Son of Night and Daughter of Stars

Chapter 46: The Storm

Nyx hadn't left his room since Estelle had fled. He didn't think he had the nerve. 

Damn her, she was so confusing. She'd had every opportunity to pull back, but instead, she'd kissed him. And then the moment she had, it had seemed like she'd regretted it. Why? Was she playing with him? Playing herself in the process? 

Nyx paced across the floor, his wings splaying open and closed as he walked. His fingers tapped nervously on his thigh as he pondered what the hell the Princess had been trying to say. Did the kiss mean she felt as he did? Or had she just been trying to comfort him? More pity, no doubt. He hated to think that she would be so unknowingly cruel, but did he really know her at all? He thought he did. He wanted to. 

Nyx raked his hands through his hair, scrubbed at his face. It was far too late in the night to be agonizing over a female. Even one so wonderfully strange as the Princess. He wasn't sure if he wanted to run after her and make her talk to him, just to understand... or if he wanted to avoid her entirely. Mother damn him, he didn't think he could do that last one even if he wanted to. He'd seen where trying to avoid her got him and now look at the mess they were in. 

Well, that left only one option, then. Nyx started for the door and reached for the handle just as a loud banging began on the other side. 

He froze. All his resolve fell promptly to his feet. If that was Estelle... he had no idea what he'd say to her. Apologize? Yell? Would he even be able to speak at all?

Hand shaking slightly, he opened the door. He nearly wilted in relief when he found not Estelle, but Reave, standing on the other side. 

"Reave. Do you need something?" He asked, glancing up and down the hall. The boy was alone. 

"Where's Estelle?" Reave asked. Nyx looked at him again and was surprised to see anger flooding the boy's face. His turquoise-and-gold eyes were crackling with hoarfrost. 

"Why should I know?" He asked, carefully. "Reave, are you alright?" 

"I know you did something," Reave hissed. Nyx was alarmed to feel a sudden drop in temperature, so cold that chills washed over his skin, prickling beneath his jacket. His breath fogged in front of him. "What did you do to her?" 

Nyx took a step back into his room, but Reave followed, slamming the door shut behind him with a violent wind. Nyx had never really considered the boy a threat, but now, as a strong, northern wind began to pick up, he saw that impression was very, very wrong. He was a fool for thinking otherwise. Reave was the son of Queen Aelin Galathynius and Prince Rowan Whitethorn. He could very well be one of the most powerful Fae males in Erilea. 

"Reave, you need to calm down," Nyx said as his teeth began to chatter. What was Reave talking about? What had he seen? "Tell me what's going on!" 

"No! Ever since you got here, something's been wrong with my sister," Reave snarled. Frost footsteps grew wherever Reave stepped. He didn't seem to notice, nor did he seem to care when Nyx began shaking as snow and ice joined the wind and began to swirl around his body. Nyx raised his arms, trying to cover his eyes against the roaring storm. "Every time I see her, she's worse. What are you doing? And don't bother denying anything!! I just saw her, she hasn't lost control like that since she was Aneryn's age. Tell me what you did!!" 

Nyx could barely feel his fingers. His limbs were growing stiff. He tried summoning fire, but Reave's icy wind whipped through his fingers so fast it wouldn't ignite, and he could feel his energy slowly fading. "R-reave, please. I ca-an't--"

"REAVE!!" Nyx could have wept with relief as Aelin Galathynius burst into the room, the frost that had covered the door shattering as she melted through it. "What the hell are you doing?"