"Time will take our place, we return it back to one.
The calm before the cold, the long and lonely road.
Look for the light that leads me home."
Failure – Breaking Benjamin
Day Court, Prythian
Taking a bath in the equivalent of a swimming pool was legendary.
Her muscles were so sore that floating in the tub filled with copious amounts of salts and oils felt like lying on a cloud. The warm water soothed the aches and pains from every inch of her body and despite not having much sleep in the past 60 hours, she felt rejuvenated enough to make it through the rest of the evening. She spent well over an hour drifting in the water, blocking out her more self-deprecating thoughts and focusing more on the present as much as possible.
She tried not to think of those hounds of smoke that had chased her and Lucien, instead feeling the soft skin of her arms from the oils in the water. Tried not to think of the sheer terror that slammed into her when she held Lucien at gunpoint, preferring to inhale the relaxing lavender steam. Shoved down those memories of sitting in the tree wondering if that would be the final time she went to sleep; no, she rather liked swirling the bubbles around the tub.
After scrubbing herself clean of muck, she wrapped one of the fluffy towels around her body, trudging to the closet in the bedroom to find clean clothes to wear. She was still amazed by Lucien. He trusted her and in return, she trusted him. Her being here, alive, sealed her loyalty to him for however long she lived for. Even if she did end up going home, he would live on with her, being told in stories of how a fae stranger saved the life of a human woman before ever being able to say a word to her. She shook her head at the passing thought of publishing a book about her adventure; there were better things left unsaid. Stories better left untold and only remembered.
As she looked into the closet crammed full of beautiful fabrics, she realized she was out of her element. Fashion in her world and this one were exact opposites. She usually preferred to wear her jeans, t-shirts, her boots, and her leather jacket. Here, it seemed it would be dresses, skirts, or trousers that were flowy instead, all in beautiful lighter colors. She surveyed the variety of dresses, doubting they would do her justice, but she was thankful, regardless, that she didn't have to don the muddied clothes again.
Sam pulled a sage-colored dress out from the closet, threw it on the bed, and tried to find some kind of undergarments to pull on. She opened multiple drawers trying to find something to pass as a bra, frowning when she only found a piece of cloth.
"Oh, you are shittin' me right now," Sam said, turning the cloth over and under, trying to figure out how she would be able to secure it around her, half tempted to just put her original bra on. "How in the fuck-"
A knock sounded at her door and she whipped around to face it, clutching her towel to her body tight. She slowly crept to the door, opening it about two inches and peering around it to find a female fae waiting there with a patient smile. Sam recognized her from earlier, one of the females who led her and Lucien through the halls. Sam breathed a sigh of relief before opening the door to let her in, quickly closing it behind her.
"Aella." The female said, pointing to herself before Sam could say anything.
Clearly, word got out about the language barrier.
"Sam." She introduced herself before grabbing the cloth, holding it up for Aella to see with a confused expression. "Uh…?"
She smiled reassuringly, nodding to the towel Sam was strangling, motioning for her to drop it. Sam, blushing furiously, slowly and awkwardly let the towel drop to the floor, resisting the urge to cover herself with her arms. Aella, for her part, remained completely unbothered and patient, motioning for Sam to turn around. Sam felt her embarrassment grow as she stood as naked as the day she was born in front of a stranger. Suddenly, throwing herself out the window didn't seem like such a bad way to go.
Sam followed her instruction, allowing Aella to wrap her arms and the cloth around her. Sam took a breath and Aella decided at that precise moment to pull, with all her might, the cloth taut against Sam's chest. Sam stumbled backward and Aella allowed her to regain her footing before pushing her forward only to yank her back again.
"Holy shit, Aella! I need to breathe!" Sam sputtered as Aella wrapped and tucked the cloth tightly to secure it to her person. Aella appeared in front of her, pulling the cloth out, up, and down to give her some breathing room and to allow the cloth to support her as a corset or bra would. Sam looked at Aella in wonder, trying to find where she was hiding all that strength.
Aella, bless her heart, found some underwear for her to slip on and then helped her into the green dress she had picked out. As Aella started brushing her hair and adding oils to it, Sam just stared at herself in the mirror, almost physically recoiling from her reflection.
She looked like she had been through Hell and back. There were purple smudges under her eyes from exhaustion and suppressing tears. Her skin looked dull as if most of its vibrancy had been sucked out and left in those damp woods. She had peppered cuts along her face and neck, a few littering her hands and knuckles from the pricker bushes and low-hanging branches. If Aella wasn't putting oils in her hair to help bring some kind of life back to it, she knew it would be hanging in loose, limp curls. Aella was able to dry her hair with a snap of her fingers and Sam had never felt more envious in her life. How easy life would be to have the gift of magic.
