"Cyra, what are you highfae powers?" Was all that echoed in my head... This was it, I would be sent back. Back to Hewn City, where I will be beaten and left to rot. Worse, they would exploit my Highfae powers on the chance I'm a Highlady.

The earth began to quake again, and Morrigan became angry at Rhysand, "Rhysand, she needs to leave! If news of this gets out..."

"NO!!! They'll kill me unless I can get more herbs to supress my power. I'm a threat with my power. Without them I'm only a useless female only good for beating and housework for males without a wife...Send me back, they might kill me anyway," I lossed all sense of pose, of holding back from these Fae.

Rhysand became fearful, not of me, of...I don't know. "Cy, you will not go back, but it is not safe for you or others in Velaris, possibly even the Nightcourt till you can control your powers."

"I...I CAN'T! I was never allowed to use them and took too many herbs... They must have faded out of my system..."

Elain came over and hugged me. It was Feyre who spoke this time, "Cyra, please tell us what your powers are. We can train you as they did for me. Though my powers were just awaking and still are, I'm sure we could figure it out."

"Where are we going to send her then? She can not stay here!" Cassian and Azriel had to calm Morrigan down. Cassian reminded her it was better for me that it happened here than in Hewn.

Realizing they only wanted to help, understand, or simply negotiate...If I play my cards right, I could be truly free. I needed to calm down, but it was hard. "I don't know... I don't know what my powers are beyond small earthquakes and throwing stones without touching them. The earthquakes I did not know about till today. Father... caught me with the stones in the air when I was much younger and given me herbs since to stop my powers. Where he got them...I don't know, nor how, but he stopped giving them to me. Since my powers never came back...All my life, I have been a useless, powerless female, but it keeped me alive on hope that would change someday. Now, all it is is a death sentence, but power and purpose are an execution. Whether Father knew what kind of powers I had, though enough about it, I don't know. Even when i learned of the Duskcourt's powers, I thought but could not believe he knew it connected to me."

"Or maybe it was because of you... Your father is better than the other males there but still considers you his own. Enough not to let go of communications or risk your life keeping you in Hewn," Rhysand spoke like he was revealing a secret, "When he learned we were going to take you to Velaris, what Keir planned to make you do we made a bargin...Morrigan and I. For years before..Her..he has been a spy in the court of nightmares under Azriel's command. He has been valuable when learning Hewn's activities. Of course, some things are better done by one's self, but after when it became harder to go there. Your father has never been more imperative."

Morrigan was finally calm, "It is not that I don't want you here, never that I did not want you here, Cyra. Uncle Thanatos swore he could keep you safe in Hewn. Everything he did was for your mother and you. For the hope of a better version of Hewn or at least make it a bit better on women there. However, he wasn't the same after under the mountain, most likely because of your mothers death. His goal never changed. However, Rhysand told this to me, and I feel it is time to tell you. Your mother was very loud about women's rights in Hewn City. Keir only ever called it rebelliousness and bad behavior, but it empowered me when I did not want to marry Eris. I know I don't have the same fire, but I can help you."

"Morrigan, the rest should come from me," Rhysand interupted, "Once she became pregnant, she asked me if it was a girl to help try to get her out from under the mountain. Your father was not there when you were born. I slipped into the mind of the midwife and got her to tell everyone it was a boy, but it was dead. That way, if he met you later in life, it would be harder for him to realize who you are. However, since Thanatos line would be preserved through his son. Keir took the opportunity to kill your mother before Thanatos got to where she gave birth. The midwife too for lying since he said you with your mother before we could get you out. He told your father she died giving birth and gave you to him. I never told Thanatos the truth out of fear he would try to kill Keir and die in the process. Thanatos lost a lot of what ambition he had to help people in Hewn without your mother. He was as broken as his heart. I could not risk more lives that night as long as you were...generally safe. But Keir always had a strange like to you. Like you were gold in the hands of a begger to trade for the finest food he could get. I never understood why ither than maybe he knew about your power. Otherwise, I'm clueless. You know the rest anyway." He tried to do all that but rarely helped me since under the mountain.

