Hello all. Firstly, a HUGE thank you for spending the time to come and look at 'my work'. I read the ACOTAR books in the last few months and I haven't fallen in love with a series of books like I have these ones since the Twilight Saga. So I couldn't help myself. I had to get some of my idea's down.
I am planning on doing a few different stories, mainly stemming from this one, but to finish off some of my ideas but I really needed to get this one down first.
A few bits of back ground infomation you need to know first...
1) This is going to be a Azriel and original character love story. I needed to write his love story myself. I fell in love with him and just needed it.
2) As time goes on more of the questions i'm leaving unanswered will be explained I promise.
3) Before Rhys met Az and Cass, he had twin sisters. Only slightly younger than him. They were lost too him...
Lets begin :)
PROLOGUE
A bright star. Thats the only way that I could explain it. Somewhere far far in the distance. It was the only thing that I could see. Apart from that it was...it was like I was floating. Possibly falling? Everything was pitch black, the deepest blue. Everything was so broken. So far away. It was almost like I was waking up, but I hadn't even realised I'd be asleep. But how can you wake up and not be able to see where you are? A voice floated through the fog. A man, powerful and commanding, calling my name. My head automatically turned towards the voice. It screamed at me again.
"Raya!" Who was that? I wondered to myself. I couldn't see anyone. All I could see was this one star. Was I meant to be going towards that star? It felt like the right way to go. It was as if it was calling me, trying to bring me home. Home? Where was home?
"Raya. Please don't leave me." The voice began to sob. Was he crying? Why was he upset? Turning my mind towards the voice again, I frowned. Who is that? Why can't I figure out who that is?
"Please." The voice was further away this time. I needed to get to them. I needed to find out what was wrong. It's okay, I tried to soothe them. But my voice wasn't heard. I'm trying. I know you need me. I'm coming.
RHYS'S POV
I sat, bored. My hand was tapping on the arm of the chair, the timing wasn't there. I wasn't ever very good at counting out the beats. The only time I even came close to being good at finding the rythm was when I was in battle. But each fight had a tempo of its own.
We were sat in a council meeting. This was the first one in a very long time. Every high lord, every one of our allies was here. We were talking about what to do next. We all knew some thing was coming. Something not good at all. You could feel it in the air. The way the wind moved through the trees was different. The way the sun came up in the morning, as if it was hesitant to start a new day. Scared of what the light might bring. Even the normal attacks that created uproar in the forrests that surrounded all our lands had silenced.
Something was coming. Something that no one could foresee. And it scared me. Now I didn't just have me to worry about...I had Nyx and Feyre, and Elaine and Nesta and everyone else in my world. The issue with having so much love around you, was you had more people that could be targetted. You had people that could be hurt to be used against you.
You are very deep in thought Feyre shot at me down our secret line. I allowed a small smirk to play on my lips. One only she would see.
Theres a lot to think about I teased her back. This time, Feyre's lips slid up to a smile.
Cassian threw me a look, knowing full well we were having a conversation when we were meant to be listening to different proposals and plans. His usual look so entertainment that over the years I had grown so fond of. What would I do if someone hurt him? My body wet cold. A seat breaking out on my neck. The fury inside me burning. The respones was just to the thought of someone hurting him. Imagine it was real. Or worse, imagine it was Feyre.
Penny for your thoughts Feyre turned her gaze back to Tarquin, who was running us all down about how things had changed, how he was needing less patrols, less gaurds, and he didn't like it. He thought this was the calm before the storm. There was a part of me that was thinking the very same thing.
Tarquin is right. Somethings not right. Something is coming...someone is coming. Feyre's eyes clouded with worry as she threw me a glance, running her sight over me. We hadn't moved from our chairs but she was searching for something that could be wrong. Anything. I knew she was, because I was doing the same thing.
Maybe we've all just got used to things going wrong, we aren't sure what right is any more. My heart did a flip. Feyre was always so strong. Always willing to be positive, look for the silver lining of any situation. This was why she was made for me. She was there to build me up, keep me going. As was I for her.
I truly hope you are right my darling. I sent dark smoke fingers down the line between us, carressing the side of her mind. Feeling her warmth through the link.
One of Az's spies entered the room, almost silently. His eyes flickered straaight to her. I watched them closely as she snuck around the room, stopping by his left shoulder and leaning to whisper in his ear. Tarquin was finishing up his speech. I needed to be ready to take over, to act as if I had been listening intently. But, Azriel never conducted his business in meetings like this. For one of his helpers to come out the wood works to talk to him, to become so blatant, it had to be something important.
My eyes flickered to Cass and then Mor, they were both thinking the same thing. Their eyes locked onto Az. His face faultered the tiniest bit. My heart sunk to my stomach. He was perfect, flawless. For something to shock him so much. For something to move his world enough to make him reveal his emotion on his face, it was huge. And not good huge.
It was what we'd been waiting for. Whatever it was that I could feel was coming. It was here.
