When Rhys and I winnowed back to the house, we weren't even on solid ground for three seconds before he was kissing me. I wasted no time in responding with equal if not more passion. I wrapped my arms around him and he pulled his face away from mine only to hold me closer to him, breathing in deep. I could feel his heartbeat slowly becoming normal speed as he enveloped me in his arms. At least I knew it affected him the same way as me. I felt safe, I felt like I could live in that moment forever.
It was extremely short lived though, because within seconds, Mor came barreling through the room with Azriel close on her heels. Cassian must not be in good shape, if he wasn't frolicking around with two of his best friends.
"What-oh Feyre, you're back! Wait-why are you back?" Mor exclaimed as she pulled me from Rhys, only to hug me herself. She grabbed my shoulders and held me at arm's length so she could assess my condition. Once she was satisfied that I was unharmed, she turned to Rhys and asked, "what is going on?" Once Mor had let go of me, he immediately took my hand, holding it tight.
"I honestly don't know, we'll have to wait until Amren gets back so she can explain the entire situation," Rhys sighed, running his other hand through his hair. "We just have to wait," he mumbled. So he wasn't part of the plan to rescue me? I wonder why Amren didn't tell him of all people. All the worrying thoughts flew out of my head because he was here. I was here. We were here together. I'd only been in Tamlin's house for a few hours, but I felt trapped again, suffocated. I felt like I'd never see Rhysand again, which was ridiculous considering he was the most powerful High Lord of all time, he could get me out just by thinking it. Also the fact that he was my mate. Actually, I could've gotten out just by thinking it, but that wasn't the plan.
We all went into the sitting room. Rhys and I planted ourselves on the couch, Mor threw herself over one of the armchairs, and Az sat carefully in the other chair. No one said anything; we just stared at the fire. Rhysand had not let go of my hand once, like he was afraid to let me go as if I'd just vanish into thin air. Well I could, but he would go with me.
I knew I was supposed to spy for Rhys but if I was being honest with myself, I was relieved that Amren did whatever she did. I don't think I could have handled what Tamlin would have done if I were in that house at nighttime. I also didn't think Lucien would have had the guts to interfere if Tamlin decided that I didn't, in fact, need time and space to heal from the 'terrible things Rhysand had done to my mind.' I still couldn't believe that Tamlin and the King of Hybern fell for that. I also thought they would have known that the mating bond was unbreakable, no matter how much power you threw at it.
However sick it was, I did not feel an ounce of regret for what happened to Tamlin. I knew he loved me, but that love turned into possessiveness. I was not a doll for him to play with, I was his equal. He kept me confined, scared of the world. I could've gotten more control over my powers if he had just let me. I tried to search for the man I once loved, but I realized that he was never really there. Tamlin was just there for me at the right time. He always acted the way he acted. He imprisoned me when we first met, he purposefully bit me, he shielded me from his people, he failed to see that I was sick and depressed after what had happened to me under the mountain, but Rhysand didn't. Rhysand saw what was happening to me. He did everything in his power, with the one week he had with me each month to make me feel better, to get me to eat, to teach me how to use my powers. Rhysand is the one who helped me with the tasks under the mountain, who saved my life more times than I could count. Tamlin knew what was happening to me, but he decided me being alive was better than dead. When in reality, me being alive and tortured was much worse. It wasn't only what Tamlin had done to me, I'd realized. He demanded obedience from everyone in his court. He acted like a snobby king because that is who he is, he didn't feel the need to act that way, he wanted to. He had no mercy for the Fae who were living off of scraps, he just demanded more money, more payment no matter what. We had rooms filled with gold and riches, all thrown away. It wasn't just Tamlin either, it was Ianthe, Lucien, the whole Spring Court was corrupt. They made me believe that they were my friends, that they cared for me. When in reality, they just cared for themselves and their things. In my case, I was Tamlin's thing. Something that he can control.
We sat in those positions for half an hour before Amren walked calmly through the front door saying, "I apologize for the wait, our guests wanted to stop and eat." When she padded in and saw our faces, she nodded to herself and sat in a chair directly in front of us.
Without our asking her to, she explained everything. She told us how she went through a portal to the world she believed belonged to Myriam's father, and how they agreed to help get rid of Tamlin in order to be able to meet Myriam-who they thought was dead along with her mother. She explained what Aelin did, called them wyrdmarks, and also said that after Rhys and I winnowed home, she, Aelin, and Rowan went through a portal to get to Myriam and dropped Tamlin between portals. Amren said that this was the only way to be done with him without killing him and starting an uprising. Tamlin was lost in some odd portal with no sense of direction, no memory, and no way out. Good.
