Feyre's POV:
I groaned, a blistering headache cut through my skull. I rolled over and hit something that was not my pillow. The light was bright, it flew through the curtains like a new awakening.
A strong arm wrapped around me. He nestled his nose and tickled my neck. He grinned against my skin, "So how was it-"
I shot up, the dream branded into my mind. I brought my hand across my face. I glanced around, I fell back against my pillows. The High Lord spoke in my head, What's wrong darling?
I snapped at him, Fuck off. I felt his amusement, who was it. Who was that guy? But I knew deep down it wasn't a guy, it had been a male. I shivered, when the High Lord spoke again, What's with the disgust Feyre? I thought we were on good terms?
I rolled out of bed, and yanked open a dresser drawer. Not for you. It- it was just a bad dream. Now geet the fuck out of my head while I change.
I wrapped my robe around myself. And stepped out on the balcony, it was frigid. I ducked back into my room and pulled some sparring leggings on, with a training shirt. I grabbed my leather jacket and slung it around my shoulders. Boots in hand I grabbed my sword and slung it over my shoulder.
The High Lord was back, Training? It's freezing in the human-lands right? I sent him a brief feeling of the coldness out on my balcony. It's perfect to test people's wits.
The High Lord felt amused, I quickly realized. You never told me your name. There was silence and the High Lord finally answered when I was exiting the estate grounds. My name is Rhysand.
I grumble, Well Rhysand, where are Amarantha's forces? I was met with silence, We are pulling fae from the mountain.
He must have felt my guilt. Don't worry, it was mostly bad people anyways. I made sure they got caught by the wyrm.
Why? I questioned. He answered simply, Because they needed to die. Much like most of the people who double cross me.
I stood at the edge of the Illyrian training fields. Can you see through my eyes? The high lord seemed almost offended. Of course I can.
Look. I commanded. I felt his presence in a clear form beside me. He growled in my ear, "Do not command me-" I was pointing out to the fields. He looked around, the lines of soldiers. All Illyrian females. His face seemed to drop. I said quietly, "When the time comes, High Lord, I will kill Amarantha. And anyone who follows in her footsteps will succumb to my blades as well."
He disappeared, I continued walking to the training fields. Regina was waiting for me, she grinned. "I'm going to beat you today."
"Probably," I grumbled, Regina and I trained separately from everyone else. Something Kana was preparing, ready to unleash us on the world. I lined up with the other fae. Nuan, Hava, and The Reaper were here. Three of the Originals, The Reaper represented Rask, Nuan for Dawn Court, and Hava for Day.
The Reaper said loudly, "High General Kana assigned you all to this training because you are all the top of your classes and meet the criteria. Not all of you are right of the fields. As seen, Commander Feyre, Captain Regina, and Commander Emerie of the Vespertilio Legion are present as well."
Emerie winked and Regina and I. She'd be a good Commander to piss people off. Hava stepped forward and said, "You all will be our new Elite group to the field. When not dealing with your own legions you will be the first responders to get a battle on track should we be losing."
Nuan asked kindly, "Any questions?" Emerie asked, "Why the hell do we need this unit in the first place? The Crows usually deal with shit like this."
Nuan smiled, "Because after you all are done with training, The Reaper has found a few magical artifacts. She wants to see if you all are compatible with them."
"If we are compatible with them?" I ask smoothly. Hava glanced at me, "Then by estimates, Feyre, you alone would be able to kill a High Lord."
Well bullshit. I didn't need that on my shoulders. Hava said, "Now, we are going to start out today by practicing showing us how you'd react in a fight. This will help us know where to put you all in the unit positions."
I frowned, this unit wasn't just for putting a fight back on track. This was an assassination squad. We followed Hava, to a small circle that was drawn in the dirt.
"Regina, you're going first. Situation: You are carrying a very important cargo and you got ambushed by another group who wants the cargo." Nuan declared and handed Regina the bag. Regina questioned, "What's in the bag?"