.*.* LATER THE SAME DAY *.*.*
We all ended up in the river house. Everyone had adopted their own chairs, Cass was sat in his arm chair, Nesta perched on the arm next to him. Feyre sat next to me, Nyx all cuddled up asleep in her arms. Az was stood by the window, looking out. His gaze somewhere far away. I reached for him with my mind, but he didn't want to talk yet. There was something troubling him. I didn't like it. Fear twisted in my gut. If something was bothering Az that much, then I needed to be worried.
"Well that went well." Amren said, her usual tone of disgust lingered. I knew she didn't mean it that way, it was just who she was. I guess having so many years behind you, things were bound to start weighing on you.
"It could have been much worse." Feyre replied, smiling down at my little boy. My usual ray of sunshine in the otherwise gloom.
"Does anyone else have a dreading feeling?" Mor spoke softly, much quieter than usual. So it wasn't just us picking up on something. I sighed. I couldn't lie to these people, they knew me too well for that. That was half the curse of having such a close family. The difficulty of having any form of secrets.
"Yes." I spoke with the same softness. My eyes travelled to Az, wishing for him to come clean with whatever it was that was bothering him.
He caught my eye for the smallest fraction of a second before turning back to the window and sighing.
"Az, do you have something to say?" I added a little more command into my voice than I normally would. Feyra shot me a warning look. She knew I wasn't being horrible. They all did, but I needed to know what was getting to Az.
Azriel turned his body away from the glass and took a step into the room. His face a solid wall. There was no emotion there what so ever. My heart was thumping away in my chest, so loudly I thought people might be able to hear it.
He looked at us each in turn. Swallowed and spoke.
"Whilst we were in our meeting, as you know, one of mine came in and spoke to me. And its not good news. Not at all." Amren shot me a glance. Her face determinded but cautious.
"Go on Az, spit it out." Cassian joked. An edge to his voice.
"Jenaski has reportdly been spotted." The air left my lungs. It was here. The calm before the storm had ended. The worst of the worse.
Amren, Mor and Cassian all shot looks at each other then to me. Waiting for my answer. I took a deep breath and put on my mask of reassurance.
"Who the hell is Jenaski?" Nesta finally broke the silence.
Again, another silence. Everyone waiting to find out who would be first to speak. Amren decided she would be the one to answer.
"He's known as the soul shifter. He's a very old, very powerful evil. No one really knows what he is or where he comes from." A muscle in my neck twitched. "He's the very thing night mares are made of."
"Maybe he's your long lost brother." Nesta remarked, Cassian barked out a laugh, but quickly stopped when he clocked the glaare Amren was shooting him.
"Now is not the time for jokes." I repremanded them both. It really wasn't. If Jenaski was back, we needed to start preparing for war.
"What does a soul shifter do." Feyre asked, her eyes trained on me, full of worry.
"He would rip a persons soul from their body. But the hardest part was, the loved ones never knew. The body essentially dies, but doesn't rot. It's frozen in time. Not moving forward. But without the soul inside, it's nothing." Feyra shivered beside me, goosebumps rising on her milky flesh.
"What does he do with the souls?" Elaine asks from her seat near the fire. Her face was full of concern. Her hand lifted to her heart, in an attempt to protect her soul in case the soul shifter was in the room with us riight now.
"No one really knows." Mor carries on from me. "There are lots of theories. Some say he eats them to keep himself young. Some say he absorb them and they become part of him, only its the worst bits taht carry through him. Some say he stores them, waiting for the day he can release them all. His own personal army." A small gasp leaves Elaines lips. Nyx stirs in Feyra's arms, almost like he could feel the tention in the room. A small breeze passed through, chilling all of us. It was a waiting game.
"There's more." Az carried on, his face full of sorrow. My head whipped to him. How could there be more? I looked at him, expecting the very worse. "I had a message brought to me from Tamlin. He said he's had a present delivered. The box is unopenable, but there's a letter on top address to you. He thinks its enchanted, so only you can open it." Shock coured through me. We've started playing games.
"Why would anyone leave a present in the spring court for Rhys?" Cassian questioned.
"Why indeed." Azriel agreed.
"Maybe to make insane moves. One's that can't be guessed. It's one way to confuse your enemys. Get them trying to figure out your plan even if you don't have one." Mor sugested. Amren nodded in agreement.
"Looks like I'm taking a trip to the Spring Court." I sighed, taking a stand.
"I'm coming with you." Feyre stood up, passing Nyx to Elaine who quickly dances over to take him.
"No baby." I whisper, turning to cup her face in my hands. "I need you here, with Nyx, safe." A battle is right behind her eyes. I can see it. She wants to fight me, but her maternal instinct is telling her to stay with her baby.
"Fine, but no going rogue. I want to here from you the entire time." Her eyes narrow at me, daring me to fight her on this. There's my girl.
"Promise." Bending, I press my lips against hers. A shot of electricity heading south without hesitation. I release her before I march her upstairs right now to rip her clothes off and bury my face inside her sweet pussy.
"Mor, can you come with me please? Az, you too." Although it was a question, it was more of a command. They both nodded and stood, getting ready to go.
"I'm going to the library, see how much I can find out about Jenaski." Amren stood as well, making her way towards the doors.
"I'll come with you." Nesta started to follow her.
"Ok. Let's go." I say. "Let's find out what this gift has in store."