The next day passed slowly. Another Windhaven training session, thankfully with no fewer females and this time with a couple of smiles. Morrigan watched this time from a bench and I was grateful for her presence, watching over us all and giving encouragement to the females who needed it. After winnowing us back to the house, she sat in the living room with us. It was time for a lesson on the Court of Nightmares.

"First of all, they're all bastards," was her opening line to us as she poured each of us a cup of tea spiced with cinnamon. "Second of all, much like the Illyrians, their view of females is backwards. We're only for breeding and they tend to sell off their daughters to the highest bidder when they come of age. Highest bidder being whoever provides them with the most money or power. The fact that you're female warriors who have completed the Blood Rite will horrify them because it's so against their ugly traditions." She passed each of us a large box. "Fashion there is a little different too, as Nesta will recall… as gorgeous as your leathers are, I've sourced something a little different."

I opened the box and held up the black dress with the large thigh slit and cut-out waist. Our familiar golden pauldrons were fashioned onto the shoulders and the shoes were sandals that laced up to the knees. I wrinkled my nose, "If Clotho ever sees me in this I'll never be allowed back in the library."

Emerie laughed, raising an eyebrow at whatever outfit was in her box. "My father would turn in his grave, excellent." Morrigan grinned at that.

"Of course we still expect you to wear your weapons," Morrigan continued, "That'll add to the effect." She flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "You will see some dancing and I will warn you both," She said to Emerie and I, "That although waltzing is common in the Hewn City, other dances can be far more… graphic and nudity… isn't unusual." Her face became more serious, "We all have our roles there and they are not pleasant. We aim to scare, to threaten. We all wear masks in this game and I'm afraid that you will need to do the same. You're there to intimidate, to remind them what the Night Court is capable of and the hell that will rain down on them if they do not follow our rules. If you're not comfortable with this then now is the time to say."

I was dreading it, I realised… but then I remembered these people were not innocents. They had done horrible things. It wasn't the same as the temple.

Emerie gave a nod in agreement and both she and Nesta glanced at me, checking I was still willing to play the game.

"Okay," I said and that was all Morrigan needed before she outlined Rhys' plans.

Training was cancelled the following two mornings. Instead, it was replaced with lessons from Morrigan on etiquette, or lack of, in the Hewn City. From how we were to move, to some of the dances, should we need to be involved in them. It was as if we were planning a battle strategy.

And I was surprised that after training, Rhys turned up, looking for me. "I'd like to ask a favour," He said and I noticed his wings weren't visible and he wore a smart suit jacket. "I would like to request your presence at the Spring Court for a meeting with Tamlin."

"Why me?" I blinked, fiddling with my pale blue priestess robes.

"Because you're the only priestess who knows exactly what is going on and you found the information we need to share," He said, "And you have family history in the Spring Court so we may need you for the ceremony, should we manage to convince him."

"I've not left the Night Court since…"

"Cassian and I will be with you," He said, his eyes softening with some kind of understanding. "Nothing will happen to you."

I gave him a nod, "When do we leave?"

"Would five minutes be okay?"

The winnowing made me want to be sick, I realised as we appeared outside the walls of a manor house. Cassian sneezed beside me as we walked past a cherry blossom tree and I clutched my stomach as I looked over at him.

"Do you have allergies?"

"Yes," He replied with a frown and I broke out into a grin. "That is not more ammunition for you, Berdara," He warned as Rhys laughed softly in front of us.

He paused at the gates, irritation on his face, "Coming here never gets any easier."

"I don't suppose it ever will," Cassian replied, wiping his nose. "I can't believe we're actually helping him."

"The cost if we don't is far too much," Rhys sighed and I watched as that mask went up and I felt the shift in power that seemed to tremble off of him.