The Reaper spoke, "Classified, you under no circumstances are to open the bag, or to let it open" Regina nodded and swung the bag onto her shoulder gently.
They stood in the middle of the circle and waited. I glanced around not seeing anyone, what kind of training was this. We all stood in silence waiting. A fae winnowed it behind Regina.
She sidestepped him, and used the hilt of her tactical knife to knock him unconscious. She proceeded to search him and found a few more weapons she strapped onto herself.
Regina used her magic to roll him out of the circle. Five males winnowed in at once. Regina moved her feet like she was gliding through spinning doors. I watched and she tricked one into hitting another. Regina proceeded to kick one out of the circle.
One came at her with a knife, she gripped the males wrist and pressed her other hand on his shoulder. Getting the guy to drop the knife, she snatched it from the air and brought it to his throat. The two other guys paused waiting for her move.
Regina used the knife and brought the guy she had held hostage out of the circle. Pulling too knives she dodged the two guys' attacks quite easily. She slammed the hilt of the knives to the back of their skulls knocking them out.
She used her magic to push them out of the circle. Hava nodded, "Why didn't you kill?"
"I'm supposed to deliver the package without trouble, killing would cause problems." Regina answered smoothly. The Reaper said, "Open the bag."
Regina didn't, Hava nodded. "Go back to the line." Regina handed the bag to Nuan, who set the bag down. Hava declared, "Emerie you are up next."
The Illyrian female stepped forward. Nuan pointed to the sky, "You are flying and get ambushed by Peregryn's who are bigger and faster than you. Only objective is to get the information you carry back to headquarters, by any means necessary."
Hava came over and we all winnowed. We were near the cliff sides where I fell into the unforgiving sea. I grumbled, "Please tell me if I need a bow."
The Reaper snorted, "If anyone other than the planned assholes show up I'll take care of them."
"What?" Emerie asked, whipping her head to Reaper. Nuan said, "We had a few spies drag some Peregryn's who work for Amarantha out this far so they could chase you."
Emerie swallowed, "This is a test right?" The Reaper nodded, "If you fail you'll die, so aim to impress Emerie."
Emerie extended her wings, readying herself for the flight. The Illyrian females hadn't had their wings back for long. I crossed my arms, Regina set her hand on my shoulder. "She'll do fine."
Emerie dived off the cliff, I held my breath and beats of silence took over. I sighed when she soared up, high. She used the momentum from the drop to accelerate her. The back on her shoulder was either a placed item to way her down. Or also a test.
The Peregryn's burst out from the clouds. The one came directly for her. Emerie waited to move last second so it would take him longer to come back to her. Another Illyrian female spoke, "She'll have to kill them if she wants to live." The waves seemed to enlarge at her words. Becoming big, like a storm was coming. I glanced around, far out in the distance was a dark, dark gray. I watched as lightning hit the water.
Rhysand spoke in my mind, What the hell is happening? You're gripping your elbow so hard it's hurting.
I released my elbows and shoved my hands into my jacket pockets. Not right now. I hissed back to him. Emerie swerved out of the way from the second Peregryn. I could see, they both were coming at her from behind now.
They were on top of her. My hands curled into fists. Right as one Peregryn pulled a knife, Emerie's wings retracted. She plumete. The Peregryn's right after her. Three hundred feet. Two hundred.
Fifty. I was gripping Regina's hand. FEYRE what is HAPPENING? The High Lord pressed me for answers. Twenty five feet. The Ocean would swallow her whole, we'd never find her body in this. One Peregryn pulled back, the other went for her.
Ten feet.
Her wings shot out and brought her up in an arch no Illyrian male would ever be able to pull. No, they were too big and bulky. The Peregryn who followed her crashed into the sea. Regina winced at the sound of his bones breaking.
With her momentum Emerie disappeared into the clouds. Rhysand appeared beside me, though I knew it was in my sight alone. He caught the sign of feathers in the sea. What the hell is this?
