A Court of Stars and Fire | ACOTAR Fanfic

Chapter 11 - Feyre

✧ Feyre's POV ✧

We all stood, silent on top of the House of Wind as the world moved around us. The city stirred awake below us, people flooding the streets on their daily activities. They looked like small bugs from up here, as small as flecks of paint.

Azriel was the first to move. He ran to the edge of the House, looking down at the forest of sharp pine trees below. His shadows swirled around him malevolently as he breathed, "She's gone."

"H-how?" I stuttered, my nerves finally catching up with me as the adrenaline in my veins faded. I looked at my family around me. Rhys held a sleeping Cas, Mor cradled Elain, laying on the floor and clutching her reddening face. Amren walked over next to Azriel.

"She's back in her Fae form," Amren said, scanning the dense thicket of trees for anything. "Her magic probably just concealed her long enough for her to winnow."

"No," I breathed, walking towards them. "She winnowed in thin air. The magic around the House that prevents you from doing that extends way farther than a few feet from the walls. How did she get away?"

"I don't care," Rhys said quietly behind me, his voice thick. I turned around to look at my mate, his shoulders slumped as he held his friend in his hands. His violet eyes swam with anger, and fading fear. "I'm going to kill her."

"Rhys," I soothed, walking over to him. He raised a hand to stop me, and I saw him crack. I saw his mask of calmness crack, the healing pieces breaking again as he cradled Cassian.

"I'm going to kill her."

"It's the idiots fault," Amren said, turning around to come up next to me. She stared at Cas, her features softening. "He taunted her. He took it too far. Have you forgotten the feeling of someone taunting you to the point you break?"

"She almost murdered him," Rhys breathed, nostrils flaring.

"He's been beaten worse," Amren stated, looking away with a wave of her hand. "He knew what he was doing. He wanted her to maul him like that, so he pushed her buttons. It's not Nyssa's fault."

"She... she could have stopped herself," I stammered out. I was about to go on when Az mumbled something obscene, his face a distracted, emotional expression of frustration as he walked away from the edge. He stormed toward the staircase to the rest of the House when Mor called after him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Away," he called back vaguely his shadows almost concealing his figure as he disappeared down the stairs.

"He will be fine," Elain mumbled softly, and I turned around to her, dropping to my knees. A sob got caught in my throat at the sight of Elain's soft features blooming with the purple and blue of a deep bruise. The purest one out of the three of us.

"Will... will you be ok?" I asked her, taking her soft hand in mine. She mustered a half smile, gingerly squeezing my hand in response.

"Yeah," she responded. "I want to go see Lucien."

I furrowed my brow in mild shock. I knew they had became friends, but they were evidently more closer than I thought. Mor nodded, touching my shoulder as she helped Elain to her feet. I stood up as well, a gentle hand on Elain's back ushering them forward.

"Tell me when he wakes up," Mor whispered to me as she passed, "I want to beat his ass for what he pulled. And also make sure he's really alive."

I tried to smile at Mor's joke, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. I could only meekly nodded as she escorted Elain, watching as they disappeared from view.