, I'm sure she'll be mad. Furious. The desire to kill me, even." Cas said, grinning.
He did find pleasure in Nesta's storm of rage.
"How did you even find out she had powers?" I inquired.
"We got into a fight with some of the commanders," Cas said, shrugging. "Her power is… destructive."
Why wouldn't it be? This was, after all, Nesta we were talking about.
"Mor sent us a package, during the same time we got your message," Rhys said. "It's from the Dawn Court."
Cas stilled at that. "The cure?" He breathed.
"We're sure it is," I assured him.
We nodded. Rhys passed it to Cas who cradled it like a new-born child.
Rhys and I had taken a peek at the cure ourselves when we had first gotten the package. The cure had been in a velvet box, nestled and wrapped in silk. The glass vial was clear, showing the liquid inside which, coincidentally, was also clear. It did, however, give off a glow when a certain angle of light hit it. There were patterns like vines creeping up the sides of the bottle, and its stopper had the symbol of unfurled wings on it, symbolizing that it was meant for healing wings.
We left Cas alone and to his privacy if he wanted to use the cure immediately. We headed to where Nesta was training the female Illyrians. The area that they were training in was considerably large, most probably an upgrade from whatever space had been given to them before. It wouldn't be a surprise, considering that the Illyrian warriors most definitely had not been on the side of training the female Illyrians.
Other than the area being large, it was also a mess. Scorch marks could be seen as clear as day on the concrete floors and walls. There were also cracks in the floors and holes in it. There was no furniture whatsoever in the space, most probably because of whirlwinds or tornadoes Nesta could conjure up with her magic.
We had interrupted their training right as they had taken a break, causing them to quickly drop all their things and curtsy- or tried to; having gone through the hardships of being in the Illyrian camps made their curtsies seem more like stiff bows. Rhys dismissed them back to their rooms, leaving behind a woman with the familiar haughty blue-grey eyes and golden-brown hair like my own.
Nesta strode over to where we stood, raising an eyebrow at our appearance. "Here so soon already?" She asked.
"We came as soon as we got your message," I said.
She nodded. "You never told me how annoying the commanders here were."
"Well, you never told me you had already discovered your powers," I replied.
Her face paled and was drained of all colour at that. "Cassian told you, didn't he?" She growled. "That little-"
"As much as I would like to hear your methods of flirting with him, I would much rather like to discuss how you've been handling the female Illyrians with your magic," Rhys said, smirking.
Nesta shot him a look that could wither trees. "They each have names, you know. It wouldn't hurt you to learn them."
"On the contrary, Nesta dear, I take it as my duty to learn their names and it shouldn't surprise you that I do, actually, know those names." Rhys shot back.
Nesta merely gave him a glare, sister to the look she had given him mere moments before and launched into a summary of what she and Cassian had been doing at the camp for the past few days.
"And you called us here because?..." Rhys drawled.
"The patrols found multiple footsteps at the outlines of the camp yesterday, and followed them to a camp. Not an ordinary camp, might I add. There was no snow around the camp, which made it in a circle of sorts. The tents that were there were also no ordinary tents, they were large tents meant for at least three people, but the belongings in those tents showed that only one person used them at a time." Nesta explained.
We pondered at that information. "It could mean that those camping there were no ordinary fae. They could be fae with wings-"
"Or fae who are just extremely large in size." I added to Rhys's comments.
"Well whatever they were, the signs in the tents showed that they hadn't been there for some days." Nesta said. "Your patrols couldn't find anything else that was of importance there, only the scent of magic- very strong magic."
"And that's why you called us here." I concluded.
Nesta nodded.
We should check on those patrols- ask them to lead us to those camps and see for ourselves.
Rhys's voice sounded in my mind.
And Nesta?
We should most probably tell her about the cure and Cas.
"Nesta- you should most probably get back to the cabin. Cas might need your help." I started.
"For what? What does he need now?" She asked and I could tell she was on the verge of rolling her eyes.
"Mor sent us a package the same time you sent us your message. The package was from the Dawn Court."
I could see the wheels whirling around Nesta's mind. "The cure?" She breathed.
I nodded. We said our goodbyes and Nesta quickly walked away, back to the cabin.
xXx
It had been Rhys's idea to check out the camp as soon as Nesta left. It was exactly as Nesta had described it. The size of the camp was small, it was only the tents that were big that made the camp seem large in the first place.
Several of the soldiers on the patrol had followed us to the camp. We both sensed the magic coming from the camp at the same time.
Stepping over the border of the camp and from snow, onto the dry ground. Rhys motioned to the patrols to stay behind the borders. We silently inspected each tent, finding it the same to Nesta's description.
What are we doing here? I silently asked him.
Patience, Feyre darling.
We had perhaps rounded the camp for the third time when I sensed something off in the air around us- something different from the other areas in the camp. Both of us stopped in our tracks at the same time, sensing that change.
Rhys reached down and picked up a stone. Cocking an eyebrow, he tossed it lightly to the area with the different scent from the others.
Not surprisingly, the stone disappeared in a flap in the air.
Portal, I said into his mind, rather wonderingly.
After you. He said, giving me a crooked smile.
What- Go into the portal that we have no idea leads to where.
Don't be that worried. Worst case scenario, we have to fight our way out of there or persuade our way out of there- both which I know the both of us do very well.
Why, because of your charming looks and attitude?
Yes, exactly that.
Rolling my eyes and finding there no more arguments to have with Rhys about his absurd idea to go into the portal, I grabbed his hand and pulled him in with me through the portal.