A Court of Wind and Shadows

Chapter 16

Rhysand

"How the fuck is that possible?" Cassian exclaimed, having sidled up by Azriel during their conversation.

Azriel looked to him and then to Feyre, a quizzical look in his eyes.

"How the fuck did the Attor attack us, here, in our court, how the fuck is it even alive?"

Questions all I wish I knew the answer for.

"Rhys?" Mor said quietly, still sitting on the couch where blood stained the fabric. Her skin was white, her hands slightly trembling, and her beautiful blond hair was disheveled from raking her hands through it too many times.

I shook my head, looking at the night sky outside of the window. "There's a chance that the King had more than just one pet."

"And that one pet could not have flown from Hybern to here," I said, clenching my hands into fists.

"Do you think-" Cassian began.

"We have an enemy in Prythian." Azriel's voice was gruff, but his statement was perfectly clear, and it hung in the air right as it left his mouth.

"We always will have enemies, Az, Rhys, this doesn't give us anything," Mor said softly, and I looked towards her, taking a deep breath.

"Who do you think it was?" Cassian questioned, lifting his brow as he crossed his arms.

"It could be Beron, or one of his sons?" Mor offered, her finger gently playing with a strand of her hair.

"No, we just fought a war, no matter how arrogant and horrible he is he isn't stupid, he knows that this would just cause another battle that none of us want," I replied, closing my eyes as my mind was caught up in a whirlwind of thoughts.

A pounding headache pulsed in my left temple, and I rubbed against the skin there, feeling the faint, but thankfully living bond between my mate and I.

She needed to wake up.

She had to wake up.

She needed to do it in a few hours, if not minutes, or else I didn't think I would be able to function.

"Not Tarquin, not Varian, not Thesan, not Helion, not Kallias, not-" Cassian blinked for a moment, before turning to me. "Tamlin?"

Azriel just shook his head. "He wouldn't do that Cas, he might hate us, but to kill Feyre? I don't think so."

"Then who do you think it was?" Cassian was rubbing at his face now, before sighing and leaning against the wall.

"It very well could have been the Court of Nightmares."

I turned Amren who had appeared at of thin air by Mor's side.

"Any change?" I croaked, hoping that something good had happened while she checked over our High Lady.

Amren just gave me a grim smile, before pursing her lips. "Nothing Rhysand, but she will wake up soon, I can feel it."

"Do you think my father had anything to do with this?" Mor questioned.

"Not your father, but-,"

"It could have possibly been another person, another high member."

Amren whipped her head towards Cassian, "I would very much appreciate it if you didn't interrupt me."

He ignored her, meeting my stare as he continued, "I doubt Kier would want to do that, he is cruel but seriously, he knows what could happen. Even if he got rid of you somehow, he's smart enough to know we will be right there to kill him."

"Someone else, someone that we can easily find, if we pay a visit to my dear old home." Mor rose from the couch, rolling her shoulders as she did. "I think Amren is right, but first go torture that damned creature to get whatever you can out of him."

She turned away, sauntering past them as she went into the separate extra room where I had put Feyre in.

The door shut and closed with a soft click, and I turned back to Azriel. "What do you think?"

He rose his head to look at me, the sliver of a shadow snaking around him. "It is very much possible, but I think we need to see what exactly the Attor knows before we go anywhere."

"We should go now," Cassian stated, before taking out a knife and flipping it in his hand.

"No," I responded. "Not tonight, I just-I need to figure out everything, when we can tomorrow we will."

I turned away then, walking back to our bedroom before sitting down on it, my shoulders hunched and my head hanging.

Everything rushed into me then, and I closed my eyes.

I wanted to feel the blood of the Attor on my hands when I was clear-minded, when Feyre woke up.

Not if she woke up, when.

Wounds like that, they shouldn't have swept her into unconsciousness, even with faebane. But the pregnancy could have weakened her, could have caused her to not be able to hold on.

I stretched out, pressing my head against the pillow as I closed my eyes, hoping for some sleep.

It didn't feel the same, not with her by my side, not with her so close but feeling farther away each moment.

She would wake up.

Feyre

I needed to get up.

This, this was nothing from what I had faced, from what I will face, from what our children will face.

Rhys, he had told me, all that time ago, how he never married, how no lover ever stuck by, as they knew they would have targets on their backs forever.

And I had that exact same target on mine.

But none of that mattered. I had stuck with him, and I didn't regret it, not then, not during the war, not now.

I just wished, foolishly wished that everything blew over, that we could move on with our lives and help rebuild the world, rebuild our lives and our city.

I was wrong about that, about so many other things.

Over a year ago, in Ouroboros, I saw all of my flaws, saw them all in a single, ugly monster, the monster I was at heart.

I never shared that with my mate, and I knew that I most likely never would.

Those same flaws made me the person I was today, made me the Stars Eternal, Night Triumphant.

I was the High Lady of the Night Court.

And I would be damned if I let that stupid creature, the Attor, get the best of me.

Get up, I told myself.

Get up, wake up, get up.

I choked as ashes seemed to sweep through my shattered and unconscious mind.

Flames burned at the edges of the picture I held, a frozen dark sheen over the world I couldn't see.

I looked and searched, but no longer felt the presence of Death, but I felt a heavy and yet light weight in my abodemen, I felt a warm light.

My child, our child, was alive and well, for that I was certain.

Now all I needed to do was get up, I needed to get back to my mate, needed to get back to my family.

Easier said than done.

Get up, I chanted as I shoved against the darkness.

Get up.

Wake up.

Rise.

My eyes shot open as I rose up.

No longer in the shadows of healing, of reviving I shook my head, raking my hands through my hair.

I was awake.