Beyond the Books

Secrets in Spring (1)

Characters: Nyx and Venelia
Book: This story does not take place in any of my fanfictions.
It is set a few months before the start of A Court of Wings and Fate.

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Part 1 of 2

This story ended up being much longer than the ones I usually write so I decided to split it into two parts. This is just a preference of my own. I personally don't like long chapters/short stories and quickly get bored while reading them, so I shortened this story into two parts that are about average length for my writing style.

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Wind tousled a few fallen leaves as Nyx winnowed to the border of the Autumn and Spring Courts. He cast a quick glance about his surroundings, making sure he was alone. He drew a deep breath and thankfully, no unfamiliar scents greeted him. He tucked his wings close to his back and drew a small token from his pocket. His thumb brushed over the rose carved into the polished chip of wood.

Nyx clenched his jaw, anxieties flickering through his head. This...affair, was dangerous, and would only become more so the longer it carried on. The fact that Tamlin hadn't learned about it yet was nothing short of a miracle, especially considering what had happened last time Nyx tried to visit Venelia, almost six months ago.

He inwardly cursed himself, recalling the incident. For weeks, Venelia had been begging him to find a way to sneak her out of the Spring Court, if only for a moment. She'd never been beyond its borders before. In fact, she'd barely been outside of Rosehall, her father's estate. Nyx had finally agreed and brought her to the border, where they had to cross through wards set by the High Lord.

They both knew the wards were meant to keep Venelia from crossing through, but she'd figured out the loopholes in the system. One that let Nyx in, and one that could let her out. The wards were set to recognize anything that came from within the Spring Court and allow it to pass unharmed. She'd given Nyx the token he now held, which let him cross the wards without trouble. But the wards wouldn't let anyone of Tamlin's blood through without a drop of it falling on them first.

When Nyx brought Venelia to the border, she'd pricked her finger and let a drop of her blood fall on the wards. As expected, they parted enough to let her cross the border. However, they had also sent an immediate alert to Tamlin, who winnowed to the scene within minutes.

Venelia forced Nyx to hide and weathered a bout of her father's wrath before he took her back to the manor. It had taken every ounce of Nyx's self-discipline to resist confronting Tamlin, but he knew his presence would only make things worse for Venelia.

He couldn't bring himself to return to the Spring Court ever since, even though Venelia had asked him to when they spoke through his daemati powers. He even kept that contact limited. At least, he had until tonight, when Venelia's distress reached him where he was trying to sleep in Windhaven, and at the sound of his voice, she burst into sobs and begged him to come.

Nyx drew a steadying breath and straightened, closing his fist around the token. He crossed through the wards and with half a thought, winnowed closer to Tamlin's home. The token once again let him pass through the wards set around Rosehall, although this time it was because it recognized the object as Venelia's.

Nyx spread his wings and flew up to the balcony extending from Venelia's room, being careful to keep out of the light of the moon. Guards were making their rounds, and he didn't want them catching sight of his shadow. He landed on the smooth stone and approached the glass door coated in sprawling ivy and rose blossoms. Nyx pocketed the token and raised a hand to knock, but the door flew open, almost smacking him in the face.