Hey guys! To inform you, today's chapter will be a mix of two point of views, Rhysand's and Lucien's and they will be switched around a little in this chapter.
RHYS
Amren and I decided that Feyre would be in better hands in the Night Court, where she could be even more surrounded by the people she loved.
I now felt utterly useless, not being able to help Feyre. I had done all I can, had made Feyre's poison-induced sleep much more tolerable. I had recreated Velaris in her mind so she had someplace peaceful to be in while asleep and anyone I allowed could visit her there- for example, right now.
"When we go back, will you… maybe get my sisters to come here? I-I have to apologise to them for what happened, I-"
"It's not your fault," I interjected.
"But if I hadn't told Ianthe-"
"If you hadn't told Ianthe, the King would still have found your sisters, especially having bargained with Tamlin, who knows the whereabouts of them. It's not you fault," I repeated.
She hung her head, still clearly dejected.
"Feyre," I said, using one of my hands to lift her face to face mines. "They're fine. They're still adjusting but they are fine. I promise that I will bring them here to see you and I'll even bring our Inner Circle in. But I have sent a message to Tamlin so- so maybe you'll get to see them in person instead."
She gave me a small smile that still managed to catch my breath.
"If the poison is bloodbane, shouldn't my blood or the plant the Suriel told me heal me like it healed you? Unless you've already tried that and it didn't work."
"If the poison is spelled to block any Night Court magic, your blood would be blocked from healing your body as you are the High Lady of the Night Court," I explained. "And no, I haven't tried it yet but I can if you want, when we return to the Night Court."
She sighed and scooted over to my side, snuggling against me. "When will this end?" She mused under her breath.
I stroked her hair gently, loving the silkiness of her golden brown hair.
"It's war," I murmured, "But I promise you, we're going to have an extremely long vacation once this is all over."
She was silent and merely rested her head against my chest, my arms tightening around her. And we stayed that way for a very long time.
xXx
Feyre was once more in my arms. This was what, the fourth time since her return? Tarquin and Amren were bidding us farewell before we went back to the Night Court.
"Take care of her," Amren said, "Or I'll take a little trip over there and kick your ass."
Tarquin coughed to hide his chuckle.
"I will. You won't need to worry."
"I hope not," She muttered.
"Have a safe journey, Rhysand. We'll notify you if anything comes in from the Spring Court," Tarquin said, which reassured me slightly.
I thanked him and turned back to Amren.
"You'll be okay here?" I asked her.
"You go worry about our High Lady. Unlike you, I don't need company to keep my pride," She said, grinning.
I rolled my eyes and faced our new passenger. Lucien was wringing his hands, obviously worried about meeting his mate and coming with me to the Night Court.
"Are you ready?" I asked him.
He nodded and his eyes drifted to Feyre. "I'm sorry- for Feyre. Maybe if I had been more involved-"
"You would have what? Found out they were going to poison her? Tamlin didn't know too so how would you have found out?" I asked with a sort of lethal calmness.
He didn't answer and actually looked ashamed. It sparked a little pity in me. "Here," I said," Hold Feyre for me. I won't be able to winnow you if I'm holding her, I won't be able to make skin contact with the both of you at the same time and I only want to make this trip once."
He nodded and carefully took Feyre in his arms. Of course I didn't like the fact that he was now carrying my mate but what I had said was true. Gripping both of their hands, I winnowed to Velaris. We landed in the foyer of the House of Wind. Mor was lounging there and she got off the couch as soon as she saw us.
"Feyre!" She cried out, rushing over to her side. She sent a glare to Lucien who quickly transferred Feyre into her arms instead.
"I'll bring her to my room," Mor told me and I nodded.
As soon as she was gone, I turned to Lucien. "Are you ready to see your mate?" I asked.
He was silent for a moment. "Will she even want to see me?" He asked quietly.
His worry stopped me from snapping at him and I recalled how I had felt when I had went over to the cabin to find Feyre. Would she have let me in? Would she have wanted to talk to me, or even wanted to see me? Would she actually accept the mate bond?
