When Darkness Meets Fire

Chapter 8 - Feyre

Rowan took me up on training in the end, same with the rest of the court.

We went out to the training ring in the palace garden, and they began warming up. I just sat on the grass with Elide, content with letting them exhaust themselves before we started, then they would go through the same pain I had to when I learned.

"Feyre, what are you doing?" Rowan called out.

"Waiting for all of you to realise shielding your mind isn't something that requires physical activity." I called back, not stopping the grin the spread over my face.

"You want to start Elide?" I turned to the girl.

"Sure, what do I need to do?" she replied, brows furrowing

"Imagine a shield wrapping around your mind, you should layer it up so that nothing can break it. Your shield should be made of something that feels right to you, mine is a wall of black stone but my sisters is rose covered gates."

She nodded at me and closed her eyes, just as the others got to us. I told them what I had told Elide and they all sat in the grass. I reached out to see what they were making their shields from.

Rowan's shield is a wall of ice.

Lysandra's shield is trees woven together.

Elide's shield is made of black fogged glass.

Aedion's shield is made from gold.

Fenrys's shield is a wall of bright white stone.

And Lorcan's shield is made of shadows, I reached out to him.

'You can't make your shield from shadows; you need to think of a solid object.'

He snarled at me, I just grinned back. I let them layer up their shields for a little while longer before I tried to get through.

After a couple of tries I smashed Rowan's.

'layer it up more.'

He gave me a curt nod.

I tried to get through Fenrys's shield next, his was a little harder but I eventually chipped my way through.

'This is great, you just need to build up the layers.'

He grinned at me and I moved on to Aedion, I couldn't break through his shield.

"Aedion, your shield is amazing, now you need to work on always having it up, even when you aren't actively thinking about it."

He smirked at Rowan who just rolled his eyes. I tried getting through Elide's next. Again, her shield was impenetrable, and I grinned.

"Your shield is perfect too Elide, same as Aedion, working on always having it there."

She beamed at me. I moved onto Lorcan. He had shielded his mind in iron, because he didn't have as much time as the others it was easy to rip open.

'Iron is good, just build it up more.'

I finally reached out towards Lysandra's mind but as soon as my mental talons touched her shield pain sliced through my head. I let out a yell and fell back. Elide was instantly by my side.

"What happened?" her voice was full on concern.

I pushed myself up, gaping at Lysandra.

"What is your shield made of?" In the back of my mind, I already knew but I needed her to say it.

"Ash trees, why?" She was frowning at me.

"Never mind, I won't be trying to get into your mind again though." I pushed myself up, so I was standing, they all stood with me.

"Lesson over for today, if you concentrate on it for too long then your mind will become mud." I should know, I have personal experience with it.

Rowan opened his mouth to say something, but someone pushed a knife to my neck and a female voice hissed in my ear. "Where is Aelin?"

I didn't take to kindly to the threat, so I winnowed into the air, growing my wings and using them to hover.

"Why is no one here capable of asking nicely?" A white-haired woman was stood where I had been only a minute before, glaring up at me.

"Who the hell are you?" she snapped at me.

I glided down to the floor and tucked my wings in tight. "Hi, my name is Feyre and I'm High Lady of the Night Court, it's in another world and we are assuming that is where Aelin is." I smiled sweetly at her.

She bared her teeth at me and slid what I realised were iron nails back into her fingers, "I woke up with some idiot in my bed this morning instead of Dorian."

I frowned, I had no idea who that could be, it seemed that only married couples got swapped but none of my friends are married.

"I brought him with me, I was hoping that Aelin could send him away and help me get Dorian back." she gave a shrill whistle, and a massive black beast flew around the side of the palace, landing next to the woman, dropping a man at her feet.

I froze as he stood, Tamlin, he snarled as he saw me there and shifted into his beast form. I turned and pushed off the ground, trying to fly away from him. he just jumped and tackled me to the ground. I didn't know what to do, that was when I scented the magic on him.

I had forgotten all about the Great Rite, it would have been yesterday, the magic will still be consuming him.

"Tamlin, get off me."

I tried to keep my voice calm, but I knew I sounded as terrified as I felt. He placed one massive paw on my chest to hold me down as he stared at me.

The weight was crushing my wings, so I banished them, leaving me with just my dress, no weapons other than my magic. He shifted into a larger beast, standing on his hind legs and scooping me up using his two massive front paws.

He lifted his snout in the air and sniffed once, taking one glance back at Aelin's court who all had their weapons drawn but that were making no move to attack, I understood why, Tamlin was a new threat, and they didn't know what powers he had.

He turned away from them and began running. His grip on me was crushing my chest, I could hardly get a breath down let alone think.