I found the library, and it was magnificent. It ran deeper and moved up. My 'to be read' list felt like it grew a thousand books at an eye glance. I moved through the isles labeled by Genre and letters. I pulled book after book down, skimming, reading and completing them in order.

I laughed, smiled, and read under candlelight for hours, lost in this new place. Off to another land with other problems and their schemes. The pain was surfacing, expelling the power building up in wind currents around me.

I felt a tug on the bond. "Where are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, maybe I sauntered down the stairs as a mouse."

"That's not funny, Cali." He purred.

"Library, been here all day." I closed the link, pulling that feeling down.

I turned to the final page and closed the book as my stomach growled. I did not know what time it was, but I was hungry enough to feel nauseous. I took the next book with me and made something simple to eat before lounging on the couch.

More hours, more words and more books consumed.

I woke to the book being moved. "I was reading that." I pulled it back.

Morrigan giggled. "I can tell, you fell asleep on the couch. To bed young lady."

"I'm fine here, I just needed a nap." I pulled the book up to my face, but she wasn't buying it.

She forced me to bed, taking the book with her. "You can have this after you wake up."

I woke up, surprised my room was intact today. I found my book next to the couch with a note. 'I will be out for a little bit; I'll be back soon. I left a meal for you in the fridge.' I ate, moving to the library as I finished the book off.

Was it wrong to call this a piece of paradise? I pulled the tenth book this week down and moved to the living room to read. I could read wherever I wanted without others being around. It was quite, no one asked me to go to dinner or be on standby throughout the day. I was left alone.

The shadows shifted, and Rhys plopped on the couch. Reclining back as he let out a sigh. He closed his eyes, pushing forward a smile. "What book did you find?"

"This one is a romance adventure."

"Is it, now? What number in the series is that?"

"Book ten in this series. Last one, too. Waiting to see if he dies or not in the fight."

"I might run out of books for you by the end of the year at that pace."

"Possibly, maybe I will have to find another courts library."

"Mind if I lay on the couch, I don't want to move to my bed."

"Sure, I can move somewhere else."

I marked my place with a slip of paper, and I set the book down, but before I could move, he laid his head in my lap. "Uhm, Rhys?"

"You can keep reading. You mentioned this a while back. You can pretend I'm someone else if it helps."

I had; I had said how much I missed it. I still missed it. Tamlin didn't do this anymore, that one time was not the same. He did not do much with me but told me to stay inside where it was safe. I looked down at his winning smile. Some reason this did not upset me, I found a familiar comfort in it.

It was not like when Tamlin laid in my lap three weeks ago. This man smiled; Tamlin seemed out of it, like he did not want to be there. It had only been an hour and when he was called for, he left with a kiss on the cheek and a 'see you later at dinner.' He would then ask if I would move inside, where I would be safest.

"I have a question, if I ever got tired of these walls, would you let me leave? Like, let me see your territory?"

"Accompanied, yes. That's just for your protection, you're not a prisoner my dear. Feeling restless already? You have a place in mind?"

"No, it was just a curious question." I laid a hand on his chest; his scent was intoxicating. "What fragrance is that? You wear it often."

"What does it smell like, is it bad?"

"No, a warm but sweet smell."

"That's a relief then, I would hate to have you repulsed by the way I smell."

I huffed a small laugh. "Okay, shh, now. I'm going to finish this book." I picked the book up in one hand and flipped the pages using my shadows. My hands played with his finely made tunic, moving closer to his face.

I stroked the bottom of his jaw the same way I had done to Tamlin. He did not stop me, and when the book was done an hour or more later, I looked down. His breathing was slow and rhythmic. He had fallen asleep; I did not have the heart to move or wake him.

This, this little moment. This was what I had been craving. I took in those calmed features, his relaxed boyish face. I stroked his jaw line, and a subtle smile of tranquil peace elated his full lips. Such a handsome High Lord.

"You awake?" Nothing.

His hands were crossed over his abdomen as I played with his hair with my other hand, twirling it. A thought went by my mind seeing him like this. Wondering if he had just as many nightmares as I did. He had been under that mountain for fifty years, protecting something.

As I stared at him, I realized just how much I still like him. You don't forget how someone took care of you, that look of sympathy as your throwing up. It was more than once, but only when he thought I was too intoxicated to remember.

I had thought he wanted me here. He held to the bond, he called to me, asked me to come home. It sounded so nice, home. I thought he would enact this bargain the moment he could, and I had been ready. I wanted to know what he thought home was, to see it.

"Cali, I'm…" My thoughts were cut short, I turned only my head, pressing a finger to my lips. Mor smiled. "To loud." She whispered.

I looked down, he was still sleeping. I smile arose on my lips. He looked so peaceful. This was his home; it was a beautiful one. I could see why he was reluctant to share with me. Human turned Fea, who would have thought. Right, Rhysie?

She rounded the couch. "Ah, how did this happen?" She spoke low, and I did too.

"Just blame me and my useless dungeon cell prattle." Then a song came to mind. 'Please, stay.' I snapped my head up. "Pen, paper." She looked around, spotting my book. I wrote those few words down and went back to playing with his hair.

"How long has he been asleep?"