"Elain isn't like that. She's kind and compassionate and will want to know more about you. Of course, you can see for yourself," I said, holding out a hand for him.
He hesitated only for a fraction of a second before striding over with slight confidence and gripped my hand. I winnowed him to the no winnowing border and motioned to the small house, to the cabin in the distance.
"Elain is in there. Nesta isn't there right now, she's with Cassian so be thankful for that. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't allow you five miles in her space," I told him, shrugging.
"You're not coming with me?" He asked, slightly shocked and more worried and panicky than before.
"I'm going to go back to Feyre. Mor will probably want to know more and die from the suspense so I should go back and make sure that doesn't happen," I said.
"Wait, but-"
But he was too late and I had already winnowed back to the House of Wind. I heard him curse as I disappeared.
Mor was already waiting for me in her room, Feyre's head supported by an immense amount of pillows. "What happened? Tell me everything. Every. Single. Detail. Now." She demanded.
I told her everything that had happened, from what Feyre had done to infiltrate the Spring Court to what the King had demanded from us to heal her. Mor was fuming and already cursing when I was done.
"You mean to tell me that my High Lady is now on the verge of death?" She asked.
I nodded hesitantly. Her face drooped and she motioned to Feyre. "Can I see her?"
I smiled and took her hand, leading her to the home I had created for Feyre.
LUCIEN
Damn Rhysand for leaving me like this. Damn him for dumping me here and expecting me to go alone to the cabin that house my mate.
Scowling, I trudged through the snow to the door of the cabin, took a breath and knocked on it.
"Coming~" a sweet, lilting voice rang out from within the cabin and before I even had the chance to chicken out, the door opened and Elain's pretty, innocent face gazed out at me. She faltered for a moment when she caught sight of me. "Lucien," She breathed.
I fidgeted on the steps, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and exposed in front of her, so much more vulnerable than I had ever felt in my entire life.
"Elain… I- I should go, I merely wanted to see that you were okay-"
"No, no. Come in, Please," She said, eyes showing hints of curiosity to know more about me and this supposed relationship between us.
I hesitantly, ever so slowly, stepped into the threshold. The cabin was simple yet beautifully furnished, but that wasn't what caught my eye. The paintings on the walls did. Every surface was covered with beautiful paintings that consisted of all the vibrant and dark colours and they contrasted beautifully against the stark walls of the cabin. The brushstrokes, the style reminded me of Feyre's own paintings and they looked pretty similar.
"They're Feyre's," Elain told me. So I had been right, these were Feyre's work.
My mouth contorted into an O. She gestured to the sofa in the living room and I sat down next to her, careful to keep a respected distance away from her.
"How are you handling the transformation?" I asked her quietly.
"It was difficult in the beginning. All of my senses have been amplified, heightened… but then I discovered my powers for the flowers, nature stuff and everything just- fit into place for me. I mean, I've always wanted to make everywhere I went a home for myself and those I loved and now, as a fae, it fits," She told me, shrugging, then she stopped herself. "But do you understand that, I babble sometimes-"
"No, I do," I interrupted. "I get the feeling."
She nodded and smiled at me. Her smile was exquisite, it felt like meadows, gardens, the forest- and home.
"So…" She said hesitantly. "Would you tell me about this mate thing? I'm afraid I don't exactly know a lot, Nesta doesn't want me to get involved. She's taken the transformation a lot harder than I have and unlike myself, despises being a fae."
"You're not just a fae. You're a high fae. High fae have more power than normal faes, or as we call them, lesser faes," I explained.
She nodded and listened with rapt fascination as I explained what a mate was, its history and even what was needed for the female to accept the bond. Her eyes widened as I told her what would happen after the bond was accepted and a slight flush entered her cheeks.
"And if I don't accept the bond?" She asked quietly.
I ponded over the question. It was rare to turn the bond away but it wasn't impossible. "It wouldn't matter. Nothing would change, although the bond would still be there, no matter what happened."
