A Court of Blood and Courage

Part 13

I was aware of what was going on around me but I couldn't move. My eyelids refused to open despite my every attempt to open them. Breaths coming out, in an even rhythm, I often heard Helion with me. I could hear and feel him slowly falling apart. The High Lord and Lady of the Night Court scoured their libraries for a way to awaken me. Helion had ordered every book to be brought to him so he could scour for a way to help me. At night when everyone was asleep, Helion would talk to me. He would sing to me, he would tell me dirty things that would have made me blush. I often heard him begging me to blush or to twitch my lips.

"Come on Carina. I know you are in there. Just give me a sign." his voice broke. I tried as hard as I could but nothing moved. "Carina, when I sit next to you I dream of the first time you smiled at me. That moment when you finally trusted me enough to show me that small spark of yourself. That spark that lit up my world and lit it ablaze. They promise me they will find something to wake you but I worry that if I, Helion spell cleaver, cannot find a way then how will they? I know what you would say. You would tell me not to give up hope. To keep fighting. My little warrior." He let out a laugh as he continues, "You would have snapped at me for calling you little. Then I would grin at you and kiss you. Maybe beg for your forgiveness, in that way I know you like." I feel his hand brush away my hair to plant a kiss on my forehead. "You are my everything. Come back to me, my mate."

The days turn to weeks as Helion becomes resigned to just talking to me while I sleep. Until the day comes when High Lord Rhysand comes into my room.

"Rhys, good to see you."

"You as well, Helion."

"What do I owe the pleasure?"

"Some hope." Rhysand says.

"What?" I hear the hope in Helion's voice.

"I believe I can project her thoughts into your mind."

"What? How? Doesn't matter. Do it, do it now." After a moment I feel the bed shift as someone sits down next to me. The male smells of the ocean, Rhysand. His hand presses to my head and all of a sudden I am in a field. A large expanse of grass with sunlight streaming down onto my face. My illyrian leathers are swapped for a soft pink dress. I lift my head to the soft wind blowing off the trees, ruffling my hair.

"Carina." I turn at the sound of Helion's voice. He is far more beautiful than I remembered. The sunlight almost made his bronze skin shimmer as his onyx locks blow around his face. He wore a short tunic and pants, no shoes. Those golden eyes glint in surprise and happiness. My feet tear across the grassy plain and I leap off the ground, letting my wings flare to carrying me into his arms. He clutches onto me tightly, crying and laughing as he twirls me. Setting me down, Helion looks down into my eyes with so much love I want to take him right there in the middle of the plains. But I had more important things to be worried about.

"Helion, I need you to make sure all the females got out. Make sure they know what happened to me. They need to fight for their freedom." Helion shakes his head at me. "Why are you shaking your head?"

"My love, you are stuck in a never-ending sleep yet all you care about is setting the females free? Rhysand is taking care of it. So I need to take care of you."

"I don't need to be taken care of, I did that on purpose."

"Yes, I know why you did it. I need your help to get you out of this sleep. I am going insane, you don't understand what it's like to see you lying there and there is nothing I can do to help you." I gently touch his face but then glance away as I tug myself against the hard planes of his torso. My mind is racing, trying to think of things.

"I can't believe you are wearing pants." I say.

"You don't like them?"

"Oh, I love how you look in pants. Very sexy. But your dresses..."

"Not dresses." He grumbles.

"Sorry, tunics have easy access." Helion lets out a loud disbelieving laugh.

"You have such a wicked mouth! I miss that mouth and your possessive, tight body," He tilts my chin up so I am forced to look into his eyes. At the lust that simmers in those golden eyes. He leans down to press a kiss to my lips when I pull away.

"Helion!" I gasp and start to pace, my idea forming.

"Carina!" He mimed.

"Maybe the secret is in our mating bond. Maybe that's how you can wake me!"

"Oh my Carina, you are a genius!"

"Sorry to interrupt," we turn to see Rhys standing there. "But Helion we must be getting back." Helion groans and walks up to me in three strides, sweeping me into a hungry kiss. When we part I am back into my sleeping form. The first thing I hear is Rhysand when I awaken.

"You know when she first saw you, all she wanted to do was ravish you." Helion lets out a low, sultry laugh.