After helping Sam into a pair of shoes that reminded her of ballerina slippers, Aella gathered her dirty clothes from the bathroom when a knock sounded on the door. Aella placed a palm on Sam's cheek as if reassuring her that everything would be okay before opening the bedroom door. Sam was grateful for that small moment of reassurance, the action healing a bit of her heart.
Lucien stepped in as Sam rose from the vanity seat, after securing her gun to her thigh with her holster, to make her way towards him. Lucien smiled at her, bowing slightly at the waist and held out his arm for her to take. Sam let a small smile grace her face, having never had a male offer his arm to her, but she took it nonetheless and allowed Lucien to lead her down the hall.
He looked down at her, motioning with his left hand a little awkwardly and Sam knew then that he was right-handed. "I look better?" Sam looked at Lucien, raising an eyebrow but the same smile appeared again. "Pleased to know that I looked like trash earlier." She joked to herself, Lucien giving her an inquisitive expression, which she waved off, instead giving his arm a small squeeze. "Thank you. I feel better." Sam pointed to herself, rubbed her arm, and finished with a thumbs-up.
Lucien led her into a huge dining room with cream-colored walls and intricate gold trim wrapped around the edge of the ceiling and the floor. The largest dinner table she had ever seen sat in the middle of the room covered in plates of grilled and roasted meats, vegetables, fruits, and breads; a centerpiece of blue hydrangeas and white roses overflowing a golden vase, the very same floral arrangements scattered throughout the room. The entire room screamed elegance, royalty, and wealth, leaving no question as to how much power Helion had.
Helion met them at the edge of the table, taking her hand from Lucien's arm and kissing the back of it in greeting. He motioned to a seat beside him to his left, gently steering her over to the chair as Lucien went to the right. Sam felt like she was dreaming as Helion pulled her seat out for her, pushing her closer to the table as she sat down.
A part of her was waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak. Since she woke up in the tree, this entire part of the journey had gone so smoothly, so easily, and Sam had a nagging thought that there was something big coming. The trust they were putting in her hands, and hers in theirs, almost seemed foolish and Sam's stomach soured. It has only been mere hours since the forest and yet she was being treated as though she was an honored guest.
She couldn't stop her thoughts, her anxiety, from spiking as Helion served her food, putting roasted chicken, green beans, and some fresh fruit on her plate. Lucien sat across from her, serving himself and sipping from his cup slowly. She was nervous and it seemed that Lucien was too. She kept catching his eyes, an unspoken conversation passing between them. Once again, she was floored by how easy it all was with him.
Dinner was a quiet affair with a few small hand motions to different dishes. However, she didn't mind it, savoring the flavors of the food on her plate. The food back home tasted nothing like this; dull and flavorless in comparison. She had a passion for cooking as it was a love language of hers and she started making mental notes of what recipes she needed to make here just so she could have it in its true glory.
Helion looked up about a second before the doors to the dining room opened. Sam didn't need to look to know that whoever walked into the room was beyond powerful. Pure, raw power filled the space, pouring into the room like darkness swallowing up the light. Sam sat up straighter, her body almost doing it on its own accord, the pulse of power nearly demanding it. Her wide eyes snapped to Lucien who immediately stood from his chair to walk around the table to her, standing beside her seat as if he were her guard. Her nerves skyrocketed as four figures filled the doorway, two of which had fucking wings. Wings!
Sam sucked in a breath, her entire body going rigid and cold as she stared at the impeccably dressed fae male standing at the front with an equally stunning fae woman at his side. The two winged males standing just behind them were dressed in black-scaled leather armor and strapped to the nines with more weapons than Sam could count. The force of their power rolled off of them in waves so intense it made even the flower arrangements lean away.
Sam's leg started to bounce under the table, her body not knowing how to get rid of the nervous energy besides throwing herself off the balcony. Her eyes lingered on the two males with wings; lethal, dangerous, and devastatingly handsome, to cross them would be a fatal mistake.
The one with the red glowing jewels was a mountain of muscle, towering over everyone in the group. His long hair tied back out of his face and his expression was controlled, assessing the room for any threats. For as built as he was, he moved with enough grace that told her he was far more skilled than he was letting on. The way his eyes scanned the room, in a grid formation, told Sam that he had military training. She knew that look, having seen Josh do the same thing, having been trained in the US Army. His golden amber eyes landed on her, taking in her appearance, and falling to how the fabric bunched on her right thigh.
