Chapter 2: Conversations with Dead People
-Cassian's POV
Cassian was beyond exhausted. After four weeks of being tangled around Nesta, he was surprised he could actually move, not that he was complaining. The last month had easily been the best in his life now that they were officially mated. He honestly hadn't wanted it to end, but when Rhys sent notice saying he needed him at the river house, he figured some time apart might be good for them both. For a little while anyway. He was sure both of his brothers were already making bets on how long he'd be down here until he was racing back up to the House of Wind. That's one bet he'd be willing to lose. With a chuckle, he landed in the front yard with a resounding boom and shook his wings of the moisture that had gathered there as he opened the front door. It appeared as if no one was home.
"Hey Rhysie! Feyre?"
"We're in here Cass." Rhysand's voice sounded from the parlor.
He entered the spacious room fully expecting to be given a hard time for being gone so long. Instead, he came in to see Azriel and Rhys sitting at a desk drinking and looking gravely at one other.
"Gods who died?"
"Thank you for gracing us with your presence brother. It's been awhile." Rhysand mused.
Cassian rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well I'd still be up there if it wasn't for you, but you did say it was a matter of life and death."
"Bit of both actually."
"What the hell does that mean?"
Then Azriel stood to grab what looked like a canvas, and placed it in Cassian's lap. He stared at it for a moment before asking. "What am I looking at?"
"Most people call it a painting Cass." Az uttered with a hint of a smile.
"I know that smartass… Why am I holding it?"
"A woman who my mate has never seen before came into the paint shop this morning and painted that." Rhys sat there thoughtfully for a moment before continuing, "When you look at that painting, what do you see?"
Cassian stared at the colors on the canvas long and hard not quite understanding what he was asking. "I see a giant tree engulfed in flames."
"What kind of tree?"
"I don't know. Oak? I'm not a fucking tree expert Rhysand. What's your point?"
"This is a tree all three of us have seen many times. It's from the Spring Court. This particular tree happens to stand tall a hundred feet from Tamlin's front door."
"Who was the woman?" Cass asked his curiosity peaking.
"I don't know. Feyre said she didn't give her name. What my mate did tell me was she was a high fae woman with olive skin, long black hair, and purple eyes just like mine."
Cassian stiffened. "What are you saying Rhys?"
Azriel spoke up from the corner he was standing in. "We think that Violet may be alive."
"She's been dead for a couple hundred years. That's impossible. Isn't it?"
"Seeing as half of this family has cheated death at one time or another, I'm sort of leaning towards no." Rhysand countered.
"If it really is her, why doesn't she just come home then?"
"Would you?" Azriel answered his shadows surrounding him. "It's been 5 centuries Cass. We have no idea what she's feeling or thinking right now."
"Let's go find her then. Why are we just sitting here?"
"You are more than welcome to look." Rhys sighed. "But we all know that Violet isn't going to be found unless she wants to be."
"So what do you want to do?" The shadowsinger asked his high lord softly.
"We do the only thing we can do. We wait."