The gardens of the manor house were overgrown. Dead. Ruined. A cracked fountain lay in the centre, no longer shooting out water but instead it was some kind of sludge. Sculptures lay broken on the ground. Thorns and weeds had crushed life out of the place. I realised then just how easy it would be for Beron to slip into the Spring Court and make himself a fortress.

I stood between Rhys and Cassian as we reached the front door and Rhys hit the knocker against the splintered wood. The High Lord who answered was not the one I recognised from the portraits in the books. His blonde hair dishevelled and he looked somewhere halfway between male and beast. His eyes were bloodshot, shadows under his eyes. I was surprised he hadn't left his body to completely waste away.

"Ah yes, your other dog said you'd probably come," Tamlin said in greeting and I balled his fist at the name he used for Azriel. He saw me then and glanced over at me with a bored expression. "I never said I agreed to the ceremony," He said, going to close the door but Rhys stopped him, looking irritated.

"Gwyneth is here to share the information with you," Rhys said, his voice cold. "And you and I both know that there's more than what's left of this manor at stake here."

"Go home to your mate and child," He spat and Rhys pushed him backwards then, forcing us into the property.

"You will listen to what we have to say," My High Lord hissed. "Let's go to your study."

The manor was just as ruined on the inside as the out and I saw plenty of claw marks to show that Tamlin had indeed done this himself. The study had paintings hanging off the wall but the furniture wasn't broken and I perched on a dusty sofa beside Cassian as Rhys sat in the armchair to my right and Tamlin across from him.

My High Lord passed Tamlin a copy of the text I'd found and then I glanced over at him and summarised it for him as he scanned the words.

"Even if I agreed to this, I have no priestesses left," He said to Rhys, "Your High Lady took care of that."

Rhys gave me a nod and I continued, "I have Spring Court blood in me. My grandmother was from the Spring Court."

"And who's to say it would work?" Tamlin asked, his face irritated.

"There's no guarantee," Rhys said, "But what do you have to lose?"

A low blow. But, to my surprise, Tamlin didn't retaliate.

"Lucien Vanserra will be my heir," He announced and I tried my best to hide my surprise, "And his children after that." He looked over at Rhys, "If, of course, your mate's sister can stand to live in this place." If she ever accepted the mating bond, I added in my head.

"The ceremony happens next week, at the full moon," Rhys said, getting to his feet. He snapped his fingers and the copy of the text was gone. A precaution. "I'll have the paperwork drawn up and the ceremony planned. Just show up."

I managed to eat a little bit of the dinner the House had sent Nesta, Emerie and I that afternoon as we prepared ourselves for the Hewn City, but my stomach was in knots. As they finished their dessert too, I excused myself and went down to the lower level. I twisted the handle and opened the bedroom door and breathed in Azriel's scent. It hadn't felt right coming here without him but I'd wanted to. I'd just been too afraid. What if he rejected the bond? Or like Elain, decided he didn't want to pursue it anytime soon? What if he felt like he was just stuck with me now for the rest of our lives?

I walked over to the desk and glanced at the books that were stacked there. Two books about war. One about swordplay and on the top, a poetry book sat open.

"I want to cling onto you, as my anchor, as my constant, in the whirlwinds of this changing world." I read and as I picked it up, a piece of paper fell out. A message was written on it. There were lots of crossings out, the letter only a first draft, but I saw my name and stilled. I sat down on the edge of the bed.

Gwyn,

I'm not really sure how a love letter works or maybe this is more a confession? But lately I've noticed something. Maybe it's just me. I need to know if you feel it too. Mates are rare, so rare and so precious but for some reason I think the mother has chosen you as mine.

The rest was scribbled out and, despite turning the paper over, I couldn't make out what it said. I placed the letter on top of the book and back on his desk and then stepped out of his room, almost walking straight into Cassian.

"Does he know that I know?" I asked him and he shook his head.

"I was trying to stay out of it," He said, shaking his head, "It's why Nesta and I were being so odd at dinner."

I gave a nod and headed back up the stairs to prepare for battle.