The one with the blue glowing jewels was mesmerizing to look at. His entire presence enchanted her; from his short hair sweeping across his forehead, the elegant planes of his face, and the powerful build of his body, she was hypnotized. Whereas the one with the red jewels was brute force; this male was lethal strategy, quietly observing and completely unreadable. As she watched him, black mist ebbed and flowed from his body, wrapping around his shoulders and curling around his ears. His hazel eyes locked with hers, his massive wings shifting behind him, and the world ceased to exist for a moment. She felt like he could read her like a book as if he already knew everything about her before she even said 'hello'. She felt incredibly small in their presence and she realized just how insignificant she was in comparison.
She felt a hand on her shoulder causing her to look up at Lucien, who hadn't moved from his place beside her. His hands moved slowly, reminding her that she was okay and that they could be trusted. She scrunched up her face but nodded, her leg still bouncing uncontrollably under the table, turning back to look at the newcomers.
Helion met the fae male who stood at the front of the group. To say that he was gorgeous was the understatement of the century. There were no words to describe how captivating he was, dressed in a finely tailored black suit, his entire being radiated power and respect. She could taste it in the air. The female by his side, who seemed the friendliest but no less deadly, held herself with the same confidence as her partner and with the beauty beyond words. They were night incarnate, pure power contained in immortal bodies.
The leader of the new group greeted Helion, exchanging a few words and pleasantries before they were led over to Sam. She inhaled while standing up, stepping around her chair to greet them properly. She wasn't going to greet anyone sitting down, as it was rude, and if they were willing to help her, she had to prove that she was worth it. She turned to look at Lucien for encouragement, which he gave with a soft nod of his head, stepping forward with her.
The action caused the handsome male's eyebrows to rise but he didn't say anything, only looking at Sam with a smile. She couldn't help but lean in towards him when she realized his eyes were a striking violet, causing the two winged warriors to subtly shift closer to their leader.
"Wow, your eyes are stunning." Sam breathed as she looked at them, taking in the flecks of deep blue swimming in the violet irises. The night sky seemed to swirl in them, stars twinkling in and out, and without realizing it, had taken another step forward towards him. She blinked when her eyes lost focus and shook her head, blushing furiously. She wouldn't have Lucien translate that.
The male had a feline grin stretching across his face, his perfectly white teeth flashing, and she shivered at the sight. He said something to Lucien who turned to her, ready to translate for her once she was ready.
"He…" Sam's eyes followed the best they could, her embarrassment filling her cheeks, not only from staring but because they had to resort to this broken form of communication. "He….help. He's here to help. Okay. Um…" She looked at the male with violet eyes and then turned back to Lucien, drawing a question mark in the air and tilting her head to the side. "How?"
While Lucien translated, the male pulled a small silver bean from his pocket, handing it to Lucien and speaking a few words to him. Lucien had a hesitant look on his face as he listened, looking at the silver bean resting in his hand. He glanced at the male speaking and then at her but nodded, his hands already moving to communicate with her.
"I have to eat that?" Sam nodded to the bean, eyebrows furrowing. "What will it do?" Sam looked at Lucien, who signaled to his lips and then to everyone standing around her. "So, you mean to tell me, that I eat this," She took the bean from Lucien's outstretched hand and held it up between her thumb and pointer finger. "And then I'll be able to talk to ya'll?" She couldn't help but cock her hip and raise her eyebrow in utter disbelief at Lucien, who only looked at her with confusion. The male with violet eyes still had a grin on his face that was bordering on unnerving and even the larger-winged male seemed to find some humor in the situation. "I swear to God, Lucien, if this kills me, I'm hauntin' your ass."
She turned to grab her glass from the dining table, looking at the bean in her hand. It was bigger than an actual bean, closer to the side of a mini candy bar. She turned it over in her hand, biting her bottom lip in apprehension. She looked up at the male with the beautiful eyes again, fear written in her own. His face softened for a moment but he nodded slowly, as if to coax her to take it or to reassure her. She looked at the male with the blue jewels who was watching her with such intensity that she thought he would take her out if she didn't ingest the silver bean.
She made up her mind after that. If this was her only chance to be understood, she would have to risk it. With far more eyes on her than she was comfortable with she popped the bean into her mouth, tapping her forehead, sternum, and shoulders in a half-assed cross before washing it down with her drink.
The effects were immediate, a sharp pain ripping through her head, causing her to stumble back into the dining table and Lucien lurching forward to catch her. Raised, unintelligible voices rang out from around her as her glass dropped to the floor, shattering into a thousand pieces. It reminded her of the ritual, the same pain flashing through her when she caught herself on the edge of the table. The pounding of her head was intense; she could do nothing but hold her head and squeeze her eyes shut. A sharp yelp of pain escaped her lips, the feeling of an agonizing migraine searing forward and burning through her skull. Breathing through the pain was proving to be a challenge.
