Chapter 6.1

Sitting on a comfortable dark blue sofa, I glanced around the study.

Lit with several lamps with green shades, the room was enormous. Almost every wall was covered with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with so many volumes that I wondered whether they showed me to their private library accidently, since it didn't look like a study to me. At the far end of the room, I saw a large table with some structures which looked like models of something, maybe their court. There were also two long tables, a massive desk and two sitting areas with large fireplaces.

It was odd to realise that everything around me was made up. That even though every wall, every floor tile, and every damn object seemed so realistic, I knew they didn't exist. The same was with the people I had encountered and the whole world of Prythian I was now in – they were all created by someone. And that someone was now living in the States, busying herself with writing novels.

I do hope there is a way to bring me back home, regardless of what Rhysand said. Otherwise, I would be utterly screwed, I thought, glancing at the windows. Outside, it was pitch dark, so I suspected it had to be well past midnight.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted a movement. When I turned my head left, I saw Meleri who decided to have a seat next to me.

She flashed me a shy smile.

"So, you're the youngest," I said, trying to engage in idle chit chat with her.

"Yes. Are you?"

"No, I'm the eldest."

"As is Rian." Meleri beamed and I was sure like hell that it wasn't a good thing. I really hoped she had given up the ridiculous thought of playing Cupid for me and the handsome muppet, considering he wasn't even interested in me.

Too bad.

"Cerys and Ciaran are also older than me," she added.

I nodded, looking at the rest of the fairies.

Standing by the desk, Rhysand and Feyre were having a conversation with their three children. As it turned out, the two dark-haired people on the first floor, were their twins, Cerys and Ciaran. They both had strong Scottish accents, just like Rhysand, and it made me wonder why Rian didn't have one.

"Do you get on well with them?" I asked, still keeping my eyes on the adult fairies.

"I suppose so," Meleri said. "I love them both, but I feel more of a connection to Rian than the twins. Ever since I can remember, they have always been as thick as thieves, and done everything together. Playing. Flying. Fighting. Even teasing our parents." She laughed quietly. "They are truly inseparable."

Flying? Has she just said flying?

Flashing her a smile, I asked, "And Rian?"

"Oh, Rian is the best eldest brother you can ever have," Meleri replied with admiration in her voice. "He is very sweet and funny, and spends a lot of time with me, and usually–" She bit her lip, looking at her hands. "I know that I shouldn't have brought you to our Court. I also know that he didn't say that he was angry with me, but–"

My little kidnapper sighed.

"But what I don't know is why he was behaving so strangely towards you tonight," she added. "He didn't seem like the Rinny I know."

"Well, maybe your big bro has a bad day." I said, not knowing why I was giving a damn about him. "You know, his hair isn't as perfect as always. Or his muscular arms and legs are less impressive than they used to be."

Shut up!

I shrugged. "People can have such big problems."

"Why do you call us people?" Meleri asked, fixing her eyes on me. "We're not people, Lexi. We're High Fae, we're females or males."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I replied, "Well, sorry, but you do look like people to me. Though you're more beautiful than ordinary humans. That's for sure."

"Ah, I'm flattered, lovely Alexandra," Rian bragged, appearing next to me.

"Shit!" I squeaked and jumped a bit. "Don't do that!"

The handsome muppet laughed loudly, but then slung his arm across the back of the sofa and said, "I've never thought people were so fearful. Or are you an exception?"

I snorted, crossing my arms on my chest. "I've never thought fairies were so self-obsessed. Or are you an exception?"

"Said by someone dressed in their underwear," he said in that husky voice and extended his hand towards my chest.

"That's not my–"

Alert, I watched him wind slowly a strand of my hair around his finger and leave it then on my shoulder. Feeling goose bumps all over my body, I sighed quietly.

"You've called it 'pyjamas.' What is that?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

Swallowing hard, I said, "It's like a nightgown."

"I've never seen such a nightgown."

"Then maybe it's time to change your bed companions, my dearest brother," Ciaran, the twin brother, cut in, sitting in one of the armchairs. "And choose females that prefer such pyjamas."