"Not sure, when I finished my book, I seen him sleeping. I just stayed like this, he looked so worried or stressed, as well as tired when he came back. He looks at peace now. I didn't have the heart to wake him up."

"Don't. He has dinner to go to tonight. So, wake him up."

I thought of many ways to wake him up, water drops, touch his nose, maybe scream down the bond. But… I did not want to startle him. I was too nice, when I felt I should not be. I should not have entertained this thought. Because I was being pulled back into those feelings.

I spoke softly. "Rhys." Nothing. "Rhys wake up." I didn't want to, I like this. But I shouldn't. I felt at peace with myself. I thought of a butterfly, a little spark of light floated above my face. It dropped down, touching his cheek. He reached up, and I moved my hand from his chin. "Rhysand."

His eyes opened, then narrowing with a cool smile and I felt my face warm. "Hello, Cali Dear."

"Mor said to wake you, some dinner you have to go to."

"We do." He raised a brow, then leaned up.

"So, she's going too, maybe I'll use that opportunity to dance around palace under a full moon."

"Must have forgotten to tell you, I'd like for you to meet my inner circle. We is us two."

"You trust me enough for that?"

"Trust runs both ways; you're coming with me. You can feel the room out, then you can decide if you'd like to be a part of us or not."

I narrowed my eyes pulling my books out. Most of my details pertained to action and pivotal moments. The when, the how and why we're not here. I had nothing to go from for this, I felt it should be pivotal. After the mountain, I did not have anything from her eyes, just a few things of what Hybern does.

"Anything interesting?"

"I'm trying to figure your angle. Unfortunately, I don't know."

"You helped us without regards to your beloved Tamlin." That comment had my blood turning hot, not with embarrassment, but anger. "You are thinking of the greater good. I know that your interests are in line to ours and I believe you'll become a great asset." Again. To be used.

"We barely talk, he's always too busy. Greater good? Who knows if what I did will have catastrophic consequences, because I don't. How did you not know I wasn't using you to get them, and I steal them for myself?"

"You wouldn't do that; dose Tamlin have any idea to the information you gave me before we all left?"

"What I gave you, no. The priestess he keeps at his side also has no idea who took them. She won't say anything other than temples are being destroyed."

His head tilt to the side. "I never liked her, and is there that much trouble in paradise?"

"I've told you before we left that glorified hell hole. When I said I love you, I was still drunk on fairy wine, how could I truly mean that. It's still fucking with my mind. I don't even know how the curse counted that. I'm not even Feyre, so I really don't see how unless the cauldron was having a no fucks, close enough, get this bitch off my land, kind of attitude."

"I think if I were the cauldron, I might bend magic too just to have peace in the world."

I smirked, standing to leave. "I'm not going. I like it here; you can keep your little friends and I'll keep my books."

"Do this for them, not me. They are all curious to who you are, but I've kept you from their knowing of you staying here."

"Then keep it that way, this…" I fanned my hands out. "Its quiet, its safe from people. Why tell them about me at all?"

"Hard not to when all of Prythian is talking. You did not do any small thing, Cali. You freed High Lords, swindled a high Fea, as a human. I did not see it as impossible, for as long as I have lived, I learned that the most unpredictable variables can have the biggest impacts. Dress how you wish, no one will judge you. I encourage you to go."

The two shadow twins from under the mountain escorted me to my room. I shooed them away, dressing myself. The thought of being painted was still imprinted on my mind and I was not comfortable with then seeing or touching me. Not with how my skin could crackle or ice at any moment.

Rhysand wore all black dress suit and pants, a golden vest underneath with white stitching's of stars. Not just any, the constellations. I could see the mother, the father, and the start of others. I pointed to them.

"This one is the mother, and that's the father."

"There is no father, your eyes are glowing, suppose the day court is thrumming now."

I dropped my hand. "Nothing is But… I understand he is not that remarkable, but without him there is unguided chaos."

"Where are you getting this from?"

My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "I… I'm not sure. There is a brother too."

"Again, no brother."

I pulled back, why did I think that? I remember human life, what was this thought?

"Don't suppose you believe in a sister, too?"

I blinked, it felt so close, just there at the edge of my mind, bit something was keeping it behind fog.

"Your book reading might be letting you daydream a little too much."

I felt so confused, I had not read any of that anywhere. Rhysand put his arm around me and winnowed. I stepped away from him, frowning. It just didn't make any since.

I shook my head. A massive hallway arched around double doors. Four faint lights on the other side, meaning four people were in that room. His for closest friends, companions. This air felt different, the whole atmosphere felt different. "Where are we?"

"To the House of wind, one of two homes I have. This one, this is just an occupational place. House of wind is more for business between my inner circles. My personal residence, my favorite home, is the Riverhouse."

"So, the moon stone palace was not your home..." I nodded. must be so nice to have more than one. I had Tamlin's estate, and I had the moonstone palace. One I was forced to stay in, and one I had to ask to see.

"Shall we?"

My heart began to beat like a low drum. "Rhys, I do not think this is a good idea. I am not a meet now people kind of person."

"You are free to be yourself around them, just as you do around me."

I bit my lip, shaking my head. "I want to go back to the palace."

He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Give them a chance, I promise, there is nothing to fear." Just that brief touch was relaxing.

"Fine." Rhysand escorted me to a room of people sitting at a table.