"Holy shit, goddamn this fuc-ah!" Sam mumbled under her breath, pressing her thumbs up into her eye socketshardin an attempt to alleviate the pressure. A sigh of relief escaped her when the pounding began to ebb, taking a few excruciating moments before she was able to slowly open her eyes and blink away the black spots in her vision. "Was that an aneurysm? Did I die? Am I dead?"
"I assure you that you are still very much alive," The deep voice was like velvet-wrapped night and her head snapped up, her eyes wide. "Hello, Sam, my name is Rhysand."
Sam's jaw dropped as her mind tried to comprehend the sudden change. Her head whipped to Lucien who gave her a small, hesitant smile. "Can you understand me?" She whispered to him, almost disbelieving. Magic! How incredible!
Lucien let out a quiet laugh, sounding just as surprised as she was. "Yes, I can."
Sam let out a half sob, half laugh at the confirmation, smiling in pure relief. She put her hand on her chest, breathing in deeply to try and regain control over her emotions before she began sobbing hysterically in front of everyone. She was close enough as it was. She felt an unbelievable amount of weight lift from her shoulders at the ability to speak and understand them. She felt like she was in a dream.
Her eyes caught what looked like a living shadow slithering on the ground towards her and as she went rigid, it instantly recoiled. She followed it back to the male with the blue jewels who was staring at her, his face set in a cool mask; it took everything in her to tear her eyes away when Helion started speaking.
"Let's move this into the sitting room," Helion suggested, walking towards the door. "I believe we will be more comfortable there than in here."
Lucien waited for Sam to regain her bearings, smoothing out her dress and taking the arm he offered her again. Sam could feel eyes on the back of her neck as they followed Helion down the hall and it made her uneasy. As they made their way down the hall, Sam watched shadows slide down the walls beside them, dodging the daylight, shooting forward in front of them before returning to the winged male at her back.
Helion opened the door to a sitting room, this room, was unlike the rest of the palace she had seen. The walls were lined with deep mahogany shelves, overflowing with countless books. Hardwood floors with a large patterned rug in reds and grays, with a small, low coffee table sitting in the middle. Large cream-cushioned chairs, each paired with footrests, with throw pillows and blankets scattered around the room and a long table running along the back wall for studying. Floor-to-ceiling windows made up the entirety of one wall, the cream-colored drapes pulled halfway allowing for a soft glow of natural light to fill the room.
This was a room Sam would take sanctuary in.
Rhysand motioned for Sam to sit in one of the large cream chairs, sitting in one of the chairs himself, waiting until the female sat down in a chair of her own. The two winged males stood behind their chairs, overseeing the entire room, and overtaking Sam's vision.
"Before we start, allow me to introduce my Court." Rhysand motioned to the long-haired winged male first. "Cassian, Commander General of the Night Court Armies."
Sam sat up straighter at the title and folded her hands in her lap, recognizing the title as the immense sacrifice it was. The horrors he must have seen and survived to achieve such a title. Cassian nodded to her in greeting, his expression carefully controlled as Rhysand introduced him.
Rhysand continued, "Azriel, Shadowsinger, and Spymaster of the Night Court."
Sam's eyes turned to take in Azriel, her heart racing. He had a blank mask on his face but it was his eyes that burned with intensity, calculated and relentless. The shadows seemed sentient as if they could act upon their own accord. Sam watched as they emerged from his toned body, curling around his shoulders before absorbing back into his golden-brown skin. She was unsure if she should be scared or curious so she settled for a healthy medium between the two. 'What is a shadowsinger?'
"A Shadowsinger is someone who can control and manipulate shadows." Rhysand supplied and Sam's head snapped to him. "I apologize, your thoughts are loud and unblocked, I will explain in a moment. This is Feyre, High Lady of the Night Court, my mate and my wife."
For someone who physically appeared so young, Feyre's eyes held the weight of the world, having seen something that took a part of her soul with it. While her beauty was not one to be so easily dismissed, she gave off such an air of confidence that she likely only needed to blink and her enemy would be dead. She was slender but strong, her muscles and curves balancing out her body as her petite stature claimed the large chair. 'Mates? Like, soulmate?'
"Along those lines, yes, but deeper," Rhysand replied to her out loud. "I am Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court."
She looked at everyone in the room saying their names in her head silently. She was way in over her head.
"Lucien, Emissary of the Night Court, born to the Autumn Court, and heir to the Day Court." Rhysand motioned to my red-haired translator. "Helion, High Lord of the Day Court."
"So, High Lord basically means 'King'?"