Rian shot him a glance. "I'm not going to take advice from you, you little shit."

"Shame on you," Cerys added, taking a seat next to her twin in a similar armchair. "Why do you still use such childish expressions?"

"Because they suit him."

Cerys rolled her eyes, and then addressed her parents, "Are you sure he's your firstborn?"

Feyre chuckled. "Yes, we are."

She and Rhysand sat on the second sofa, right in front of me.

"What about my advice?" Rhysand asked. "Will you take it?"

Cocking his head, Rian fixed his eyes on him and then said, "It depends on the information included in the advice. If it's worth my time, I'll take it, if not…" He moved dismissively his hand.

"Then, please, move over and leave that girl be," Rhysand added, motioning to the third armchair.

Without saying anything, Rian stood up and sat in it.

Honestly, I was quite impressed. I didn't think he would listen to his father and obey his order, not to mention keep quiet about it. I truly expected to see a big scene, full of shouting and using swear words.

"We are all here, so let us begin," Rhysand said, making me look at him. "First of all, we would like to hear your version of the events. Meleri showed us hers in details, starting with her bargain with Bryaxis and bringing you here." He sent his daughter a condemned look. "Please, tell us what happened in your land."

"Well, where should I start?" I asked.

"Maybe from the beginning?" Rian cut in, smirking.

I glared at the handsome muppet.

And here I was, praising him for his behaviour, I thought.

"Rian, I don't want to hear you for the next ten minutes," Rhysand said quietly, not looking at his eldest son. "Go on, Alexandra."

"All right then." I fixed my eyes at my hands and tried to focus on the whole thing. "Well, I was sleeping in my bed when suddenly I woke up, feeling that something wasn't right. It must have been between one and two in the morning, but I didn't see the clock. That wasn't important back then."

I raised my head and flashed him a small smile.

"First, I thought that I forgot to lock the door, but it turned out that I did. Then, I saw a bright light in my garden, so I followed it. I was sure it was a burglar who turned the lamps on, however, outside, I just saw the light. And it was hiding behind our old ash tree."

"Did you see anything else?" Rhysand asked.

I shook my head. "It was just the light. After touching it, foolish me, I was sucked into it and the next thing I remember is opening my eyes and seeing the hall. And then you."

"I see. If I may, what were you doing before you went to bed?"

"Did you spend the evening with someone special?" Cerys asked with a grin, genuinely interested. She had a melodious voice with a strong Scottish accent. When the handsome muppet snorted, she added, "You were supposed to shut up, Rian."

He rolled his eyes. Then, after setting them upon me, he propped his chin in the palm of his hand, but didn't say a thing.

Feeling warm on my cheeks, I replied, "I spent the evening with my friends… Something you surely don't have, Tinkerbell. In case you didn't realise, I insulted you." I fixed my eyes on Rian. "Tinkerbell is a tiny blonde fairy with a hair knot and fluffy shoes."

He raised his eyebrows.

Ciaran chuckled. "What an ideal description of our Rinny."

Again, the handsome muppet didn't reply. He just sat there, staring at his brother.

"Wait a minute." I smiled, glancing at Rian. "Why are you so silent?"

But it was Rhysand who answered my question. "Sometimes, it's better to be silent than talk gibberish, don't you think?" He fixed his eyes on me and added, "You were going to tell us what you were doing before going to bed."

I nodded. "I visited my friends and we were watching the lunar eclipse. To be specific, the blood moon eclipse."

"That's interesting." Rhysand rubbed his jaw, thinking.

"Do you have any rituals connected with such eclipses?" Feyre asked. "I mean rituals involving blood or mating."

"Mating?" I repeated, feeling a bit confused.

What did she mean by that?

Suddenly, I realised.

"Oh, you mean having sex?" I laughed. "No, we don't have things like that anymore. Hopefully. The lunar eclipse was just an astronomical phenomenon, watched by millions of people on Earth. We like observing eclipses, both solar and lunar ones. Sadly, we don't have anything like your Starfall."

"You know what Starfall is?" Meleri asked.