This is the Reaper's training. I thought. I don't know why she's being so tough on Emerie though. Rhysands eyes were glowing with a violet rage. He questioned his teeth showing, Whose Emerie?
The Illyrian female that's being tested. I answered, my eyes searching the clouds. Rhysand started searching too. I felt him. Regina threw out her finger. The clouds opened in answer, sun shining through like the heavens themselves had opened.
Emerie had the Peregryn latched onto her. Rhysand was completely silent. She rammed her fist into his face. Then kicked him in the stomach. Hard enough I saw blood fly from his mouth. He flew off in a different direction.
We'd been so focused on the fight, we hadn't noticed the falling bag. Reaper tightened her grip on the sword at her side. Rhysnad spoke into my mind, Please tell me she's going to step in.
She's not, The Reaper is a hard ass. Probably more so than your own General. I said to him, I felt his eyes on me. But I couldn't pry my eyes away from Emerie. I watched her straighten out. The Peregryn was going for the bag. Regina murmured, "She's pissed off you can feel her anger from here."
Rhysand's eyes widened, an idea sparking into his head. I'll give it to Reaper she's a fucking genious. I glanced over in his direction. Regina asked, "Did you see something?"
"I thought I did." I murmured and turned back to the fight. Emerie dove, but she had her wings half extended. I blinked, she kept them half extended so she could guide herself instead of going straight down.
The Peregryn reached out ready to intercept the bag. Emerie flung out her right wing. The left stand is half folded in. I heard a few soldiers gasp. The drove her left and she was soaring.
Faster than the Peregryn, she sntached the bag out of his grasp at the last second. He had been seconds from intercepting it. Emerie was pissed, and her eyes seemed to glow. Hava was slightly smiling.
Emerie yanked the bag open and two gauntlets with beautiful red stones latched onto her hands. The stones were glowing, lighting up the sky like lightning. Armor slithered over her, while she dove. I recognized parts of the armor, Valkyrie armor. Combined with something more rustic maybe, Illyrian leathers I quickly realized. Three more stones flew from the bag and latched somewhere onto her armor. They were large stones, one would probably take up my tiny little human hand.
Five glowing bright red stones were on Emerie's armor. And she was grinning. I watched her grin turn feral. She swerved and summoned something with the stones. A spear, she launched it at the Peregryn. It hit him so hard in the chest it threw him backwards through the air.
His body connected with the ocean with a snapping sound. Emerie landed between us and the three Originals, the ground cracked under her feet a bit.
Her grin was wild, like she'd been set free from a cage long since placed around her. I looked out of the corner of my eye, Rhysand was gone. The Reaper took the bag from her. And pulled out more gauntlets.
She said to the sixteen of us , "You all are our last hope to wrap this together should a battle go sideways. Feyre and Regina as well as a few other fae here were brought to balance out the Illyrian females that will be in the sky."
Nuan said, "Master tinkerers who have joined our side were kind enough to merge Valkyrie armor, and Illyrian leathers so you all would be comfortable on the battlefields."
Emerie murmured, "An Illyrian female has never received a siphon before." Nuan nodded and grinned, "Well now you can flaunt it in those bastard's faces for eternity."
Seven more tests happened that day. All of the females passed it. Four received two siphons a female, and the three others received three a female. Nuan was basically jumping by the end of training.
The Reaper came over to me at one point and said, "I'm sorry we didn't Have time to test you today." I waved my hand in the air and motioned to the Illyrian female s giggling. "Seeing that is worth it. But what were you going to have me test?"
Nuan came over to me and smiled, "We found a very old artifact of Prythian. The Reaper was wondering if it would work for you since you're basically the best shot in Prythian."
I shook my head, "But I'm human, it shouldn't work for me." The Reaper shook her head, "The bow works for true soldiers of Prythian. As do most of the artifacts I'm looking for."
