𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐂 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ! [ rhysand ]

𝐯. a ride with a demon !

Ana lifted her cup up and muttered a prayer to herself. One that she, Nadia, and Dmitri had come up with while trapped together long ago. One they often spoke when seeing the death of a child like themselves. One that reached out to those who had lost someone, or those who were soon to lose themselves. "Тем, кто после. К нам сейчас. И тем, кто дальше. Видно или не видно. Здесь, но не здесь."

To those after. To us now. And to those beyond. Seen but unseen. Here but not here. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯

"And you're sure I won't fall off?"

Ana stood in the stables beside Lucien, the two looking at the horse that the blonde would be using for that day. After dinner the previous night, Lucien had asked Ana if she wanted to accompany him on his ride of the border. See more of the property and be near other humans like herself. (And maybe act as an apology for offending her earlier in the week.) She had agreed, of course, in hopes that maybe she'd spot something that could help her return home. Or somehow manage to squeeze the secret from Lucien without Tamlin there to yell at him.

All she had managed to gather in the week and a half she'd been at the court was that there was some blight taking over Prythian, draining magic and killing faeries from all courts. And that there was nothing  anyone could do to stop the blight. It had drained all the High Lords of their magic, and they were really the only ones with the power to stop it in the first place. 

Ana had tried to think of something from her world that could help with the blight, but nothing came to mind. No rune, no mortal instrument, no nothing. Just the faint idea that maybe Magnus could come up with a cure (but that was only if she could reach Izzy and contact him.)

Lucien chuckled at the hesitance in Ana's eyes. "My, my. You aren't afraid to stab a High Lord in the chest, but you are afraid of a horse?"

Ana shot him a look. "Sorry. I didn't grow up around many horses. My life was filled with fast cars, ships, and the occasional motorcycle trip. Sometimes where was also flying, but no one talks about that. It wasn't the most . . . enjoyable experience."

She shivered at the thought.

"Cars? Motor . . . cycle?" Lucien tilted his head like a puppy. "Strange names."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Think of a carriage that can pull itself without horses and is steered by a wheel." That russet eye bore into the side of her face. "That's a car. And no, it's not magical." She then reached for the horse's muzzle, allowing it to sniff her hand first. She remembered someone saying to do this with dogs, so she guessed horses were somewhat similar. "Easy."

The horse, to Ana's surprise, leaned into her touch. It almost reminded Ana of the scene from How To Train Your Dragon, when Hiccup and Toothless had their first bonding moment. The horse pressed its warm muzzle to Ana's palm, the coat soft beneath her fingers. Slowly, Ana ran her hand over the horse's face, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Meet Astrella," Lucien said, hiding his soft smile from Ana by turning to his own steed. "She'll never lead you wrong."

Ana giggled as she felt Astrella's tongue slightly poke her fingers. "I would hope not. Between me and you, I have a sucky sense of direction." Lucien's eyes widened. "Kidding."

The red haired High Fae helped Ana ready Astrella for a ride. He adjusted the saddle and made sure nothing would come apart while out by the wall. He then helped Ana mount the horse, laughing quietly when she nearly stumbled off the other side when he gave her a bit too much of a push. Once Ana was ready, he mounted his own steed and flicked the reins, preparing to leave only for Feyre to stop them.