Cassian let out what sounded like a choked laugh and Rhysand looked like he was fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "In a sense, yes, we rule over our respective Courts. Feyre and I rule the Night Court. Helion rules over the Day Court."
She knew she was among powerful people, the taste of metal had not left her mouth since arriving in this new place, and she knew it must have something to do with...magic; she was not prepared for the extent of that magic. Each one of them held themselves with pride, power, and control. She could feel it rippling through the room, the air was almost stifling.
"I have so many questions." Sam swallowed, looking nervously around at everyone. "I'm not sure where to start." Rhysand patiently waited for her to continue, his hands folded in his lap and a leg comfortably resting on the other. He was the epitome of relaxed and in control. "Where am I?"
"You are in Prythian, the Day Court specifically." Rhysand supplied, watching her with interested violet eyes.
"….Prythian? Where's that at?"
Rhysand tilted his head to the side. "Prythian is the world on which you are on, the planet, along with the name of this continent. The continent is separated into Courts, seven to be exact."
Sam just stared at him.
Helion shuffled through a few books, flipping through pages, and making his way towards Sam. "You are currently here," He pointed to an area on the map labeled 'Day Court'. "Night is here," At the very top, with what appeared to be a mountainous terrain, lay the Night Court. "There are also Dawn, Winter, Autumn, Summer, and Spring." He pointed to each one in turn watching her expression carefully. "Lucien found you here, in Autumn."
There was a faint buzzing in her ears gradually growing louder and she could feel the blood leaving her face, her skin turning pale and cold. "I...I…" She couldn't form any words, the edges of the room had started to turn black, her vision tunneling onto Rhysand.
"Sam? Stay with us, you're okay." Lucien crouched beside her, taking her hand to anchor her to reality. "You're fine."
Sam felt the lump in her throat, "I'm...I'm not even on Earth?" Sam whispered as she watched the shadows twirling around her feet and ankles. "I'm not even on the same fucking planet anymore."
"You're okay, breathe, Sam."
Rhysand uncrossed his legs and leaned forward slowly, his face a calm mask but his eyes burned with curiosity. "We are going to begin with the basics, okay? Who are you?"
She was minutes away from a panic attack, she could feel it rising up within her, but she had to get through this initial interview of sorts. This would make or break her ability to get help. They needed as much information as she could supply and she needed them. So, once again, she fought through her emotions. "My name is Samantha Grace Damato, I am 30 years old."
"And you are from another world...Earth?"
"Yes," Sam's face went a little pale. Out of all the alien-related movies and stories, she never thought she would be in one, let alone be the alien. "Savannah, Georgia...in the country of the United States of America, on the planet of Earth." Her voice was so small, so quiet as she replied, her eyes unfocused but still trained on the shadows playing with a loose thread on her dress. "Please tell me ya'll've heard of America?"
The silence that met her in return screamed the answer.
Her worst fears came true, the reality she had tried so hard to deny even when faced with the facts. She wasn't even on the same planet anymore. She was so far from home that no one here had even heard of her country. The room started to spin and she closed her eyes tightly, trying not to come undone.
"And this Earth does not have fae there? No magic?"
"As far as I know only humans and animals exist there," Sam replied looking down at her hands. "We have magic but...not-not like this. It's different." She paused attempting to word it correctly amid her shock. "...it's like...manifesting our intentions, we can do certain rituals or practice a certain way where we can stack odds in our favor but...if we believe it will happen, then it will. But, not many people that I know practice witchcraft."
"Have you ever tried to practice this magic?"
"Not really but kind of. I've learned tarot and astrology but never actually participated in spell work with herbs and candles before." She was beginning to regret not furthering her knowledge, perhaps if she did she would have found a way home. "I believe my mother did when she was alive but I honestly do not remember details."
"Your parents. Are they still living?"
"No. My mom passed when I was 13 and I never met my father. I was a ward of the state." Sam said with a harsh tone, resentment dripping off every word. With Rhysand's questioning glance, she clarified. "When a minor has no living relatives left, the child gets moved to foster houses or orphanages until they are of legal age, which is 18."
"What else can you tell me about your world?"
"Well, Earth is the third planet in our solar system out of the eight but I will defend Pluto being a planet, so nine. Unless you were talking about Earth as a whole, well...that's going to take a lot longer to explain than just a few hours."
Rhysand almost looked like he was holding back excitement. "We will discuss your 'solar system' at length at another time."
Sam tried not to shift nervously under their gazes. " O-okay."
Feyre was the next to speak, her voice was soothing but direct. "On the eve of you waking up in Autumn's forest, what happened?"