I questioned, "What does the bow do?" Nuan smiled and explained. "The bow is blessed by the Lord's of Prythian. It doesn't have a quiver because you can pull arrows out of the handle. One from each court. It was a gift to the first High Queen of Prythian, she was quite the shot herself."
"So you've found the bow and want to make a human High Queen of fae courts?" I joked. Nuan laughed and shook her head, "We haven't found the bow yet, but High General Kana's spies are looking."
I nodded. The three Originals winnowed us all back to the village. I stalked back with Regina to the legion camp. I needed to sign some paperwork. Regina said softly, "I'm nervous. Kana is preparing us all for something, yet she's not telling us what it is. I know Amarantha is on her way. But this feels excessive. Like something worse is going to happen."
I nodded, "I believe High General Kana is preparing us for the worst possible outcome. I also think she made this tiny unit of ours in preparation for an assaination she may need done."
Regina nodded, and tucked her hands into her pockets. I questioned, "How's Matt doing?"
Regina glanced at me, "He's doing fine, we have two females helping us with the ceremony. One from Day, and one from Night."
I nodded, it was good that they were trying to incorporate each other's courts into the ceremony. I glanced out at the camp, "Feyre, how long do you think it'll take Amarantha's forces to get here?"
I glanced at Regina, she looked guilty. I sighed and explained, "Last time I got a report from so and so," Regina glanced at me brows raised. "They said, Amarantha was having fae pulled from the rubble of the mountain."
Regina winced, I couldn't tell her more. Not that those people caught were horrible beyond belief. One of the elders of my legion was waiting for us. He declared, "Commander Feyre, The Black Queen wanted you to check out the forest on the eastern shores. Apparently there are some kind of beasts roaming around."
I nodded, "When do I need to leave?" The elder frowned, "Now."
I sighed and set a hand on Regina's shoulders. I jogged to my tent, and a messenger was waiting. I snappred, "Make it quick, I don't have the time right now." the messenger nodded and explained the reports of the beasts seen. One said it was a 'water wolf' that came from the sea to drag sailors down. I half wanted to die right then and there when the messenger read that.
Regina had my horse waiting for me. I kissed her on the cheek, "I'll be back as soon as possible. Keep me updated on Amarantha's movements."
Regina nodded, I mounted my horse and had it start off in a fast trot. When I cleared the village and the other legion camps, I squeezed the horses' sides. It shot out in a fast canter. I was glad that the sun was behind me.
I whistled lowly. The raven from Autumn Court landed on my shoulder. It slid up to my shoulder as I ran. I whispered to her, "Is it true that you are an Immortal?"
The raven clicked it's beak once in my ear. I snorted, "Why didn't you give me a warning?" It clicked it's beak a few times, being sassy. A breathy laugh escaped my lips, "Well thank you friend."
She clicked her beak once. We stopped near midnight to give the horse a break. I slept for a few hours letting myself rest before the hunt. When traveling without fae to winnow you and horses it took about four days to reach both east and west sides.
I was awake before the sun showed signs of rising. The Raven barely left my side, and only left to fly ahead and stretch her wings. The days were the same, traveling on horseback, barely stopping for rest.
On the fifth day I arrived around the general area of the beast sightings. I tied my horse to a tree and stalked through the woods. I came near the water and found what looked like wolf prints.
Huge. By their prints one could guess they stood about five feet tall. The size of a small horse. I followed the prints gripping to the hunting knife in my sleeve tightly. Rhysand spoke, Did your horse leave you?
Shut up, I'm hunting. I snarled at the High Lord. I watched as I thought moss moved. I blinked and only saw a log. The high Lord only kept on, Well what is so important the General sent you to deal with it?
None of you fucking business. I snapped at him. I whirled to see shadows moving, I blinked. No it was a trick of the eyes. The High Lord was harsh, What the hell has you so freaked?
I spun on my heel and the log I thought I saw move was at the edge of the clearing. A small breath escaped my lips, I wasn't a hunter anymore. I was prey. I pulled another knife, something splashed into a tiny pond. I whirled, and waited for something to emerge.