I understood what they were telling me, but wrapping my head around it took time. Keir killed my mother! Rhysand tried to get me out years ago and failed. Perhaps all this is out of guilt of not being successful or not trying to again sooner. What did Dud Keir want with me? Why such an interest? Ugh! Too many questions swirled in my mind, so I focused on one i could get an answer to, "What was the bargin, Rhysand?"

Elain still held on to me, and Feyre stood at my side. The two Illyrians behind me, with Amren and Lucien in the doorway. Even though Morrigan was also standing infront if me, Rhysand seemed to be in the room when he explained, "Once you left Hewn, to let you think you are doing what was ask without suspicion until you trusted us, till you settled with us. If you asked to leave, we'd explain and let you decide to stay or leave for anywhere in Prythian but Hewn City. Should anything go south, to take you out of the Nightcourt where Keir and the others, not even your father, can find you. Keep you there till they stop looking, or you choose to come back, just not to Hewn. The bargin, in the simplest terms, let you live your life without ever letting you step foot in Hewn again."

"That is why I'm here!" Lucien piped in, and I look back at him. "The Spring Court is safe and far enough. The house where the band of exiles resides is even farther. Should you want or need to leave, Vassa, Julian, and I will take you. Tamlin resides in the house of exile, too, but it took some...convincing to let you in spring. I reasoned that if he was not going to use it, someone should. Besides, he might convince him to get off his ass. Since you can not train your powers in the mortal lands, spring is closest."

Amren walked beside Rhysand, "I will visit and give you training on your powers. Until then, I might know where you can get some herbs. I needed them too for a long time till I got used to having free rein of them after the prison. Only small amounts to avoid situations like last night will do. Cassian and Azriel also offered Illyrian training." The thought of training with these people, living in the ruins of the Spring Court and in the mortal lands with the exiles of Prythian. Belonging to no court but their own...

Elain whispered in my ear, though anyone with fae ears could hear her, "It would give me an excuse to come visit. Spring has the prettiest flowers anyway. Maybe I could fix it up a bit while I'm there." Once hear Lucien stand a little straighter behind us, I almost laughed.

"So... I can stay here, is what you're saying. I need to leave right away... You already were planning this?"

Azriel spoke up this time, and I could tell by the grave that he looked on a few faces. What he was about to say would not be good. "I hear that...Keir regretted letting you go and was going to send your father to get you. He refused and revealed that he was trying to get you out. Not in full, of course, but, well, he was branded a traitor... the punishment being..."

I could not believe it, would not. For so long, I was Cyra, daughter of Thanatos, he is part of who I am. The only shred of kindness I found in Hewn. Elain held me tighter as I tried not to weep, "He is not dead! He...When?"

"Last night. Once Azriel gave me the word, I realized you were having a nightmare. I thought maybe you could tell that you were a seer or could just...tell. Then the earthquake started. I asked you what you drempt about to see if it was your father's death," he finished. He had pity in his eyes but gave a gesture telling me I still could not say what I really drempt last night. Not that he knew everything, but I want still not going to tell him. "If Keir already wanted you back, if he hears about the earthquakes and connects it to you somehow, he'll take you by force. We don't have anyone on the inside to inform us of their moves."

Morrigan put a hand on each one of my shoulders, "Cousin, you leave with Lucien tonight. If anything happens now, I will not let what happened to me happen to you. I know you've been beat and branded with burns, and I can imagine what else, but nothing could compare to what they'd do know. Killing you would be slow, but if they let you live..."

"I'd wish I was dead."

"If they get to close, if it is necessary, I will use the right Rhys gave me to kill my father at any time. " So why don't you know? You could rule Hewn and make it as ot should be, better! But Cousin Morrigan did not have that fire, apparently. Morrigan has the fire to fight armies, sleep around to spit in her parents' face, to be one of Rhysand's ruling Inner Circle but not Hewn. She had the power to kill my parents murder, the tormentor of Hewn City, the Lord of Nightmares, this whole time but refuses too! Why? Not love for her father, but love of tormenting him with it.

I had to fight to stop the stone cold rage from shaking again. Instead, I was told to prepare to go with Lucien. To pack and clothes, shoes, books, and such from my room that I liked and could fit and get some rest for the trip. I ran out of the room to mine, craving a moment to myself so I could possess what just happened. What is about to happen...