"I-I went to a pagan festival downtown...there was this ritual that I watched…" Sam's attention got caught in the flashes of memory that flew through her mind and stumbled her words. She tried to shake them away to focus on answering the question but the images kept coming. Sam let out a frustrated sigh pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry, I'm not usually like this. I swear I'm more professional than this."
"We understand, you have been through a great ordeal," Helion replied, sitting back in his chair with his legs crossed. "Take your time."
Rhysand and Feyre shared a long look that Sam didn't see. Feyre gave a sorrowful look in Sam's direction but nodded to her husband who cleared his throat to get Sam's attention. "We have a way to make this easier for you." Sam looked up at him, eyes filled with devastation and longing. Feyre tried to hide the look of pity and sadness, but Sam caught it. "I have a gift that allows me to see and hear another's mind."
Sam stiffened.
"I am able to access your memories, hear your thoughts, and speak to you in your mind," Rhysand explained it to her gently, treating her as if she was made of glass. In a way, her mind seemed like it was. "I will only look at the memories that led up to you appearing in our world and I will only do so with your express permission. It will not hurt you nor will I. Your mind is untrained and unprotected, and I was able to hear your thoughts earlier as if you spoke them out loud. I do not make it a habit of trespassing upon someone's mind without prior knowledge."
Sam was at a loss. Allow someone to look into her mind? The violations and boundaries that it crossed almost made her lose her dinner. Allow these strangers to see her home? Her world? What if they wanted to take it? Destroy her world or hurt her to get there?
On the other hand, it would be the easiest way for him to understand something that even she couldn't understand, let alone explain. Sam missed Melissa and Josh, missed her life, her job, the city, and the thought of not being able to return to it...
A quieter male voice broke her from her thoughts, "You are safe." She looked up to find Azriel looking at her, the blank expression on his face faltered for a moment. "You are safe." He repeated the sincerity in his words made Sam's mind up for her. Cassian nodded once in agreement with him.
"You may access my mind," Sam told Rhysand quietly, catching his eyes. "You may see my memories."
"This may be uncomfortable. I will be as quick as I can."
It started out with a soft caress of what felt like sharp talons sliding down the edge of her mind and it forced her spine straight. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Rhysand, tears beginning to gather in the corners at the realization that she couldn't move. Her body wasn't her own anymore and it was one of the most uncomfortable, terrifying, and vulnerable feelings she's ever had. Rhysand gave her a reassuring nod before she felt him move past the thin barrier between her conscious mind and her subconscious.
Memories flew by like a picture book, so fast that she wasn't sure which memories they were at first. Her eyes went unfocused, glazing over as Rhysand continued to go back, gathering as much information as he could from the night before they went to the ritual to her running down the alleyway. She wondered if he could feel the terror in her that night, as she watched herself run through the streets. She could recall the fear, the urgency to find a place to hide only to come up empty-handed. She could remember how defeated she felt as she ran towards the wall. The horrible feeling of falling. A tear fell from her unblinking, unseeing eyes as the memory continued.
She saw her wonder-struck face as she looked around the forest, her dark thoughts lying in her tree bed, pulling a gun on Lucien just this morning, running from those smoke hounds. He could hear every thought she had ever had, and see every moment of her life; it felt like he was stripping her naked as long as he was in her mind. Her emotions were suffocating her, painfully stealing the air from her lungs. Was she breathing?
Rhysand withdrew from her mind as gently as he could, sitting back to share a few pointed looks with his companions. Sam's entire body slumped when he let go of her and she collapsed back against the cushions of her chair.
Helion stood to bring a glass of water to Sam, who took it gratefully from his hands. "Perhaps we should continue this tomorrow, allow her some rest."
Feyre took Rhysand's hand, nodding. "Of course."
"Do you have a sleep tonic that she can take?" Lucien asked Helion, watching Sam as a haunted look settled on her face.
"I will have one sent to her room."
"We will call it a day here, Sam," Feyre said politely, offering her a small yet sad smile.
"Thank you, Sam," Rhysand said suddenly making her look up at him. He looked uncomfortable and a small voice in the back of her head told her that it was unlike him to look like that. "For letting me into your mind, for talking to us, and I am sorry for what you have gone through."
She looked down at her folded hands, running the pad of her thumb along her palm. "Thank you." She replied, keeping her eyes cast down. She was so tired and mentally exhausted that it felt like her body would go down on its own accord.
"We will help you find a way back home."
She could only nod, still running her thumb along her hand. She still had a few cuts scattered over the skin of her hands and face. She closed her eyes to take a deep breath, imagining that she was in her little overpriced apartment, curled up on her beat-up couch, and covered with her favorite warm blanket. For a moment, she could have believed it with the silence in the room but when she opened her eyes, she was still there. In the Day Court. Sitting in front of Rhysand. Still here and not there.
