It was a week later, three weeks after I'd given myself over to protect my mate, that real swords were waiting for us in the courtyard outside. It was a rarely sunny day and the sunlight seemed to gleam off of the sword. My sword.
I ran over to it and unsheathed it, holding it in my hands.
"Do you want me to leave you two alone?" Aerilyn laughed and I laughed softly too.
"I've just missed her," I said.
"Perhaps I need my own sword that I can become attached to. They don't answer back like males do," She snorted and I sheathed the sword again, strapping it over my back. I walked over to the training dummy and tied the white ribbon to it, letting it flap in the morning breeze. "What's that for?"
"Cut it and you're a Valkyrie," I told her.
She blinked, "It's that simple?"
"It's not simple at all," I told her, "I was the first of my friends but… it took a while." And a nighttime training session from Azriel.
Aerilyn walked over to the ribbon, focussing on it carefully. She swung her sword but the ribbon was not cut. She tilted her head and looked over at me.
Suddenly my stomach ached and churned. Bile rose in my throat. My eyes widened and I barely made it to the bush before I vomited.
"Gross," I muttered to myself. I clutched my stomach and looked up to see Aerilyn standing before me. She looked down at my hands clutching my body and then back up at my eyes. "What?"
"Are you okay?"
"Probably just something from breakfast not agreeing with me," I told her and she gave a slow nod.
"You should go and rest in bed," She said to me. "I'll bring you up some tea."
"I'll be fine," I told her, "Go on, try and cut the ribbon again."
She shook her head, "Go back upstairs, or I'll get the guards to drag you up there."
I barely made it to my bathroom before I emptied my guts again. My forehead felt hot and I stripped from my clothing, washing myself in cool water before I tucked myself in bed again. I must have fallen asleep a short while later. My stomach still hurt when I awoke and my forehead still felt warm, but I pulled a blanket over myself, my eyes adjusting in the dimly lit room. A pot of tea sat next to my bed and some kind of soup that was surprisingly still warm. I tucked into them and fell asleep again, my body exhausted.
I was still in bed the following evening, the tea soothing the stomach pains but doing little to help with the nausea.
Gwyn? Azriel's pained voice drifted into my mind and I realised that I'd let the shield slip. I desperately wanted to reply, but I knew if I could there was a chance he could tug at it and find where I was. A tear rolled down my cheek and I sat up in bed, holding my knees against my chest.
The door opened and I tensed but relaxed slightly when I saw it was Aerilyn with more tea and some kind of dinner.
"How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Weak and pathetic," I replied and she gave a sympathetic smile. "What's wrong with me?"
"I don't suppose there's any chance you could be… with child?" She asked, awkwardly.
My heart seemed to stop in my chest as my breathing caught in my throat. Back home we'd used the tonic, but the night of the Autumn Court Ball… My eyes widened.
"It… it can't…be," I could hardly get my words out as panic filled me. "Wouldn't you be able to hear it?"
"It depends how far along you are," She said.
"We… just… the night before Lux found me in the Middle…"
She squeezed my hand, "If you are pregnant, we'll have to negotiate your release sooner."
The tears stung my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. If I was pregnant I needed to be with Azriel. I should be curled up in bed with him fussing over me, kissing my stomach, telling me it was going to be okay.
Aerilyn's arms wrapped around me then in an embrace and I let her hug me as she cried, desperate for the contact. "I'm sorry," She whispered to me and I knew she meant it. I realised then that, despite everything, she had become my friend.
Another week passed by. Despite Aerilyn's arguments, I continued training sessions, using ginger tea to help fight off some of the nausea. The ribbon still hung, uncut. In the afternoons, we continued our piano lessons and I learnt more songs as well as started trying to compose some of my own. I avoided the parties in the evenings, tucking myself away and in bed instead, and at night… the nightmares had returned. No longer about my past or Azriel but they now included a tiny winged baby with Azriel's hair and my eyes.
It was in the middle of a nightmare that I woke up in bed, panting. The sheets felt damp and I gasped as I looked down at the blood that stained them. I wasn't pregnant. A false alarm. No, I was menstruating and that's why I was in agony. And despite it all, I cried. In relief because I wasn't pregnant and in captivity, but also at the loss for the child I would not be bringing into the world.
Gwyn? Please speak to me, please tell me you're okay… Azriel's voice seemed to drift away in a breeze and my heart ached.
Aerilyn brought me chocolate cake that afternoon and we tucked into it in silence.
"Today is going to be the day," Aerilyn said the following morning. I was well enough to be out of bed, which I was grateful for. It had been a month now of living in this place. A month of being away from my mate, longer than that since I had seen Nesta and Emerie… I wondered how they were getting on with their own training. How the Illyrian females were doing. How life in the library was.