I looked at her. "Shouldn't I?"

She shrugged. "It's only celebrated within the Night Court, so I didn't think you might know it."

"I read about it."

"But you said before that you heard stories about us," Feyre cut in.

Shit.

"Are you hesitating, lovely Alexandra?" Rian asked.

Apparently, Rhysand allowed him to talk.

Ignoring the handsome muppet and my slightly racing heart, I said, "It's because I both heard stories and read things about you."

Kind of.

Judging by their frowns, I realised they didn't expect to hear something like that. But if you have said A, you must also say B.

"The stories were mostly about you," I added and looked at Feyre, "and what happened underground with that red-headed bitch and afterwards. I read also about the Cauldron and your sisters. Obviously, about your Court. And I do hope we aren't in the underground Court of Nightmares… or another weird place I read about."

The silence wasn't a good sign, but I went on. It was time to say C.

"There was also information about the war with Hybern and getting rid of that old geezer, the king. About you destroying the Cauldron, saving Prythian and…" I glanced at Rhysand. Swallowing hard, I said quietly, "You dying and being resurrected."

"Holy. Burning. Hell," he concluded.

Upsy-daisy. I knew I said too much.

Then, there was this awkward silence. Again.

Finally, Feyre asked softly, "Was there anything else?"

"No, nothing else," I said. I couldn't tell her that I read a short story about them having wall-sex in a cabin and probably creating the handsome muppet, could I?

Accidently, I glanced at Rian who was observing me.

"Not a word about me?" he asked. "Ouch, that hurts. I must try harder next time to be included in those stories. But tell me, lovely Alexandra, who created such wonderful tales?"

"I don't know." I knew my answer was way too fast, but I hoped it wouldn't give me away. "The stories were written anonymously."

"Were they?" Rian wondered.

I nodded several times.

Oh, no. Me and my big mouth, I thought.

Rhysand exchanged a look with Feyre.

They know. They fucking know I'm lying.

"If you don't want to tell us, we'll understand," he said quietly, fixing his eyes on me.

Trying hard not to freak out, I pressed my lips together.

I was perfectly aware that I couldn't tell them the truth. That I should never tell them that they were nothing more than book characters. I knew it would be the worst thing that could happen to them. To their world. To their whole lives. And I wasn't going to be the one to do it.

Meleri got closer to me. "Lexi?"

I shook my head.

"The less you know, the better," I managed to say. "I'm sorry."

Looking between the fairies, I realised they were all exchanging looks. As though they were mind reading.

"And, please," I added quickly, "don't try to read my thoughts."

Rian frowned. "You know about that as well?"

Averting my eyes, I replied, "You are quite well-known in my world."

"Finally, some good news," he muttered.

I gave him a look. "Really?"

Leaning back in his armchair and crossing an ankle over his knee, he kept his blue eyes on me. "But I'm slightly offended that you haven't mentioned me in those stories yet."

"Poor Rian," Cerys broke in, shaking her head. "He didn't get all the attention he deserved."

The heir to the Night Court waved his hand, sending a shadow towards her.

Cerys made a face. "Keep them to yourself, you big shit."

Rian winked at her, and I heard Meleri giggle.

Suddenly, I yawned and I wasn't fast enough to cover my mouth. Only then, when all the adrenaline disappeared from my body, did I realise how tired I was. After all, I didn't sleep more than three hours.

Looking at me, Feyre announced, "We will try to find Bryaxis in the morning and do something with the bargain. In the meantime, Meleri and Cerys will show you your room, since you must be exhausted."

I frowned. "Thanks, but I don't need a room. I won't stay that long."

"Nonsense." Rhysand stood up, clearly ending our conversation. "After all, you are our guest and we would like to host you."

"Can we take Lexi to the yellow guest room?" Meleri asked, standing as well and looking at her father expectantly. "Should she need any help, she can easily find me next door."

The High Lord of the Night Court regarded his youngest for a moment, but then replied, "Fair enough."

Meleri smiled and turned towards me. "Come, let us go to the yellow guestroom," she said, taking my hand.