"Let's get you back to your room," Feyre said as she stood gracefully and Cassian mirrored her movements walking towards her. Lucien stood with Sam, walking out of the room with her but giving her some space.
Sam allowed herself to be guided back down the halls feeling numb. She had tried so hard not to recall the series of events that led her here but seeing them as they happened...it was overwhelming. The mind tends to reshape traumatic events, rewriting what happened and swapping facts for fiction. To protect itself, the mind places more extreme moments and feelings behind a wall for safekeeping, leaving the rest to be dissected.
But when Rhysand pulled the memories forward, the mind lost its control over its own protection, forcing Sam to witness it all over again as it was. There was no escaping it, the truth of her situation, the reality that she found herself in. She had tried to lie to herself, half way convincing her mind that it was dreaming but it was all over now. She could run from it no longer.
"I'll come by tomorrow afternoon," Feyre said to her as she opened the door to the bedroom she recognized as the one she was staying in. "There's a tonic on the nightstand, it'll help you sleep."
"Thank you." Sam replied, her voice so small and broken, and she hated it.
"Get some rest." Lucien whispered to her as she entered the room, alone.
Little balls of light hovered in the air around the ceiling corners, casting a soft glow over the bedroom. Cassian gave her a small smile and a nod as he closed the door behind them, leaving Sam standing alone in the bedroom in a deafening silence. She turned slowly to face the bed but remained where she stood, soaking up the quiet of the room in hopes it would drown out the war raging in her heart and mind.
It took mere moments for Sam to hit her knees. Her emotions finally surged forward and poured out of her like an endless, broken dam. A heartbroken, frustrated scream ripped out of her mouth as the tears ran down her cheeks. She folded over herself, face buried in the plush carpet of a strange bedroom in a world that she did not belong to. Her entire life had been upended; what was she supposed to do? Accept it? Fight it? How?
She screamed as loud as she could as the sobs wracked her body, "What am I supposed TO DO?!"
She fell onto her side into a fetal position, holding her arms close to her body in an effort to self-soothe. The longer she lay on this carpet, the longer she stayed in this room, this world, the more the reality of her impossible situation sank in. How was her human mind supposed to come to terms with this?
She knew that she wasn't doing anything to improve her situation by screaming and crying but she would let herself feel this. She would give herself this time to break down in order to work through it. She had put it off for long enough.
She continued to cry into that carpet for a while, her weeping turning into soft whimpers as she exhausted herself. She stared at the baseboard of the wall for hours, watching the shadows dance while her mind raced with thoughts so fast that it was quiet.
Yes, she would give herself this.
The room was silent as Feyre, Cassian, and Lucien led Sam to her room, Azriel's shadows following after them. They merged seamlessly with the dissipating light of the setting sun, skittering down the hallway behind his High Lady and brother. While in a different Court, shadows would accompany each member of the Night Court, along with the human woman. It was a safety precaution that they would not be caught off guard.
"We may need your assistance with research," Rhys said to Helion as a glass of fine whiskey appeared in his hand. "I'm not sure how many books are left in the wake of Amarantha's destruction but any assistance would be useful."
"My libraries are at your disposal along with however many librarians and researchers you may require. Akar is the best researcher we have in the Lux Diei Atheneum; he will be your point of contact." Helion offered with a wave of his hand, settling himself in the chair that Sam had vacated. "Of course, you are more than welcome to stay a while." His eyes stayed a little too long on Azriel, who gave no indication that he noticed, much to Helion's displeasure.
"As tempting as that offer is," Rhys started an amused smirk on his face. "I'm afraid it will have to be another time."
"Pity. I would have thrown a feast in your honor."
"Indeed but I believe we both know that you never need a reason for a party, Helion."
"True you are, Rhysand, true you are." Helion chuckled quietly, leaning back in his chair. "Tell me, what do you think of our little human?"
"I believe there is more to her than even she knows," Rhys replied swirling his whiskey around the glass gently. "She didn't come here on purpose, her thoughts said as much, but finding out why she is here is the next step. I think she would fair better in the -"
"You do not need to explain what is already understood," Helion interrupted while holding up a hand, a knowing smile stretching across his lips. "From the arrival of your messenger, I knew you would take her back to the Night Court. I believe Lucien intends to accompany you."
Azriel's face remained blank when Rhys turned to him. "He's rather taken by her, isn't he?" Rhys asked Helion, his tone nonchalant.
Helion shook his head, "I do not believe they are romantic feelings as Lucien already has a mate. But, given that Lucien was the one who found her, I believe he has taken her on as his ward."
"Unlike him, no?"