"Hmm?" I blinked as Aerilyn waved a hand in front of my face. "Sorry," I apologised.
"You've had a rough time," She said, understanding on her face. "We can do this another day."
"Now is as good a time as any," I told her. She didn't look like she believed me, but she unsheathed the sword and turned to face the ribbon. I watched as she spun and swung the sword and I blinked as it cut the ribbon in two.
"Shit!" She squealed, her face beaming. She turned to face me, "I did it!" She ran and hugged me and I laughed as she released me and ran a victory lap around the courtyard, swinging her sword. I picked the ribbon up carefully and held it up as she returned to me. Then, just like Nesta had done to me all those months ago, I tied the white ribbon around her head.
"Valkyrie," I said to her and she grinned just as Lux stepped outside.
"What are you-" He started, but Aerilyn held her sword in the air proudly and he paused as power seemed to ripple off of her.
"I'm a Valkyrie!" She declared and Lux looked over at me, an eyebrow raised. I shrugged in response.
"Congratulations, sister," He said and then he turned back to me. "We leave for Prythian this afternoon and you're coming too."
"And me?" Aerilyn said, hopefully.
"You are staying here where it's safe."
She narrowed her eyes then, "I am coming with you." Her eyes darkened again and Lux seemed to step back, feeling the wave of power coming from her.
"Aeri-"
"No, Lux," She said, "I've been training with Gwyn and I can hold my own. I'm coming with you and it's not up for discussion. I'm not a child."
He looked irritated, but looked back at me, "Your leathers and dagger are in your room but if you dare do anything stupid then I will end you and your mate, do you understand?"
"I understand." And the fire seemed to crackle in my veins in response.
The area to the North West of the Night Court was exactly how I remembered it. I could almost picture mine and Azriel's cabin as we winnowed into a forest. I could not hear the river so I presumed we were further away than before but the smell of sea salt hinted that we were closer to the coast. Aerilyn walked beside me in armour that did nothing for her build, as it had been designed for a male. She'd fussed at first, demanding her own armour but when it came to wearing it or staying home, she gave in. I caught a glimpse of ocean ahead, grey and choppy like the sky. Then I stumbled.
I looked down at the ground, the stone that was there. No. Stone bricks I realised, tucked in the undergrowth.
"You've found something," Aerilyn whispered from beside me. She got to her knees then and Lux watched as she scraped some of the dirt away. More stone. It seemed to be disappearing under some hedges. "Cut this back," Aerilyn commanded Marx and he did as she asked. We watched in awe as the shrubbery was removed and a cave seemed to appear. A cave with a stone arch at the front.
"The temple," Aerilyn whispered. A dagger struck the tree beside her and she flinched, withdrawing her sword as Lux grabbed me, holding his blade to my throat. My blood went cold. There, between the trees was a winged male. My mate.
A sob caught in my throat as he walked towards us, silent death. I didn't move or fight back because if I did… I knew it was over for both of us.
"Let go of my mate," Azriel said, shadows rippling around him, his voice dark, dangerous. He held his sword in one hand, a dagger in the other.
"Why should I? She offerered to come with us," Lux drawled.
Truth-teller did not mark it as a lie and Azriel's eyes moved to mine then. I saw the fear in them. The pain. My stomach churned.
"She offered herself up in exchange for your life," Aerilyn said from beside me and I was grateful for that.
"What do you want?" Azriel said, his voice even.
"Give us truth-teller," Lux drawled, "And you."
"Don't," I said, my voice a choked sound. Lux tightened his grip on me and Azriel snarled.
"Your brother was dangerous," Azriel said then. "He wiped out a nearby village looking for your ruined court."
"My brother," Lux replied, "Wanted to bring us home."
"The Dusk Court has been gone for centuries," Azriel replied. "If you had been reasonable, you'd have met with my High Lord and High Lady and discussed this with them."
"So they could refuse my request? I very much doubt that Rhysand would give up some of his land."
Sweat beaded on my brow now as I kept my breathing steady.
"Let my mate go," Azriel said, turning his attention back to me.
"Give us truth-teller," Lux replied, coolly.
"Okay," He said and he reached for the dagger.
"Azriel, don't," I said but he didn't listen. He unsheathed truth-teller and placed the blade on the floor. He took a few steps back and held his hands up. Xandro moved in quickly, taking it. So quick that I'd not even sensed the arrows flying towards my mate. "NO!" My voice was between a snarl and a shriek as an arrow embedded itself in one of Azriel's arms. He staggered in response and Marx stepped out from behind a tree, grabbing my mate with another soldier.