"And you didn't feel the need to explain all this to us before you executed this plan?" Rhysand questioned exasperated.
"I tried to tell you that we needed to get Feyre back as soon as possible. If you hadn't trusted her so much, we could have come up with it together," Amren said, rolling her eyes.
"You know, I don't even care that you did all of this without me. I would've pulverized the whole Spring Court if I ever saw Tamlin's face again," he turned to me, "I'm just glad you're home," he said and pushed a hair out of my face, the gesture was innocent, but the raw love behind his eyes was so overwhelming "let's all just turn in for the night." I heard Mor giggle, winking at me and walk out of the room. Amren walked over to the liquor and poured herself a glass, then seated herself in the chair Mor had vacated, a faraway look in her eyes. Azriel silently walked to his room, his head down. I knew he was worried about Cassian. I made a mental note to check on Cassian tomorrow. Rhysand stood up in front of me, still holding my hand, and led me to our room. I had a feeling that we wouldn't be getting much needed sleep tonight.
Rhysand POVI lazily reached for Feyre's vacant hand on the bed, her other hand tracing patterns on my wing. I could tell that being at the Spring Court had brought her mood down, even if she was only there for a few hours. In my mind, I had created countless scenarios in which I would inflict what Tamlin had coming for a long time, but I couldn't be more relieved that he had gone this way. Amren had created the perfect plan, with the perfect people-no matter how strange, and I couldn't help but feel a bit bitter about the fact that she hadn't consulted us beforehand. Feyre was my mate. I held her hand tight, as if she would vanish into thin air. She could, but I would go with her. Wherever she goes, I will always follow.
I shuddered at the thought of what could've happened if the King had actually severed the bond between us. I wouldn't let anything happen to Feyre. Never again. I felt tears pool in my eyes at the thought of ever losing Feyre again. I never want to see her the way she was coming out of the Spring Court. Whenever I got my one small week with her, I would do everything in my power to help her. The first day Feyre came, I had no idea what food she liked, what clothes she liked to wear, what her favorite perfume was. It was Mor who helped me fix all of the feminine things for her, but she said it was up to e for everything else. I decided to give her everything I had, I set out every single dish my chef prepared, just because I was unsure of whether she would dislike the food. Slowly, I learned what she preferred to eat, wear, use. I let her see the real me time from time. I let her get inside my head, literally. It killed me not to tell her that she was my mate. I made it so painfully obvious at times I was boggled at the fact that she couldn't take one look at me and see, that I was so madly in love with her. She could read others like a book, the way he convinced the High Lord of the Summer Court to help us, it made me green with jealousy seeing her flirt with him. But she couldn't read herself, she couldn't see that she was pulled toward me, that she and I were mates.
My thoughts kept bouncing back to the two Fae who were also at the Spring Court, the backbone of the plan that freed Feyre. I didn't even get the chance to thank them before Amren whisked them away to meet Myriam and Drakon, one of my biggest secrets from the world.
"Both powerful fae. Rowan Whitethorn, very old and mighty. He has power over ice and wind. Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. She can control fire, and she is also one of the most notorious assassins where she comes from. They are not of this world," Amren had given me brief descriptions about Myriam's father and his assassin lover. She told us how Aelin, with the help of few others, had defeated their tyrant of a king and reclaimed her throne and that it wasn't unlike the situation we had here in Prythian.
"Feyre?" I asked somewhat groggily.
"Hmm?"
"Do you think we will be able to defeat the king?" I would never admit it to anyone else, but I had concerns about how we would free ourselves from the King, once and for all. Before I learned about the cauldron, I thought it would be a piece of cake, and now seeing all of the power he possesses, it made me weary.
She bit her lip and scrunched her eyebrows together as she thought it over. "We can do it. But I think we need allies. Strong ones." she sighed.
If Aelin truly was a queen, she must have an army. Even if their Fae aren't quite like the ones in Prythian, if they were anything like Rowan and Aelin, they're strong. After mulling it over for a few moments I decided that I would first have to consult my inner circle, but first- I turned over so I was on my stomach, facing Feyre, and brought my lips crashing down upon hers.