Helion looked at Rhys, assessing the question for any underlying meaning. "No. His previous court may have had a heart of stone but his burns with the fire of a thousand suns. Do not mistake his kindness for weakness."
Rhys held back a smirk for getting a small rise out of his fellow High Lord. "I would not dare."
Helion held his gaze for a moment longer before holding Azriel's, who didn't so much as flinch at the action. Finally, he nodded as Feyre and Cassian entered the room, Lucien following a few steps behind.
"Then we will leave tomorrow after breakfast."
"Sounds agreeable. I do wish for updates to our little human's well-being."
"Don't trust us, Helion?" Cassian said with a large grin his wings rustling behind him.
"Out of all the courts, the Night Court is the one I trust most, but if you say anything to Thesan, I will deny it until the end," Helion responded with a light chuckle. "No, I simply wish to be kept 'in the loop' so to speak. I believe she will play a pivotal role here in Prythian."
Feyre held his stare for a moment. "What do you know, Helion?"
Helion shook his head, sipping his whiskey. "Nothing that is anything more than my own wanderings. You are no stranger to the ongoing tensions coming from the Spring Court."
"Last we heard, he was prowling his lands as a beast more-so a man." Cassian scoffed as he came to a stop beside Azriel, looking at him with a questioning glance. "Have you heard anything different?"
Azriel hummed as a shadow slithered down his neck. "Not enough to conclude. Tensions are quite high between Night and Spring for obvious reasons." Azriel tried to hide his smirk as Feyre sat up straighter, holding Rhys' hand who had the decency to look a tad remorseful. "I can contact my spies that are stationed in the area if need be."
"There's no need as of now. We will continue to await his response to our proposition of alliance." Rhys stated as he looked at his mate with a smile. "He was considered a friend at one point."
"And of course, Autumn," Helion interjected. "Not only are we sure that Eris is preparing to usurp Beron, but while in the Autumn Court's forest, Lucien said they had to escape his smokehounds."
"I saw that in Sam's memories, yes."
"Best believe that Eris is aware of the breach of his boundaries, even if he is unaware of how it happened. Those hounds report back to him, much like your Spymaster's shadows."
Feyre turned to Lucien, "Do you think Eris will inquire?"
Lucien sighed heavily but nodded all the same. "Yes, he likely will. Eris will involve himself since it happened in his court. By law, this should be his or Beron's issue to deal with." Cassian and Azriel tensed at his wording, Rhys holding back a physical recoil. "As a born member of Autumn, I assumed responsibility for Sam the moment I touched her."
"Does Autumn still have claim over her if you've brought her to Day?" Feyre asked worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. The last thing Prythian needed was a war between courts and the last thing she wanted was Sam held hostage in Autumn with the ruthless Vanserra family.
"It shouldn't as I defected to Night and hold no allegiance to Autumn, blood or not," Lucien replied, thinking over the laws. "If anything, the Day Court assumed responsibility when we walked through the palace doors and sheltered her. By all accounts, Day Court is now responsible for her."
"Does you being both Day and Autumn hold any sway over the situation?" Rhys asked delicately, looking between Helion and Lucien carefully.
"No, as I am not publicly recognized as the heir of the Day Court throne. We would like to keep it that way for now." Lucien responded. "It would cause more headache but if it came to that, Day Court would remain in control over the situation given that I severed ties with Autumn."
Helion ran his finger over his lips, deep in thought. "And with the agreement that she goes to Night, you will assume the responsibility," He motioned to Rhysand and Feyre. "To prevent a possible contest on all fronts, we must have paperwork drawn up that is legally binding between Day and Night, ensuring that it was done with the best interests of Sam at heart, her safety and life feared for, and her future in Prythian safe and assured as long as she remains."
"We will draw up a contract tonight and it will be signed and notarized by tomorrow afternoon before Sam's feet leave Day Court's soil. We will grant her citizenship of the Night Court for however long she remains here so her rights as a Prythian citizen can not be infringed upon." Azriel took that as Rhys' queue to dissolve into his shadows and disappear to gather the proper paperwork. "In the meantime, I believe we will retire to our rooms."
Helion smirked, always at odds between the fine line of High Lords and friends that he glided on. "By all means."
Lucien remained behind with Helion who continued to sit at his desk, deep in thought. "You're holding back something."
Helion made a small noise of agreement. "I am but until I can be certain, I will not speak upon it." He sipped from his glass of whiskey and set it gently on the top of the desk. "I do not doubt that they will train her in strength, fighting, and magic, I ask that you, personally, keep me updated on her progress."
"She doesn't have magic, there's no magic in her world like it is here."
"Are you certain?" Helion asked holding his gaze.
The responding silence was answer enough.