"Nyx, NO! Don't touch that!" Cassian tackled Nyx just before he could bring the chandelier down. I winnowed to them and clasped the magic-restraining cuffs onto Nyx's wrists.
Nyx babbled and started playing with Cassian's wings. Cassian folded them up, hiding them from the naughty half-Iliryan baby. Nyx babbled and started playing with Cassian's shoulder-length hair. I rolled my eyes; Nyx loved Cassian more than anyone. It worried me, I didn't want him to turn into Cassian.
Cassian cooed to Nyx, tickling him and blowing raspberries into his bare stomach.
I moved to grab Nyx from Cassian, about to mutter something about taking Nyx for his nap, when Azriel burst into the room, eyes wide. He was panting softly, his shadows swirling around him. "Explosion at the Rainbow."
I gasped and winnowed away, Nyx cuddled to my chest.
___
Plumes of fire licked the smoke-clouded sky.
Buildings there had all turned to ash.
Fire was slowly devouring Velaris.
Panic was everywhere.
And in the center, a golden-haired man with an ancient sword resting on his back carried buckets of water. Near him, a human with magical powers was shooting ice towards the buildings. A beautiful woman with long white hair rode on a giant beast, on in the likes of Hybern, carrying water on and around her beast. The beast was getting water from the sidra and sparing it at the burning buildings. A human woman with golden-brown hair was healing burnt people, and a brown-haired man next to her was helping the newly-healed people get away from the fire. A horse with a dark-haired female rider was helping the man safely get people away from the fire, knowing exactly what to do as if it had a mind of its own. Another dark-haired man was running around lifting debris off of trapped people. Another golden-haired man was helping him. They were both fae.
No matter their species, they worked efficiently.
"Feyre! What are you waiting for? Give Nyx to someone and HELP US PUT OUT THE FIRE!" Mor yelled at me from where she was on the ground, lifting people up and healing them with her golden powers.
I rolled my eyes and handed Nyx over to a nearby civilian, then called on my wings. After flying high up, I raised blobs of water from the Sidra and floated them above a burning building. Slowly, I lowered the blobs of water onto the building, slowly easing the fire away. I cut off the air supply from another building, efficiently stopping the fire, but we were still moving slowly. Night-kissed power streaked through the burning buildings, stopping fires after fires. Now the power bunched up like fabric, swirling like fog. Rhys moved to the center of a few houses. He sent out his power.
The fired turned to nothing.
Back with the strange people, they had stopped more than half the fires on their own.
And almost all of them were human.
The man with magic was shooting ice at the fires, effectively stopping the fires without using too much magic. Rhys, Cass, and Az had stopped the rest of the fires.
There was one section left, and I summoned my pack of water wolves, who ran up, down, around, and over the fire. The flames disappeared, and the wolves carried the flames into the heart of the Sidra.
The group of strangers huddled together, and I watched miraculously as the horse turned into a beautiful black-haired woman. They were conversing in hushed tones that even my fae ears could not detect.
"They're wondering how they got here, and what this place is," a soft voice whispered behind me. I jumped.
"Way to give me a heart attack, Azriel." I frowned at the Illyrian.
He chuckled softly. I mentally called out to Rhys, summoning him to my side.
"Yes, Feyre darling?" He said nonchalantly.
"Go get Nyx."
He sighed deeply. "Fine." Rhysand disappeared and reappeared, with Nyx fidgeting in his arms.
"Rhys, can Azriel and I talk to those humans down there? Can we go? Pleeeeeeeeeease?" Cassian gave Rhys baby eyes. Rhysand rolled his eyes.
"...so immature..." Rhys muttered, shaking his head. Cassian pouted. "I already sent Mor and Amren. They'll take care of it."
"WHAT? You sent AMREN?" Cassian yelped, then covered his mouth. People below us were staring at Cassian like he grew three heads. Amren looked up from where she was and gave Cassian a death glare. He gulped. I rolled my eyes.
After asking Mor permission to enter her mind, through her eyes I saw that the group was not hurt. Not even the shadow of a bruise lay on any of them. That might have been the work of the healer, but she hadn't even lifted a finger for her companions. The group was conversing in whispers.
The dark-haired woman who was riding the shifter-horse noticed Mor and Amren, and she muttered a sentence to the group. Silence filled the area.
The newcomers stared at Mor and Amren, subtly getting into defensive positions. I tried to read their minds, but they had strong shields.
"Who are you, and what is your business in the Night Court?" Mor demanded in a fierce, cold voice. Amren continued looking creepy and being Amren.
The group looked at each other, shock visible on their faces. "You're- this is- what the hell is going on here?!" The beautiful blonde fae male was staring suspiciously at Mor and Amren.
"I have no idea what you are talking about. State your business in the Night Court," More replied in the same cold voice.
The golden-haired man with the ancient sword shoved aside the blonde fae male. The blonde pouted. "I request to talk to your leader," he responded in a strong voice.
Mor silently asked me, and I left her head. I looked to Rhys, and left Nyx with Cassian and Azriel, threatening to revoke their freedom if anything happened to Nyx, I flew down to Mor and Amren, bracing myself.
~~~
Aedion Ashryver watched as two beautiful winged mated faeries landed behind the two fae females who were sent to question him. Aedion schooled his expression into a mild indifference, appearing to be bored and unaffected by the power of the couple who just joined them. Lorcan, Fenrys, and Dorian had more magic, anyways. The male walked forward. The female joined him, and the other two took formation behind them.
They were experienced fighters, from what Aedion could see.
Lorcan stepped up beside Aedion, a bit of his power on display, showing exactly what he could do if provoked. Manon stood on Aedion's left, iron nails and teeth gleaming in the clearing smoke.
"What is your business in the Night Court?" The male asked.
"I have an interesting little story to tell you. Once upon a time, there was a female that walked through worlds. She saw worlds of light, of darkness, of seas, and worlds much like her own. She saw beauty and destruction and death in the worlds she fell through. But there was a small problem. The female had no way to get back home to the place where she belonged. She was falling too fast to slow herself down.
"Then, she fell into a world much like her own, with beautiful mountains and bright cities. There, she saw a winged fae male." Aedion paused here for dramatic effect. He didn't think the male and female were breathing. "She did as much as she could to get noticed by the young couple standing on the mountain. Finally, the male saw her.
"He flung out his hand, and sent his power, of the darkest night, to slow down the female, as if he could sense what the female wanted. She was slowing down, enough to land back in her body, back in her home. Where she belonged.
"And the person who helped her... was you."
The male shook his head. "How do you know what happened on Starfall?"
Aedion smirked. "I'm practically the female's brother. Of course, I would know."
The male blinked, surprise evident on his face. "And I assume that these people are your companions?" He asked, tilting his head.
Aedion nodded. "Now, I would like to see your royal library."
~~~
O-kay.
So, this chapter is 1371 words, not including this note.
Anyways, hope you like this chapter!