Someone breathed in my ear, I spun and held my knife out. I gritted my teeth and shouted, "Who's there!" A small growl came out from behind me. I raised my chin, and dropped my shoulders back. Feyre what the hell is going on? Rhysand snarled. I slowly turned my feet around. And came face to face, with a dark, shadowy, wolf.
A dark, shadowy, wolf. That was taller than I was. It roared and I screamed. I bolted for a tree and scurried up it. The wolf barely reached the first branch. I scrambled all the way up to the fourth.
A loud bark sent me tumbling, I turned and found another one just a bit shorter behind me. It barked again and I fell. I landed at the base of the tree with a thud. My head was spinning. What the hell.
I tried raising my head only to set it back down against the forest floor with a thud. The dark wolf stood as the Alpha. You could see it in his eyes. A smaller wolf one that could blend in just like a log stood beside him. A golden one stood right beside the Dark one. A beta probably.
A wolf that looked like he could blend in with almost any water stood to the golden's right. An ice wolf beside the water, then a rosie looking wolf. Who hovered above the air slightly. Another wolf left singed leaves in her wake. Fire, the color of the deepest reds of Autumn.
The earthy looking one crept her way up to me. When her teeth were right above my head I squeezed my eyes closed. Something cool pressed against my forehead. Cracking my eye closest to the ground open I saw that she had pressed her nose against my head.
I whispered, "Y-your wolves with magic." The golden one blinked as he proudly strutted up to me. He pushed me into a sitting position. Then laid his head in my lap. I blinked.
A giant, golden, light wolf. Magically gifted, just laid my head in my lap. My mind went out to Rhysand. Are there such things as magic wolves? The silence told me he thought I was crazy. I sighed and ran my fingers through the golden one's fur. I rubbed behind his ears and he growled happily.
Rhysand answered, You mean Naga wolves? They are probably the rarest animals on the planet other than Suriels. Why are you even asking about Naga wolves?
I tried to think of an answer as the rest of the mini pack crept up to me. The dark one stayed at my feet while the others circled me laying in their own positions. I swallowed, False call.
Naga wolves are very, very violent to those who they don't trust. If they choose someone as their leader, they usually protect them by any means necessary. Very cute animals. My father's spymaster was bonded to a Night Court naga wolf. Rhysand rambled. I pressed my lips together and tried my best to pet all of them. While he had rambled.
I felt his presence disappear from my head as he thought I was caught in the hunt. I giggled to myself, The raven was perched in the branches above us. I smiled, "Do you all have names?"
The Alpha shook his head, no. Very smart. I asked, "May I name you all?" They all burst out in barks and wagging tales. "Okay, okay."
I set a finger on my bottom lip thinking. The names clicked in my head. I set my hand on the golden one, "You're Ray." I motioned to the water wolf, "Bay,"
I pointed to the Alpha who was paying absolutely no attention to me. "Shad," The pet the earthy one's nose. "Gaia," The ice was waiting for his. "You're Frost."
The Autumn looking one had an eye cracked open glaring at me. I giggled again and said, "You're Maple, like the leaves that match your fur." I pet the furriest one of them all, "And you are Cloud, because I think your fur would feel just like them."
She barked happily. Another mind crept in on me, Regina asked. How's the hunt. I sent her a wave of excitement. Absolutely fucking perfect, Thank Kana for me.
The wolves barked as I rose. "Do you guys want to come with me, or do you want to stay here?" I said as I walked. The Alpha was by my side and walked where I was walking. I smiled at them all, "Kana's going to be so fucking pissed."
Hey guys sorry for posting so late. As you all are aware the school year is coming up! Which sucks! Anyways, I wanted to warn you all in advance that I'm taking AP classes as a freshman. I'm also taking a few Pre law classes so I'm going to be really busy but I'll try and update when I can.
Word Count: 4163
Happy reads!
: Dragon-Fly