"Then doesn't that make it hard for us both if I'm not supposed to offer you food if I don't want the mating bond?"
"Do you? Want the mating bond, I mean."
She was silent and when she spoke, it was in a hushed tone. "I'm not sure. Maybe not right now. I think… I think I want some time to get to know you and for you to get to know me." She looked up at me, straight in the eye. "Is that okay?"
My heart skipped a beat at her innocence and need to look after my feelings. I smiled at her. "Yes. It's perfect."
RHYS
Cassian, Nesta and Mor were keeping Feyre company while Azriel was returning from his duties. Since Mor had already been in when Cas and Nesta had arrived, I made her the anchor so whoever touched her and concentrated would be able to visit Feyre. I was now waiting for Tamlin's message and hopefully, the cure.
Finally, finally, Feyre shifted in her sleep as words appeared on her hands once more. I carefully held them in my own and once more sharpened them, my eyes skimming over the words.
Your request for a cure is difficult. The King and Jurian aren't sharing that information with anyone and ignore our arguments about having kept the plan for poisoning away from us. The other two courts that have allied with us are also sceptical as we have poisoned the Cursebreaker and the first High Lady in many years. Nothing has come in from the Winter or Day Court yet about our messages about allying with them. They do not want this to get out but the Lady of the Autumn Court has shown signs of contempt to this alliance and may rebel and change the alliance of her court.
I cursed as I finished reading the report and angrily erased the words with a wave of my hand. I gently laid Feyre's hands back down on the bed and stalked the room. The Winter Court and the Day Court. We had to send them messages ourselves to get their alliance before they had the chance to think about allying with Hybern. Especially the Winter Court- my heart stuttered a beat as a memory came to me. Shame flooded through me as I remembered what I had done to the younglings.
They were screaming. Not the children, their family, their loved ones. I wanted to scream with them, cry with them for what I was about to do. I had to, Amarantha commanded it. But that didn't mean I had no heart or soul for them. They would call what I had done a blight, something that had wiped out dozens of children as their minds collapsed.
I had wanted to make it as painless as possible for them. But even afterwards, in the midst of all the screams, I couldn't help but think that their pain had been passed on to me. Was this their revenge, the karma that had been passed on to me? I was ashamed and guilty for what I did but could only give a grin to those around me, pretend that I relished in their deaths when I truly felt like my soul was collapsing into myself.
I shook my head to clear those thoughts, my fists clenching and unclenching at my sides. This was a part of me that I had never shared with Feyre, the part of me that spoke truth to what Feyre had called me- a mess.
"How is she?" A voice interrupted my thoughts.
Azriel was leaning on the door, eyes flickering between the four of them at the bed and me stalking the room. I stopped and responded, "You can see her, you know."
He hesitated. "I think… I think not."
I didn't ask him why, merely gave him a nod. I was used to Az like that.
"You seem distant," He said, folding his arms.
"It's the courts. We'll have to send out messages to the Day and… Winter Court soon for the alliance," I sighed.
We were both silent. "They suspect it was you," Azriel murmured.
"They know it was me. They've suspected it from the beginning and so why would they want an alliance with a court ruled by someone who killed dozens of their younglings?"
"They would listen to Feyre."
"Maybe if she wasn't mated to me."
"The Winter Court may hate you, Rhys, but they most certainly do not want their lands to be overrun by Hybern or the truce with the mortal lands to be broken."
"Unless they desperately want revenge."
"Do you think they would get their revenge through ways that may kill even more of their people?"
I was silent. And then I sighed once more. "You're right. But it wouldn't be wise for me to go."
He nodded. "Perhaps Lucien could go. If he wanted to help. Or we could focus on the Day Court first."
I pursed my lips, still unsure about the idea. "And what of Feyre? Wouldn't her presence be better to form an alliance?"
"We could wait, if that's what you want, send out our own messages first. But if they want a meeting before Feyre awakens, you'll have to make a choice Rhys. And a good one."
