When The Last Petal Falls

18. Start of the End

As soon as the pair arrived at the House of Wind, Nyx dropped her hand and started inside. Bellona waited, breathing deeply as she collected her thoughts. She walked inside the way Nyx did, coming to a gradual stop as she heard raised voices coming from the room closest to the staircase. Slowly she flattened herself against the wall to watch without detection.

"Your job was to monitor her powers and report back to me not play a child's game with her", Rhysand reprimanded his son as he paced around the room.

"It's not a game", Nyx snapped back.

"No you're completely right son, this is real life. Our truce with the Spring Court is reliant on helping Bellona get over Bakurus's death. This isn't the time or place for you to be making bargains, this is purely a transaction".

"Like you've never done it."

The footsteps faded as Bellona leaned in more to try and catch was being said. "This is different Nyx and you will do well to remember that, do you understand me?

"Is it different though father?" Nyx questioned.

"Vastly different, do you understand me?" Rhysand said sternly.

Silence fell heavy between the father and son.

"I understand father."

Bellona cursed and darted across the hall as Nyx came storming out.  "Is everything alright?", she questioned.
"Not now Bellona", he said as he angrily continued down the hall.
She thought to follow him, to see if she could elevate the stress she could see he was under.
"Uh what is wrong with me", she mentally smacked herself as she turned to go back outside.
————

She made her way down to the garden that nearly covered the entirety of the left terrace. The rich variety of flora reminded her of home. The bitterness she felt about her family's situation faded as she wandered into the garden, the sun seemingly bouncing off the assortment of flowers littered around the garden. Pale purple to deep red followed her as she stopped at the sight of Elain kneeling on the ground. Her delicate hands halfway deep in the rich brown soil.

"Penny for your thoughts?", Elain asked over her shoulder.
"You're a bit strange, intriguing but strange", Bellona blurted out before she could stop herself.
Elain laughed, the sound just as gentle and enticing as the female herself. "That might be the first time someone's ever said that to my face".
Bellona cringed, "Sorry about that, sometimes I say what's in my mind without thinking, I've been told it's a bad habit of mine".

"Who would've known?", she smiled. "It's perfectly alright, besides it's nice to have some honesty around here".
"Why, is there a lack of it?"
"Every family has its challenges, ours more than others but..." she trailed off. After a moment she smiled again, revealing a flash of straight white teeth, "how did we get on such a morbid topic, do tell me you're from the Spring Court, how are my hydranges looking?"

Not thrown off by the sudden change of subject she replied, "Um yeah they're looking good, they've just got a bit of yellow of their tips, could be overwatering or a lack of nitrogen in the soil". Elain clasped her hands together as she stood, "you might very well be right, I will get onto that, thank you".

She glided last Bellona but before she disappeared back into the house she spoke. "Bellona?"

"Yes?"

"When the last petal falls, so will he."

—————

Trying to shake yet another disturbing encounter with the middle Archeron sister, Bellona found herself walking down the red mountains of Velaris until she arrived at an entrance she had never seen before. She raised her hand to knock on the rounded door embedded in the mountain. As she did her hand passed through what had seemed to be solid wood. Freaked out she took a step back, waiting a second before tentatively raising her hand and finding no resistance just like before. Wisps of magic passed around her as she stepped fully through, a light tingle covering her skin.