A Court of Iron and Shadows

The Dance of Death

Rhys' POV

Weeks had passed in the house of wind, and Celaena had yet to open up completely and tell them the truth about her and her past. She and Azriel had become especially close, and I could tell that she was close to confiding in him about her past. 

However, only time would tell. She had recovered within a few days, although she was still sore and had to heal, and thus had spent her time in the library for days on end. What she was doing in there, I could not tell you, for it is a mystery, even to me. 

Her minor wounds had completely healed, and only some of the larger ones needed to be tended to, although she was mostly recovered now. Why had she been in that iron coffin in the first place? Whatever could a small, broken human girl have done to deserve that punishment?

The state she was in..I could tell that she had been tortured, the question though, was for how long, and was she completely broken, or could we pick up the pieces and put them back together again?

These thoughts ran through my mind and i pondered them as I walked down the stairs, and to my beautiful mate that awaited me. Walking through the kitchen, I placed a kiss atop my mates' head, and made to sit next to her when Azriel came through the door, with a worried gleam in his eyes. 

"Rhys, the high lords have called a meeting." Az said, slightly panting. I bolt up out of my chair and walk to Azriel. 

"My office, now." I speak into his mind. He wordlessly follows me and I tell Feyre that I'll be back soon through the mating bond. We walked straight into my office, and I immediately start pacing in front of my desk, hands running through my dark hair. 

"Why." He waits a minute before replying, 

"There's some threat that they want to talk about. I don't know what it is, but I have my spy's on it." He says. 

"When." I say, basically limiting my sentences to one word. 

"Next week. They said it's urgent, and that was the closest date that suited everyone." 

I think for a moment, surely wearing a hole in the rug before I lean back against my desk, arms crossed. We just finished the war, what was this new threat? Some of Hybern's people, uprising? Did some soldiers escape during the final battle? Had that only been a fraction of their army?

Thoughts similar to this whirl through my head, spinning in chaos. "Okay." I sigh, "We'll be there." He nods to me and I rub my eyes with my forefingers before I hear a click, and someone's feet padding through the room. 

I look up, meeting the eyes of my beautiful mate. "I heard." she said. I huff in response, putting my arms around her, as she leans against my side. "Who should go?"

"Well, we obviously have to go if we're facing a new threat. Azriel and Cassian will come as well, someone will have to stay behind though. Elain, Nesta, and Mor will stay here. We may need Amren's insight on this 'new threat'." I say. 

"What about Celaena?" Feyre asks me. 

"What about her?"

"Should she come?"

"Do you want her to come?" I ask her. She shrugs and responds with,

"I think it's her decision to make. I think that if she decides to come along, then great. There has to be some reason she was in that coffin, she wasn't there for selling flowers." 

"You're right." I say, "We'll ask her in the morning and prepare her for the meeting if she agrees. With a soft sigh coming from my mate, we wander back to the kitchen and sit down to eat, thinking about all that comes ahead.