Where was Rhys? Cassian? Eris? Anybody? Why had he come here alone?
Xandro gave the blade to Lux and he moved the blade from my throat as darkness drifted away from the blade in response to the glowing Gwydion he held in his other hand. He still gripped my wrist.
"Let her go, you bastard!" Azriel hissed, "That was the fucking deal!"
"It's a shame I need Gwyn for the ritual isn't it?" He clicked his fingers, dragging me into the cave as Aerilyn and his soldiers followed us, dragging my injured mate with him. Aerilyn moved to the side, lighting the way for us, lighting the torches and I saw we were in a tunnel. After a few twists and turns, it led to an open cave. A stone altar lay at one end of the room, some stone benches for worshippers to pray. Despite being untouched for years, it wasn't dusty and seemed perfectly reserved. Even the half-burned candles sat where they had been left, as well as some old, worn tomes and books.
I tried to resist my sob as Azriel was led to the altar and tied down on it, the arrow still in his arm. From the wincing on his face, I knew it wasn't just a normal arrow. Lux placed truth-teller and Gwydion side-by-side on the floor in front of the altar, still holding me tight enough to bruise my wrist. Aerilyn stood behind Lux and I didn't miss her unsheathing her dagger and tucking it behind her back.
An old book was held in front of me as Xandro took over restraining me.
"Read it," Lux said, signalling to the book.
"Release my mate."
"For fuck's sake," Lux rolled his eyes, "Who knew mates were so difficult to deal with?"
"I could end it for you, my Lord?" A soldier suggested and I tensed.
I looked at the words and started reading the old tongue, the words I could not fully understand and then some words that were still used today. The candles seemed to light in response, leaving a glow in the cave. I continued speaking, feeling the breeze brushing against my cheeks as Azriel let out a groan, clearly in pain. I spoke faster then.
"And now, with this blood, I mark the return of the true heir of the Dusk Court." I declared. It all happened so quickly. Aerilyn stepped forward, knocking the blade from her brother's hand as the blood fell from her own hand, one she'd already sliced open, ready. The drops fell to the soil beneath us and Lux let out a snarl, reaching towards her. But I was faster. A wall of flame separated them as I recited the last line and then the magic filled the cave. A bright light seemed to shine through the cave, radiating from the two blades and the soil below us. Light shone through the soil and the ground started to shudder.
"What the-" Xandro released me, grabbing his sword and I took the opportunity to hurry towards Azriel.
I started to untie the ropes holding him there.
"GWYN!" His voice was urgent. A dagger sailed towards him. I panicked and I leapt in the way, a dagger struck my stomach. The breath was knocked out of me and I hissed as I looked over at Lux, his eyes red with rage.
Azriel snarled, moving to untie the rest of the ropes and I stepped forward, sword in my hand. As I swung towards him, I noticed the commotion at the mouth of the cave. Rhysand and Cassian hurried in with Illyrians and my Valkyries, Eris and his soldiers close behind them. But there weren't just two Valkyries. No, there were six, all armed, all in their leathers. I didn't have time to be proud as I faced Lux again, trying to ignore the horrific pain in my stomach. Our swords clashed, this way and that and I tried my best to keep going, despite everything. And then, as I staggered, Aerilyn was there, Gwydion in her hand.
"Why?" Lux asked her, his eyes narrowed.
"Because it's my birth right," She replied simply. "And I wish for no more bloodshed." Her blade was quick as she sliced across his legs and he groaned, crumpling to the ground. It was over then. His soldiers that were yet to be cut down by the two High Lords and their armies, dropped their weapons and sank to their knees, hands held high, asking for mercy.
I staggered again and Aerilyn grabbed me, holding me upright as she kept the sword pointed towards her brother. "Could you not have let me in on the plan?" I asked her.
"I wanted the element of surprise," She said with a shrug.
Cassian hurried towards us then, checking his brother over and cursing about the ash arrow in his shoulder as Nesta and Emerie ran for me. They each grabbed me, Nesta pressing pressure to the wound as Emerie tried to help steady me.
Eris approached with Rhysand.
"Arrest him," I murmured, pointing at Lux. "But not her," I said, pointing at Aerilyn. "She's… my friend… and she's High Lady of the Dusk Court."
Eris moved towards Lux, blade ready for a Blood Duel but Rhysand held out his hand. "No," The High Lord of the Night Court said, his voice dark, commanding. "You can kill him later. For now, we need to get your granddaughter and her mate to a healer." His gaze was firm and Eris nodded.
Dark spots seemed to be obscuring my vision and before I could prevent it, I lost consciousness.